¹ Es, pues, la fe la certeza de lo que se espera, la convicción de lo que no se ve.

² Porque por ella alcanzaron buen testimonio los antiguos.

³ Por la fe entendemos haber sido constituido el universo por la palabra de Dios, de modo que lo que se ve fue hecho de lo que no se veía.

⁴ Por la fe Abel ofreció a Dios más excelente sacrificio que Caín, por lo cual alcanzó testimonio de que era justo, dando Dios testimonio de sus ofrendas; y muerto, aún habla por ella.

⁵ Por la fe Enoc fue traspuesto para no ver muerte, y no fue hallado, porque lo traspuso Dios; y antes que fuese traspuesto, tuvo testimonio de haber agradado a Dios.

⁶ Pero sin fe es imposible agradar a Dios; porque es necesario que el que se acerca a Dios crea que le hay, y que es galardonador de los que le buscan.

⁷ Por la fe Noé, cuando fue advertido por Dios acerca de cosas que aún no se veían, con temor preparó el arca en que su casa se salvase; y por esa fe condenó al mundo, y fue hecho heredero de la justicia que viene por la fe.

⁸ Por la fe Abraham, siendo llamado, obedeció para salir al lugar que había de recibir como herencia; y salió sin saber a dónde iba.

⁹ Por la fe habitó como extranjero en la tierra prometida como en tierra ajena, morando en tiendas con Isaac y Jacob, coherederos de la misma promesa;

¹⁰ porque esperaba la ciudad que tiene fundamentos, cuyo arquitecto y constructor es Dios.

¹¹ Por la fe también la misma Sara, siendo estéril, recibió fuerza para concebir; y dio a luz aun fuera del tiempo de la edad, porque creyó que era fiel quien lo había prometido.

¹² Por lo cual también, de uno, y ése ya casi muerto, salieron como las estrellas del cielo en multitud, y como la arena innumerable que está a la orilla del mar.

¹³ Conforme a la fe murieron todos éstos sin haber recibido lo prometido, sino mirándolo de lejos, y creyéndolo, y saludándolo, y confesando que eran extranjeros y peregrinos sobre la tierra.

¹⁴ Porque los que esto dicen, claramente dan a entender que buscan una patria;

¹⁵ pues si hubiesen estado pensando en aquella de donde salieron, ciertamente tenían tiempo de volver.

¹⁶ Pero anhelaban una mejor, esto es, celestial; por lo cual Dios no se averg:uenza de llamarse Dios de ellos; porque les ha preparado una ciudad.

¹⁷ Por la fe Abraham, cuando fue probado, ofreció a Isaac; y el que había recibido las promesas ofrecía su unigénito,

¹⁸ habiéndosele dicho: En Isaac te será llamada descendencia;

¹⁹ pensando que Dios es poderoso para levantar aun de entre los muertos, de donde, en sentido figurado, también le volvió a recibir.

²⁰ Por la fe bendijo Isaac a Jacob y a Esaú respecto a cosas venideras.

²¹ Por la fe Jacob, al morir, bendijo a cada uno de los hijos de José, y adoró apoyado sobre el extremo de su bordón.

²² Por la fe José, al morir, mencionó la salida de los hijos de Israel, y dio mandamiento acerca de sus huesos.

²³ Por la fe Moisés, cuando nació, fue escondido por sus padres por tres meses, porque le vieron niño hermoso, y no temieron el decreto del rey.

²⁴ Por la fe Moisés, hecho ya grande, rehusó llamarse hijo de la hija de Faraón,

²⁵ escogiendo antes ser maltratado con el pueblo de Dios, que gozar de los deleites temporales del pecado,

²⁶ teniendo por mayores riquezas el vituperio de Cristo que los tesoros de los egipcios; porque tenía puesta la mirada en el galardón.

²⁷ Por la fe dejó a Egipto, no temiendo la ira del rey; porque se sostuvo como viendo al Invisible.

²⁸ Por la fe celebró la pascua y la aspersión de la sangre, para que el que destruía a los primogénitos no los tocase a ellos.

²⁹ Por la fe pasaron el Mar Rojo como por tierra seca; e intentando los egipcios hacer lo mismo, fueron ahogados.

³⁰ Por la fe cayeron los muros de Jericó después de rodearlos siete días.

³¹ Por la fe Rahab la ramera no pereció juntamente con los desobedientes, habiendo recibido a los espías en paz.

³² ¿Y qué más digo? Porque el tiempo me faltaría contando de Gedeón, de Barac, de Sansón, de Jefté, de David, así como de Samuel y de los profetas;

³³ que por fe conquistaron reinos, hicieron justicia, alcanzaron promesas, taparon bocas de leones,

³⁴ apagaron fuegos impetuosos, evitaron filo de espada, sacaron fuerzas de debilidad, se hicieron fuertes en batallas, pusieron en fuga ejércitos extranjeros.

³⁵ Las mujeres recibieron sus muertos mediante resurrección; mas otros fueron atormentados, no aceptando el rescate, a fin de obtener mejor resurrección.

³⁶ Otros experimentaron vituperios y azotes, y a más de esto prisiones y cárceles.

³⁷ Fueron apedreados, aserrados, puestos a prueba, muertos a filo de espada; anduvieron de acá para allá cubiertos de pieles de ovejas y de cabras, pobres, angustiados, maltratados;

³⁸ de los cuales el mundo no era digno; errando por los desiertos, por los montes, por las cuevas y por las cavernas de la tierra.

³⁹ Y todos éstos, aunque alcanzaron buen testimonio mediante la fe, no recibieron lo prometido;

⁴⁰ proveyendo Dios alguna cosa mejor para nosotros, para que no fuesen ellos perfeccionados aparte de nosotros.

¹ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

² For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.

³ By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

⁴ By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

⁵ By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

⁷ By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

⁸ By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

⁹ By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;

¹⁰ for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

¹¹ By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.

¹² Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude--innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

¹³ These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

¹⁴ For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.

¹⁵ And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.

¹⁶ But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

¹⁸ of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called,"

¹⁹ concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

²⁰ By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

²¹ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

²² By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.

²³ By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's command.

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,

²⁵ choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,

²⁶ esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

²⁷ By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.

²⁸ By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

²⁹ By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.

³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.

³¹ By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.

³² And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:

³³ who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

³⁴ quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

³⁵ Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.

³⁶ Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.

³⁷ They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented--

³⁸ of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

³⁹ And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,

⁴⁰ God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.