CHAPTER 11
1 But faith is the substance of things that be to be hoped [or Forsooth faith is the substance of things to be hoped], and an argument, [or (a) certainty], of things not appearing.
2 And in this faith old men have gotten witnessing. (And by this faith men of old have received a good witness or a good testimony.)
3 By faith we understand that the worlds were made [or were shaped] by God’s word, that visible things were made (out) of invisible things.
4 By faith Abel offered a much more sacrifice than Cain to God [or By faith Abel offered full much more host, or sacrifice, to God than Cain], by which he got witnessing to be just, for God bare witnessing to his gifts; and by that faith he dead speaketh yet. (By faith Abel offered a much better sacrifice than Cain to God, by which he received testimony that he was righteous, for God gave testimony regarding his gifts; and through that faith though he is dead still speaketh.)
5 By faith Enoch was translated, that he should not see death; and he was not found, for the Lord translated him. For before [the] translation he had witnessing that he pleased God. (By faith Enoch was transferred or was carried away, so that he did not see death; and he was not found, because the Lord carried him away. For before he was carried away it is the testimony of Scripture that he had pleased God.)
6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. For it behooveth that a man coming to God, believe that he is, and that he is [a] rewarder of men that seek him.
7 By faith Noe dreaded, through (an) answer taken of these things that yet were not seen, and shaped a ship [or an ark] into the health of his house, (or By faith Noah feared, through an answer received regarding those things that were not yet seen, and made an ark for the salvation, or the deliverance, of his family); by which he condemned the world, and is ordained (an) heir of rightwiseness, which is by faith.
8 By faith he that is called Abraham, obeyed to go out into a place, which he should take into heritage (or which he would receive for an inheritance); and he went out, not witting whither (or knowing where) he should go.
9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise, as in an alien land, (or like in a strange, or a foreign, land), dwelling in little houses with Isaac and Jacob, even-heirs of the same promise.
10 For he abode a city having foundaments (or For he was waiting for a city with firm foundations), whose craftsman and maker is God.
11 By faith also that Sara barren, took virtue in conceiving of seed, (or Also by faith Sarah who was barren, received strength to conceive by seed), yea, against the time of age; for she believed him true, that had promised (it).
12 For which thing of one, and yet nigh dead, there were born as (the) stars of (the) heaven(s) in multitude, and as (the) gravel, that is at the seaside out of number. [For which thing, and of one, and him nigh dead, men be born as stars of heaven in multitude, and as gravel, or (the) sand, that is at the seaside unnumerable.]
13 By faith all these be dead, when the behests were not taken, (or when the promises were not yet received, or were not yet fulfilled), but they beheld them afar, and greeting them well, and acknowledged that they were pilgrims, and harboured men on the earth.
14 And they that say these things, signify that they seek a country.
15 If they had had mind of that, of which they went out, they had time of turning again; (And if they had remembered, or had thought upon, the place from which they had gone out, they would have found the way, or a time, to return;)
16 but now they desire a better, that is to say, (a) heavenly (country). Therefore God is not confounded, [or ashamed], to be called the God of them; for he made ready to them a city (or for he prepared a city for them).
17 By faith Abraham offered Isaac, when he was tempted; and he offered the one begotten [son], which had taken the behests; (By faith Abraham offered Isaac, when he was tested; yea, he offered his only begotten son, he who had received the promises;)
18 to whom it was said, For in Isaac the seed shall be called to thee.
19 For he deemed (or For he judged), that God is mighty to raise him, yea, from death [or from (the) dead]; wherefore he took him also into a parable.
20 By faith also of things to coming [or By faith and of things to come], Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.
21 By faith Jacob dying blessed all the sons of Joseph, and honoured the highness of his staff [or the highness of his rod].
22 By faith Joseph dying had mind of the passing forth of the children of Israel, and commanded of his bones. (By faith when Joseph was dying, he spoke of the going forth of the children of Israel from Egypt, and commanded about his bones.)
23 By faith Moses born, was hid three months of his father and mother, for that they saw the young child fair, [or seemly]; and they dreaded not the commandment of the king. (By faith after Moses was born, he was hidden for three months by his father and mother, for they saw that the young child was beautiful; and they did not fear, or they were not afraid of, the king’s command.)
24 By faith Moses was made great, and denied that he was the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,
25 and chose more [or rather] to be tormented with the people of God, than to have (the) mirth of temporal sin;
26 deeming the reproof of Christ (to be) more riches, than the treasures of [the] Egyptians, (or judging the rebuke of the Messiah to be greater riches, than the treasures of the Egyptians); for he beheld into the rewarding.
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, and dreaded not the hardness of the king, (or By faith he left Egypt, and did not fear the king’s wrath); for he abode, as seeing him that was invisible.
28 By faith he hallowed pask, (or By faith he consecrated, or he sanctified, the Passover), and the shedding out of (the) blood, (so) that he that destroyed the first things of[the]Egyptians, should not touch them.
29 By faith they passed (through) the Red Sea, as by dry land, (or By faith they crossed over the Sea of Reeds, like on dry land), which (the same) thing (the) Egyptians assaying were devoured [in the waters].
30 By faith the walls of Jericho felled down, by (the)(en)compassing of seven days.
31 By faith Rahab the whore received the spies with peace, and perished not with (the) unbelieveful men.
32 And what yet shall I say? For time shall fail to me telling of Gedeon (or Gideon), Barak, Samson, Jephthae (or Jephthah), David, and Samuel, and of (the) other prophets;
33 which by faith overcame realms, wrought rightwiseness, got repromissions; they stopped the mouths of lions, (who by faith overcame kingdoms, worked righteousness, received the promises; they stopped the mouths of lions,)
34 they quenched the fierceness of fire, they drove away the edge of (the) sword, they recovered of sickness, they were made strong in battle, they turned (back) the hosts of aliens (or they turned back the armies of the foreigners).
35 Women received their dead children from death to life; but others were held forth, [or died], not taking redemption, that they should find a better again-rising. (Women received their dead raised from death back to life; but others died, not accepting release or deliverance, so that they would receive, or could get, a better resurrection.)
36 And others assayed scornings and beatings, moreover and bonds and prisons.
37 They were stoned, they were sawed, they were tempted, they were dead in (or by) slaying of (the) sword. They went about in badger skins, and in skins of goats, needy, anguished, tormented;
38 to which the world was not worthy. They wandered in (the) wildernesses (or They went about in the wilderness), and in (the) mountains and dens, and [in](the) caves of the earth.
39 And all these, proved by (the) witnessing of faith, took not repromission; (And all these, approved by the testimony of their faith, did not receive the promise;)
40 for God provided some better thing for us, that they should not be made perfect without us (or so that they would not be made perfect without us).