IN YOUR STRUGGLE AGAINST SIN

4 In your Struggle Against Sin,

You have Not Yet Resisted

To the Point of Shedding your Blood.

5 And have you Completely Forgotten

This Word of Encouragement

That addresses you

As a Father addresses his son?

It says, “My son, Do Not Make Light

Of the Lord’s Discipline,

And Do Not Lose Heart when He Rebukes you,

6 Because the Lord Disciplines the One He loves,

And He Chastens Everyone He Accepts as His Son.

7 Endure Hardship as Discipline;

God is Treating you as His Children.

For what Children

Are not Disciplined by their father?

8 If you are not Disciplined--

And Everyone Undergoes Discipline--

Then you Are Not Legitimate,

Not True Sons and Daughters at all.

9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers

Who Disciplined us

And we Respected them for it.

10 They Disciplined us for a Little While

As they Thought Best;

But Gold disciplines us for our Good,

In order that we may Share in His Holiness.

11 No Discipline seems Pleasant at the time,

But Painful.

Later on, however,

It Produces a Harvest of Righteousness and Peace

For those who have been Trained by it.

12 Therefore, Strengthen your Feeble arms

And weak knees.

13 “Make Level Paths for your Feet,”

So that the Lame may not be Disabled,

But rather Healed.

(Hebrews 12:4-13, NIV)