1FAITH is an assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen. 2By this the men of old won their fame. 3By faith we understand that the worlds came into order at the word of God, so that what is now seen did not come out of things that are visible. 4By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, for which he had witness borne to him that he was righteous, God testifying to his gifts, and by it, though dead, he still speaks. 5By faith Enoch was taken from the earth so that he did not see death, and he was not found because God had taken him. For before being taken he had this testimony that he had pleased God. 6But without faith it is impossible to please him. For he who comes to God must have faith that he exists and that he becomes the rewarder of those who seek him. 7By faith Noah, after receiving a divine warning regarding things as yet unseen, reverently built an ark for the saving of his household. Thus he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness of faith. 8By faith Abraham when called obeyed and came out into the place which he was to obtain for an inheritance. He came out not knowing where he was coming. 9By faith he made his home in the promised land as in a foreign country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking for the city that has the foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11By faith Sarah received power to conceive a child even when past the natural time of life, since she thought him trustworthy who had given the promise. 12And so from just one man, already dead in that respect, there sprang descendants "as the stars of heaven in multitude and as the sand on the seashore innumerable." 13These all died in faith, not having obtained the promised blessings, but they saw them and greeted them afar and confessed that they were strangers and foreigners in the land. 14For those who say such things make it plain that they are seeking a fatherland. 15And if they had been thinking of that land from which they came they would have had opportunity to return. 16But now they desire a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them \'97 of being called their God; for he has prepared for them a city. 17By faith Abraham when he was tested offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises began offering his only son 18regarding whom it had been said, "Those only whose descent is through Isaac shall be called your descendants." 19He reasoned that God was able to raise him even from the dead, and figuratively he did win him back from the dead. 20By faith also Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau and spoke of things to come. 21By faith Jacob when dying blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped leaning on the top of his staff. 22By faith Joseph, when at his end, mentioned the departure of the children of Israel and gave orders regarding his own bones. 23By faith Moses at his birth was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they did not fear the king's command. 24By faith Moses when he had grown up refused to be called a son of Pharaoh's daughter. 25He chose rather to suffer hard-ship with the people of God than to enjoy the brief pleasure of sin, 26and he thought the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. For he was looking to the final reward. 27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; for he endured as if seeing him who is unseen. 28By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer might not touch their first-born. 29By faith they crossed the Red Sea as on dry land; but the Egyptians when they tried to do so were drowned. 30By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled seven days. 31By faith Rahab, the prostitute, did not perish with those who had refused to believe; because she had welcomed the spies with peace. 32And what shall I say further? Time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, and of David and Samuel and the prophets; 33who through faith struggled against kingdoms and subdued them, did deeds of righteousness, obtained promised blessings, shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness grew strong, became mighty in war, turned back armies of foreigners. 35Women received back their dead by a resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to pay for liberation, in order to gain a better resurrection. 36Still others had experience of mockings and floggings, yes, of chains and prisons. 37They were stoned, afflicted, sawn in two, murdered with the sword. They went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, distressed, maltreated. 38The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in caves and in holes in the earth. 39All these won God's approval by their faith. Yet they did not obtain the fulfillment of the promise. 40In reference to us God had something better in view, that they without us should not reach perfection.