Faith
1 To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see. 2 It was by their faith that people of ancient times won God's approval.
3 It is by faith that we understand that the universe was created by God's word, so that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen.
4 It was faith that made Abel offer to God a better sacrifice than Cain's. Through his faith he won God's approval as a righteous man, because God himself approved of his gifts. By means of his faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
5 It was faith that kept Enoch from dying. Instead, he was taken up to God, and nobody could find him, because God had taken him up. The scripture says that before Enoch was taken up, he had pleased God. 6 No one can please God without faith, for whoever comes to God must have faith that God exists and rewards those who seek him.
7 It was faith that made Noah hear God's warnings about things in the future that he could not see. He obeyed God and built a boat in which he and his family were saved. As a result, the world was condemned, and Noah received from God the righteousness that comes by faith.
8 It was faith that made Abraham obey when God called him to go out to a country which God had promised to give him. He left his own country without knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he lived as a foreigner in the country that God had promised him. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who received the same promise from God. 10 For Abraham was waiting for the city which God has designed and built, the city with permanent foundations.
11 It was faith that made Abraham able to become a father, even though he was too old and Sarah herself could not have children. He trusted God to keep his promise. 12 Though Abraham was practically dead, from this one man came as many descendants as there are stars in the sky, as many as the numberless grains of sand on the seashore.
13 It was in faith that all these persons died. They did not receive the things God had promised, but from a long way off they saw them and welcomed them, and admitted openly that they were foreigners and refugees on earth. 14 Those who say such things make it clear that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 They did not keep thinking about the country they had left; if they had, they would have had the chance to return. 16 Instead, it was a better country they longed for, the heavenly country. And so God is not ashamed for them to call him their God, because he has prepared a city for them.
17 It was faith that made Abraham offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice when God put Abraham to the test. Abraham was the one to whom God had made the promise, yet he was ready to offer his only son as a sacrifice. 18 God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that you will have the descendants I promised.” 19 Abraham reckoned that God was able to raise Isaac from death—and, so to speak, Abraham did receive Isaac back from death.
20 It was faith that made Isaac promise blessings for the future to Jacob and Esau.
21 It was faith that made Jacob bless each of the sons of Joseph just before he died. He leaned on the top of his walking stick and worshiped God.
22 It was faith that made Joseph, when he was about to die, speak of the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, and leave instructions about what should be done with his body.
23 It was faith that made the parents of Moses hide him for three months after he was born. They saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king's order.
24 It was faith that made Moses, when he had grown up, refuse to be called the son of the king's daughter. 25 He preferred to suffer with God's people rather than to enjoy sin for a little while. 26 He reckoned that to suffer scorn for the Messiah was worth far more than all the treasures of Egypt, for he kept his eyes on the future reward.
27 It was faith that made Moses leave Egypt without being afraid of the king's anger. As though he saw the invisible God, he refused to turn back. 28 It was faith that made him establish the Passover and order the blood to be sprinkled on the doors, so that the Angel of Death would not kill the first-born sons of the Israelites.
29 It was faith that made the Israelites able to cross the Red Sea as if on dry land; when the Egyptians tried to do it, the water swallowed them up.
30 It was faith that made the walls of Jericho fall down after the Israelites had marched around them for seven days. 31 It was faith that kept the prostitute Rahab from being killed with those who disobeyed God, for she gave the Israelite spies a friendly welcome.
32 Should I go on? There isn't enough time for me to speak of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. 33 Through faith they fought whole countries and won. They did what was right and received what God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 put out fierce fires, escaped being killed by the sword. They were weak, but became strong; they were mighty in battle and defeated the armies of foreigners. 35 Through faith women received their dead relatives raised back to life.
Others, refusing to accept freedom, died under torture in order to be raised to a better life. 36 Some were mocked and whipped, and others were put in chains and taken off to prison. 37 They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were killed by the sword. They went around clothed in skins of sheep or goats—poor, persecuted, and mistreated. 38 The world was not good enough for them! They wandered like refugees in the deserts and hills, living in caves and holes in the ground.
39 What a record all of these have won by their faith! Yet they did not receive what God had promised, 40 because God had decided on an even better plan for us. His purpose was that only in company with us would they be made perfect.
ǂGoms
1 ǂGom da ka, o da ge ǃâubasen da ra xūn di ǁaposasib tsî mû tama da hâ xūn di ǂanǁaposa ūhâ. 2 ǁÎn di ǂgomsa xus ge sada aboxan ge Elob xa ūǃoahesa.
3 ǂGomsa xus ge ǃhūbaib ge Elob di mîsa xu kuruhe ǃkhaisa da ra ǁnâuǃāsa, mû da ran ge mû tama da hâna xu ǀkhī ǃkhaisa.
4 ǂGomsa xus ge Abeli ge Kainni dis ǃgâ-ai ǃgâi ǁguibasa Eloba a ǁguibasa. Nē ǂgoms ǃnâ-us ge Elob ge Abeli ǁguibasa ūǃoasa, ǁîbab ge ǂhanu-ai khoeb ase ǃkhōǃoa xui-ao tsî ǁkhā ǂgomsa xus ge ǁōb ge xaweb nētsēs tsîna ganupe ra ǃhoasa.
5 ǂGomsa xus ge Henoxi ge ǁō tamase ūǃapahe tsî khoe-i xare-i xa hōhe tama isa, Elob ge ūǃapa bi amaga. Xoas ge Henoxi ge Eloba ūǃapaheb nîs aiǃâ ǃgâiǃgâiǂgao ti ra mî. 6 ǂGoms ose i ge a īǁoa Eloba ǃgâiǃgâiǂgaosa. Elob kōse ra ǀgūǀgūsen-i ge nî ǂgom, ǁîb ûi hâ tsîb ǁîba ǁnān ǁîba ra ôana ra mādawa-am ǃkhaisa.
7 ǂGomsa xus ge Noaxi ge Elob di ǃkhâikhoms, ǃgoaxaǁaeb di xūn mû tamab ge hâ in disa ǁnâuǀnamsa. Tsîb ge ǁîb tsî omaris âb din nî sâuhese arka ge kuru. ǁÎb di ǂgoms ǃnâ-us ge ǃhūbaib ge ǀgoraǃgâhesa, tsîb ge ge ǂgomsa xu hâ ǂhanu-aisib di ǀumi-ao kai.
8 ǂGomsa xus ge Abrahammi ge Elob ǂgaisa ǁnâuǀnam tsî ǁnā ǃhūb Elob nî ǀguitsē ǀumis ase mā bib ǁga ǃgûsa. Tsîb ge ǁîb di ǁgûsi ǃhūba xu ge doe, mâǀîb garu ǃkhaisa ǀūǃâ. 9 ǂGomsa xus ge ǃhaokhoe-i khamib ge ǃhao ǃhūb, Elob ge mîmâiba bib ǃnâ ǁansa. ǁNāpab ge ǁîb ǀkha ge hâ in ǀkha tentomdi ǃnâ gere hâ, Isaki tsî Jakob hâkha, ǀhûǀumi-aokha hîa ǁkhā mîmâisa Eloba xu ge ǃkhōǃoakha tsîn ge ega dī khami. 10 Abrahammi ge ama ǃgaoǃgaoba ūhâ ǃās, Elob a ǁîs di ǀapeǁgui-ao tsî a kuru-aosa ǃâubasen hâ i xui-ao.
11 ǂGomsa xus ge Saras tsî Abrahammi tsîra ge ǁîra di kairasib ǃnâ ǀgôa-e a hōsa, Saras ge ǀgôa-e hō ǁoa i tsî Abrahammi tsîn ge kaise kaira hâ i xawe. Abrahammi ge ǃKhūb, nē mîmâisa ge dība ǂgomǂgomsab ase ǃgapaǀî xui-ao. 12 ǀGui khoeb, kairasib xa ǁō hâ khami ge ī ib di surib ge ǀhommi di ǀgamiron kōse ǂgui tsî huri-ammi di ǃhūb kōse ǃgôahe ǁoasase īsa.
13 ǂGoms ǃnâs ge nē khoen hoan ge ǁōsa. ǁÎn hoan ge Elob ge ǁîna mîmâiba xūnan ǃkhōǃoa tamase ge ǁō. ǁÎn ge mîmâisa xūna ǃnūseba xu mû tsî ǁnās xa dâ, tsî ǃhaokhoe tsî ǃhūsabese ǀguin hâ nē ǃhūbaib ai ǃkhaisa gere ǂanǃgâ. 14 Tsî ǁnān nēna ra mîn ge ra ǃgāsa kai, ǁgûsiǃhū-en ra ôa ǃkhaisa. 15 Tsî ǁnā ǃhūb ǁîba xun ge hāb xan ga ǂâi-oa hâ, on ge ǁnāǀî ǁkhawa oas di ǁkhoreba ga ūhâ hâ. 16 Xawen ge nēsi ǃgâi ǃhū-i, ǀhomsi-e ra ǁkhorebasen. ǁNā-amagab ge Eloba ǁîn xa ǁîn di Elose ǂgaihesa tao tama hâ, ǁînab ǃā-e aiǂhomiba hâ xui-ao.
17 ǂGomsa xus ge Abrahammi ge ǃâitsâheb geo, Isaka ǁguibasa. Abrahammi, Elob mîmâisa ge ǃkhōǃoab ge ǁîb di ǀguise ǃnae hâ ǀgôaba ge ǁguiba. 18 ǁÎb ǃoab ge Eloba ge mî: “Isaki ǃnâ-ub ge sa suriba nî ǂgaihe.” 19 Abrahammi ge ge ǂgom hâ i Elob Isaka ǁō hâna xu ǂkhaiǂkhaisa a ǁkhā ǃkhaisa. Abrahammi ge ǁkhāti ǂkhōts* kao ǁkhawa ǁîb ôaba ǁōba xu ge ǃkhōǃoa.
20 ǂGomsa xus ge Isaki ge Jakob tsî Esaub hâkha ǃgoaxaǁaeb ǃaroma ǀkhaesa.
21 ǂGomsa xus ge Jakob ge ǁōkharob âb ai Josefi di ǀgam ǀgôakha, ǁîb di ǁgâibasenhaib ai ǁgâibasen tsî Eloba ra ǀgoreǀîse ǀkhaesa.
22 ǂGomsa xus ge Josefi ge ǁōb ra hîa, Israelǁîn di Egipteba xu doeǂoas xa ǃhoa tsî ǁîb di soros ǀkhan mâti nî dī ǃkhais di ǁguiǂamde māsa.
23 ǂGomsa xus ge Moseb di îra ge ǃnaeb ges khaoǃgâ, ǁîba ǃnona ǁkhâgu di ǁaeba gaugausa, îsa ǀgôarob a ǃkhaisa ra ge mûo; ǁîra ge gao-aob mîmāsa ge ǃao tama hâ i.
24 ǂGomsa xus ge Moseb ge kaib geo, Faraob ôas di ôab aseb nî ǂgaihe ǃkhaisa ǂgao tama isa. 25 Tsîb ge Elob di ǁaes ǀkhab nî tsūse sîsenūhe ǃkhaisa ge ǁhûi, ǁaerob di ǁkhoab, ǁoreb dibab nî ūhâs xa. 26 Tsîb ge Xristub* ǃaroma tsâsa Egipteb di ǁuib xa kai ǃkhūsib ase ge ǃgôa, ǃgoaxaǁaeb di mādawa-amsab gere mûǂuiba xui-ao.
27 ǂGomsa xus ge gao-aob ǁaixasiba ǃao tamaseb ge Egipteba xu ǂoasa. ǁÎb ge mûheǁoasa Eloba ge mû khami ge mâǀgai. 28 ǂGomsa xus ge Pasxaǃuiǂûsa ǂnûiǂgā tsîb ge ǀaoba dao-amdi ai ǀgapi kaisa, îb tā ǁŌb di ǀHomǃgāba ǂguroǃnaesan Israelǁaes dina tsâǀkhā.
29 ǂGomsa xus ge Israelǁaes ge ǀApahuriba ǂnâsa ǃhūb ais ase ǃgâusa; Egipteǁîn ge nēsa dītsâ tsî ge āǁō.
30 ǂGomsa xus ge Jerixos di ǂnubiǂgoagu ge ǁnāsa, hû tsēdi ǁaebas ge Israelǁaesa ǁîga ǃgûǂnamipes khaoǃgâ. 31 ǂGomsa xus ge ǀai-aos Raxabs ge Elob ǃoagu a ǁnâuǀnamoǃnân ǀkha ǁō tama isa, ǃkhē-aogas ge khoexaǃnâse ǁkhoreǁhare xui-ao.
32 Tare-e ta ǃaruǀî mî ǁkhā? ǃAruǀî ta Gideonni, Baraki, Simsonni, Jeftab, Davidi, Samueli tsî kēbo-aogu tsîgu xa xū-e mî ǃkhais di ǁae-i ge a ǀkhai. 33 ǂGomsa xus ge ǁîgu ge gaosiga ǃkhamdan, Elob ǂâis ǃoa ǂhanuse dī, mîmâide ǃkhōǃoa tsî xamgu amǃnâga ǂganamsa. 34 ǁÎgu ge ǀaes di ǀgaisa ǁhabuba ǀari tsî gôab di ǁōba xu ge ǃkhoeni, ǂkhabusasib ǃnâ gu ge ǀgaiba ǃkhōǃoa tsî ǃkhams ǃnâ ǀgai tsî toroǂnubidi ǃhaokhoen dide ge ǃkhoeni kai. 35 Taradi ge ǁîdi di ǁō hâ khoexakhoen, ǁōba xu ûib ǃoa ǂkhaiǂkhaihe hâna ǁkhawa ge hō-oa.
ǃGâi ûib ǃoa hâ khâisa ǃkhōǃoas ǃaroman ge ǀnîna ǃnoraǃnorahesa ǂgao tama i tsî ǁōb kōse tsûtsûhesa ge māsen. 36 Naun ge ǁkhawa ǃhōhes tsî ǂnauhes tsîna ge tsâ, tsî ǁkhāti khedegu ǀkha ǃgaehes tsî ǃkhōsis ǃnâ ūhes tsîn ǀkha. 37 ǀNîn ge ǀuiǁhomhe, ǀgam ǃâra ǃnâ saxaǃāhe tsî gôab ǀkha gere ǃgamhe. ǁÎn ge gūkhōn tsî pirikhōn ǃnâ ǃgûma tsî ǀgâsib, ǁgâiǀāb tsî tsūse ûi-ūhes ǃnâ gere tsâ. 38 ǃHūbaib ge ǁîna ge harebeoǃnâba tsîn ge ǃgaroǃkhaigu tsî ǃhomgu ǃnâ hâma tsî ǁhoadi tsî ǃhūb ǃnâ hâ ādi ǃnâ gere ǁan.
39 Tsî nēn hoan ge Elob di ǃgâiǃgâibasensa ǁîn di ǂgoms ǃaroma ge dan, xawen ge ǁîb ge mîmâi xūna ǃkhōǃoa tama ge i. 40 Eloba ge sada ǃgâi ǀapeǁguiba ūba hâ. Sada osen ge ǁîna a dīǀoaǀoahe ǁoa.
