Ideoque et nos tantam habentes impositam nubem testium, deponentes omne pondus, et circumstans nos peccatum, per patientiam curramus ad propositum nobis certamen:

And therefore we also having so great a cloud of witnesses over our head, laying aside every weight and sin which surrounds us, let us run by patience to the fight proposed to us:

Why then, since we are watched from above by such a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of all that weighs us down, of the sinful habit that clings so closely, and run, with all endurance, the race for which we are entered.

aspicientes in auctorem fidei, et consummatorem Jesum, qui proposito sibi gaudio sustinuit crucem, confusione contempta, atque in dextera sedis Dei sedet.

Looking on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who, having joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and now sitteth on the right hand of the throne of God.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the origin and the crown of all faith, who, to win his prize of blessedness, endured the cross and made light of its shame, Jesus, who now sits on the right of God’s throne.

Recogitate enim eum qui talem sustinuit a peccatoribus adversum semetipsum contradictionem: ut ne fatigemini, animis vestris deficientes.

For think diligently upon him that endured such opposition from sinners against himself; that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds.

Take your standard from him, from his endurance, from the enmity the wicked bore him, and you will not grow faint, you will not find your souls unmanned.

Nondum enim usque ad sanguinem restitistis, adversus peccatum repugnantes:

For you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin:

Your protest, your battle against sin, has not yet called for bloodshed;

et obliti estis consolationis, quæ vobis tamquam filiis loquitur, dicens: Fili mi, noli negligere disciplinam Domini: neque fatigeris dum ab eo argueris.

And you have forgotten the consolation, which speaketh to you, as unto children, saying: My son, neglect not the discipline of the Lord; neither be thou wearied whilst thou art rebuked by him.

yet you have lost sight, already, of those words of comfort in which God addresses you as his sons; My son, do not undervalue the correction which the Lord sends thee, do not be unmanned when he reproves thy faults.

Quem enim diligit Dominus, castigat: flagellat autem omnem filium, quem recipit.

For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth; and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

It is where he loves that he bestows correction; there is no recognition for any child of his, without chastisement.

In disciplina perseverate. Tamquam filiis vobis offert se Deus: quis enim filius, quem non corripit pater?

Persevere under discipline. God dealeth with you as with his sons; for what son is there, whom the father doth not correct?

Be patient, then, while correction lasts; God is treating you as his children. Was there ever a son whom his father did not correct?

quod si extra disciplinam estis, cujus participes facti sunt omnes: ergo adulteri, et non filii estis.

But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are made partakers, then are you bastards, and not sons.

No, correction is the common lot of all; you must be bastards, not true sons, if you are left without it.

Deinde patres quidem carnis nostræ, eruditores habuimus, et reverebamur eos, non multo magis obtemperabimus Patri spirituum, et vivemus?

Moreover we have had fathers of our flesh, for instructors, and we reverenced them: shall we not much more obey the Father of spirits, and live?

We have known what it was to accept correction from earthly fathers, and with reverence; shall we not submit, far more willingly, to the Father of a world of spirits, and draw life from him?

Et illi quidem in tempore paucorum dierum, secundum voluntatem suam erudiebant nos: hic autem ad id quod utile est in recipiendo sanctificationem ejus.

And they indeed for a few days, according to their own pleasure, instructed us: but he, for our profit, that we might receive his sanctification.

They, after all, only corrected us for a short while, at their own caprice; he does it for our good, to give us a share in that holiness which is his.

Omnis autem disciplina in præsenti quidem videtur non esse gaudii, sed mœroris: postea autem fructum pacatissimum exercitatis per eam, reddet justitiæ.

Now all chastisement for the present indeed seemeth not to bring with it joy, but sorrow: but afterwards it will yield, to them that are exercised by it, the most peaceable fruit of justice.

For the time being, all correction is painful rather than pleasant; but afterwards, when it has done its work of discipline, it yields a harvest of good dispositions, to our great peace.

Propter quod remissas manus, et soluta genua erigite,

Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,

Come then, stiffen the sinews of drooping hand, and flagging knee,

et gressus rectos facite pedibus vestris: ut non claudicans quis erret, magis autem sanetur.

And make straight steps with your feet: that no one, halting, may go out of the way; but rather be healed.

and plant your footprints in a straight track, so that the man who goes lame may not stumble out of the path, but regain strength instead.

Pacem sequimini cum omnibus, et sanctimoniam, sine qua nemo videbit Deum:

Follow peace with all men, and holiness: without which no man shall see God.

Your aim must be peace with all men, and that holiness without which no one will ever see God.

contemplantes nequis desit gratiæ Dei: ne qua radix amaritudinis sursum germinans impediat, et per illam inquinentur multi.

Looking diligently, lest any man be wanting to the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up do hinder, and by it many be defiled.

Take good care that none of you is false to God’s grace, that no poisonous shoot is allowed to spring up, and contaminate many of you by its influence.

Ne quis fornicator, aut profanus ut Esau: qui propter unam escam vendidit primitiva sua:

Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau; who for one mess, sold his first birthright.

None of you must be guilty of fornication, none of you earthly-minded, as Esau was, when he sold his birthright for a single dish of food;

scitote enim quoniam et postea cupiens hæreditare benedictionem, reprobatus est: non enim invenit pœnitentiæ locum, quamquam cum lacrimis inquisisset eam.

For know ye that afterwards, when he desired to inherit the benediction, he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance, although with tears he had sought it.

afterwards, you may be sure, he was eager enough to have the blessing allotted to him, but no, he was rejected. He pleaded for it in tears, but no second chance was given him.

Non enim accessistis ad tractabilem montem, et accensibilem ignem, et turbinem, et caliginem, et procellam,

For you are not come to a mountain that might be touched, and a burning fire, and a whirlwind, and darkness, and storm,

What is the scene, now, of your approach to God? It is no longer a mountain that can be discerned by touch; no longer burning fire, and whirlwind, and darkness, and storm.

et tubæ sonum, et vocem verborum, quam qui audierunt, excusaverunt se, ne eis fieret verbum.

And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words, which they that heard excused themselves, that the word might not be spoken to them:

No trumpet sounds; no utterance comes from that voice, which made those who listened to it pray that they might hear no more

Non enim portabant quod dicebatur: Et si bestia tetigerit montem, lapidabitur.

For they did not endure that which was said: And if so much as a beast shall touch the mount, it shall be stoned.

(daunted by the command, that if even a beast touched the mountain it should die by stoning.

Et ita terribile erat quod videbatur. Moyses dixit: Exterritus sum, et tremebundus.

And so terrible was that which was seen, Moses said: I am frighted, and tremble.

Moses said, in terror at the sight, I am overcome with fear and trembling).

Sed accessistis ad Sion montem, et civitatem Dei viventis, Jerusalem cælestem, et multorum millium angelorum frequentiam,

But you are come to mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of angels,

The scene of your approach now is mount Sion, is the heavenly Jerusalem, city of the living God; here are gathered thousands upon thousands of angels,

et ecclesiam primitivorum, qui conscripti sunt in cælis, et judicem omnium Deum, et spiritus justorum perfectorum,

And to the church of the firstborn, who are written in the heavens, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect,

here is the assembly of those first-born sons whose names are written in heaven, here is God sitting in judgement on all men, here are the spirits of just men, now made perfect;

et testamenti novi mediatorem Jesum, et sanguinis aspersionem melius loquentem quam Abel.

And to Jesus the mediator of the new testament, and to the sprinkling of blood which speaketh better than that of Abel.

here is Jesus, the spokesman of the new covenant, and the sprinkling of his blood, which has better things to say than Abel’s had.

Videte ne recusetis loquentem. Si enim illi non effugerunt, recusantes eum, qui super terram loquebatur: multo magis nos, qui de cælis loquentem nobis avertimus.

See that you refuse him not that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke upon earth, much more shall not we, that turn away from him that speaketh to us from heaven.

Beware of excusing yourselves from listening to him who is speaking to you. There was no escape for those others, who tried to excuse themselves when God uttered his warnings on earth; still less for us, if we turn away when he speaks from heaven.

Cujus vox movit terram tunc: nunc autem repromittit, dicens: Adhuc semel, et ego movebo non solum terram, sed et cælum.

Whose voice then moved the earth; but now he promiseth, saying: Yet once more, and I will move not only the earth, but heaven also.

His voice, even then, made the earth rock; now, he has announced to us that it shall happen again, only once; he will shake earth and heaven too.

Quod autem, Adhuc semel, dicit: declarat mobilium translationem tamquam factorum, ut maneant ea quæ sunt immobilia.

And in that he saith, Yet once more, he signifieth the translation of the moveable things as made, that those things may remain which are immoveable.

Only once again; that means that what is shaken, this created universe, will be removed; only the things which cannot be shaken are to stand firm.

Itaque regnum immobile suscipientes, habemus gratiam: per quam serviamus placentes Deo, cum metu et reverentia.

Therefore receiving an immoveable kingdom, we have grace; whereby let us serve, pleasing God, with fear and reverence.

The kingdom we have inherited is one which cannot be shaken; in gratitude for this, let us worship God as he would have us worship him, in awe and reverence;

Etenim Deus noster ignis consumens est.

For our God is a consuming fire.

no doubt of it, our God is a consuming fire.