The Great Faith of God's People
1 Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see. 2 It was their faith that made our ancestors pleasing to God.
3 Because of our faith, we know that the world was made at God's command. We also know that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen.
4 Because Abel had faith, he offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. God was pleased with him and his gift, and even though Abel is now dead, his faith still speaks for him.
5 Enoch had faith and did not die. He pleased God, and God took him up to heaven. This is why his body was never found. 6 But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and rewards everyone who searches for him.
7 Because Noah had faith, he was warned about something that had not yet happened. He obeyed and built a boat that saved him and his family. In this way the people of the world were judged, and Noah was given the blessings that come to everyone who pleases God.
8 Abraham had faith and obeyed God. He was told to go to the land that God had said would be his, and he left for a country he had never seen. 9 Because Abraham had faith, he lived as a stranger in the promised land. He lived there in a tent, and so did Isaac and Jacob, who were later given the same promise. 10 Abraham did this, because he was waiting for the eternal city God had planned and built.
11 Even when Sarah was too old to have children, she had faith that God would do what he had promised, and she had a son. 12 Her husband Abraham was almost dead, but he became the ancestor of many people. In fact, there are as many of them as there are stars in the sky or grains of sand along the seashore.
13 Every one of those people died. But they still had faith, even though they had not received what they had been promised. They were glad just to see these things from far away, and they agreed that they were only strangers and foreigners on this earth. 14 When people talk this way, it is clear they are looking for a place to call their own. 15 If they had been talking about the land where they had once lived, they could have gone back at any time. 16 But they were looking forward to a better home in heaven. This is why God wasn't ashamed for them to call him their God. He even built a city for them.
17-18 Abraham had been promised that Isaac, his only son, would continue his family. But when Abraham was tested, he had faith and was willing to sacrifice Isaac, 19 because he was sure that God could raise people to life. This was just like getting Isaac back from death.
20 Isaac had faith, and he promised blessings to Jacob and Esau. 21 Later, when Jacob was about to die, he leaned on his walking stick and worshiped. Then because of his faith he blessed each of Joseph's sons. 22 And right before Joseph died, he had faith that God would lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. So he told them to take his bones with them.
23 Because Moses' parents had faith, they kept him hidden until he was three months old. They saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king's orders. 24 Then after Moses grew up, his faith made him refuse to be called the king's grandson. 25 He chose to be mistreated with God's people instead of having the good time that sin could bring for a little while. 26 Moses knew that the treasures of Egypt were not as wonderful as what he would receive from suffering for the Messiah, and he looked forward to his reward.
27 Because of his faith, Moses left Egypt. Moses had seen the invisible God and wasn't afraid of the king's anger. 28 His faith also made him celebrate Passover. He sprinkled the blood of animals on the doorposts, so that the first-born sons of the people of Israel would not be killed by the destroying angel.
29 Because of their faith, the people walked through the Red Sea on dry land. But when the Egyptians tried to do it, they were drowned.
30 God's people had faith, and when they had walked around the city of Jericho for seven days, its walls fell down.
31 Rahab had been a prostitute, but she had faith and welcomed the spies. So she wasn't killed with the people who disobeyed.
32 What else can I say? There isn't enough time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. 33 Their faith helped them conquer kingdoms, and because they did right, God made promises to them. They closed the jaws of lions 34 and put out raging fires and escaped from the swords of their enemies. Although they were weak, they were given the strength and power to chase foreign armies away.
35 Some women received their loved ones back from death. Many of these people were tortured, but they refused to be released. They were sure they would get a better reward when the dead are raised to life. 36 Others were made fun of and beaten with whips, and some were chained in jail. 37 Still others were stoned to death or sawed in two or killed with swords. Some had nothing but sheep skins or goat skins to wear. They were poor, mistreated, and tortured. 38 The world did not deserve these good people, who had to wander in deserts and on mountains and had to live in caves and holes in the ground.
39 All of them pleased God because of their faith! But still they died without being given what had been promised. 40 This was because God had something better in store for us. And he did not want them to reach the goal of their faith without us.
aza 11
lugul leḏi ṯəmna
1 ṯəmna ṯinderṯa ṯeṯiruzi ṯəkiza ṯeri kizen rerem, na eṯuŋw firlazi nyuŋwuzi eḏaruŋw, kwɔmne kwiti kwijine mac kwunderṯa kwir rerem. 2 ṯəmna ṯi na lizi leḏi kerrenyŋw əmi Allah-na. 3 ṯəmna ṯi a kwilŋiiḏir eḏaruŋw, ṯurmun ṯikitine ŋiɽaŋal ŋi ŋeḏi Allah, ṯaŋwu na kwɔmne kweṯijini ruwene lu kwɔmne gi ŋgwa kwiti kweṯijini mac.
4 ṯəmna ṯi na habiil ketice Allah karama kiṯemḏi ŋga keḏi gayiin, na gi Allah unḏizi ṯofḏana ṯuŋwun ki, kaka ma gwu haḏiya wuŋwun əmi ŋunduŋwu-na. nuŋw ay, lakin eṯuŋw andindaci nyuŋwuzi kineni kire-kirem ŋgwu, kaka eḏuŋw gwu ṯəmna. 5 ṯəmna ṯi, na aknuuk dirnini mindaŋ nuŋw ere inḏa ŋiɽany mac; nuŋw ere inḏini mac, kaka ma gwu Allah dimi. na iti diminaŋw gwu kinna mac, ner ŋi unḏi ki ŋeni ŋwu: kwuməmi Allah-na. 6 ma kwizi ere eḏi ṯəmna mac, ŋwere eḏi ŋuma ḏuṯ eḏəmi Allah-na. kwere kwunaŋna eḏi duŋgwaḏa Allah nana, eḏuŋw emni eḏaruŋw, weṯinanni, na weṯizinḏeḏa kla haḏiya leṯi naŋnini ŋunduŋwu. 7 ṯəmna ṯi na nuuh, ireca gwu Allah kwɔmne gi kwiti kwijine kinna mac, nuŋw ketize ŋiɽaŋali yey mindaŋ nuŋw daɽmaḏa faluuka eḏi gi kileḏi lizi leḏi duənuŋw kwuŋwun; na ṯəmna ṯi ṯuŋwun nuŋw zi ruzi leḏi ṯurmun kaṯi. mindaŋ nuŋw afi ŋoru ŋir ṯofḏana ṯeṯila ṯəmna ṯi.
8 ṯəmna ṯi na ibrahiim enye nana kinaŋw ma Allah ornuṯi eḏi durṯi eḏele kezir wa winḏuŋw gwu eḏafi ŋoru. nuŋw ru, kwiti kwilŋiiḏi ezir winḏuŋw gwu eḏi ilaḏa mac. 9 na ṯəmna ṯi nuŋw orɔ kwete kwuṯimḏina kezir wukitaḏi gwu Allah eḏindeḏa, ner nana kheyma-na izhaag ŋali, na yaguub tɔk, linḏir li eḏafi ŋoru ṯikitaḏa ṯi ṯa ṯete ṯete. 10 kaka əkizaŋw gwu meḏiina kizen, ŋgwa kweḏi rugwagiza, kwowcina na kwudaɽmaḏi Allah. 11 ṯəmna ṯi na zaara afi ŋuma eḏi ŋi elŋe, kwumɔṯamḏu keni yiḏla yi, kaka ruzaŋw gwu ŋgwa kwumɔkitaḏa kwirlalu. 12 ŋwu ṯaŋwu, na kwor kwete kwumadiḏi eḏay ŋimeyaŋ ŋi orɔ papa kweḏi ŋelŋe ŋuru, ner uri kaka rorum reḏi lere, na kaka kufurṯa kimri-na kir ṯije, kiti keḏir ŋuma eḏi iɽeḏa mac.
13 ki ṯəmna-na ner ay klu tatap, iti afir gwu mac kwɔmne kwukitaḏir gwu eḏafi. lakin izar gwu kinanɔŋw tuk rugwor ri-na, ner agani ki rugwor-na tɔk ner zi ruwezelu pɔrpɔr eḏaruŋw: nyiŋa liri liṯimḏina kezir wu, nenyorɔ ki ṯay laŋw ki ṯurmun-na. 14 lizi leṯi zi andindazi ŋwu, eṯirnyji ilŋiiḏini ŋamaŋ eḏaruŋw, leni linaŋna ezir eḏi ruzi duənu kweŋen. 15 eŋgir ṯiŋayini duənuŋw ŋgwana kwuruḏir gwu, eŋgir eḏi ŋuma eḏi gwu aɽiḏa. 16 lakin, urir ṯa ŋwu, eṯir naŋni ezir wiṯemḏi. winder wiri weḏi kilerena, ṯaŋwu na ṯurony ere miḏa Allah mac eḏeni Allah weŋen, kaka muŋw zi gwu daɽmaci meḏiina kwete.
17 ṯəmna ṯi na ibrahiim, ṯecer gwu, kete izhaagŋw ki ŋweḏgwun la kaka karama, na ŋgwa kwumafi ṯikitaḏa emni eḏi ruzi toru tuŋwun tutuput teḏuŋwi karama, 18 timer ri aruŋw: izhaag kwinḏi eḏorɔ kwukwurna kweḏi ŋelŋe ŋɔŋa. 19 kaka ilŋiicaŋw gwu eḏaruŋw, Allah weḏi ŋuma kinna eḏi diɽi lizi ŋiɽany-na; nuŋw afi kwokwony kaka kwete kwumɔdiɽa ki ŋiɽany-na. 20 ṯəmna ṯi na izhaag ortaḏa yaguubŋwuzi izuu gi, nuŋw zi andaci ŋeḏi kwɔmne kwinḏi eḏerrini. 21 ṯəmna ṯi na yaguub, erricaŋwi ŋiɽany, nuŋw ortaḏa nyoru nyere nyere nyeḏi yuzif, nuŋw kwoce Allah lu, kwuniḏelu ṯu ṯi. 22 ṯəmna ṯi na yuzif, muŋw adiḏi eḏay, nuŋw zi andazi ŋeḏi ṯuruweḏe lu ṯeḏi lizi leḏi izrayiil, nuŋw zi inḏeḏa amra weḏi ṯaniḏa ṯeḏi ŋwia ŋwuŋwun.
23 ṯəmna ṯi mer gwu elŋe muuzaŋw, na ṯernyin-ŋa lenyin gi ner luci ŋunduŋwu yowa ṯɔɽɔl, kaka izar gwu toru teni tizaw beṯe-beṯen; ner ere ṯenye mac amra weḏi kweleny kweni firaawun. 24 ṯəmna ṯi na muuza, muŋw orɔ kwor, nuŋw derne eḏeni tor teḏi tira teḏi firaawun, 25 icaŋw gwu-na keni eḏoɽmaṯi lizi li leḏi Allah ki ṯowɽina yey, ki lobi leḏi ṯinyiŋlana teḏi ŋikya, ṯeṯernine fita-fitak. 26 nuŋw ruzi ṯermiḏeḏa nana, ṯimɔŋw ṯi rerini ŋiɽaŋal ŋi ŋeni Kwruztu, kaka ŋurṯu ŋupa eḏi kwɔmne la kwir gaali gaali kwownina mizr, kaka icazaŋw gwu ujra kiṯay winḏi eḏila. 27 ṯəmna ṯi nuŋw ṯayi mizrŋw lu, iti ṯinyaŋw gwu mac ŋirŋaza ŋeḏi firaawun; kwurmɔṯanaŋw gwu kaka izaŋw gwu ŋgwa kwiti kweṯijini mac. 28 ṯəmna ṯi nuŋw kete kuruu ṯayṯi keni ṯiṯamḏa ŋiɽany, nuŋw rece ezir ŋin ŋi, mindaŋ mezi ŋgwa kwinḏi eḏi kirazi nyoru lu nyir ŋwoɽa ere ilica mac.
29 ṯəmna ṯi ner ṯamḏu ṯujuli ṯori kaka ezir wunḏu; na lizi leḏi mizrŋw ṯeci eḏizerri ŋu ṯɔk, nezi ŋaw enji. 30 ṯəmna ṯi na rilaŋgwu reḏi ariihaŋw rir yarṯiny iidi mer zi gwu rikaḏa lu ŋwamin dufɔkwɽeny. 31 ṯəmna ṯi na rahab kwir kwijin ere kiraḏa lu mac lizi li kla liti limemni mac, kaka amuŋw gwu enji lizi kla limer zi uzi eḏi raŋḏa ezir.
32 na aḏa kwiri kwere kwenyi andazi kwuḏaḏu? lomur lenyi iiraci eḏizandazi ŋeḏi jaḏuun, barak tɔk, zamzuun tɔk, yafṯaaw tɔk, ŋeḏi dauḏ tɔk na zamwiil-ŋa liɽi li— 33 na klu, kaka eḏir gwu ṯəmna, ner ilazi ŋelenyi ki ŋuru, ner ari hakwuma lirlalu, ner afi ṯikitaḏa, ner miḏa lizundaŋa runyu, 34 ner iɽinyaḏa igəŋi lu wufuḏu, ner kilaḏa kalala kirana, ner ferle ki ṯajila-na ṯeŋen, ner ferle ki ṯuwən-na, ner tinyi orṯa weḏi ŋeleny ŋiṯimḏina, 35 na law afi lizi leŋen layyu limɔdiɽi ŋiɽany-na, na lɔkwɔ ner zi inḏa ṯurfa tir ŋudur ŋudur, ner derne eḏi kilaḏa ṯurfa, mindaŋ eḏi diɽi eḏenḏi ki ŋimiiḏa-na ŋiṯemḏi. 36 na liḏaḏu ner rerini ṯiruze ṯi luŋw, na lizɔṯ li, ner zi kəki ŋwuɽun ŋi, ner zi kaṯu ki zijin-na. 37 ner zi aci yal yi, ner unda yaŋna-na yeŋen dəkdək, ner zi endinye kalala gi; eṯir irerelu likinna yima yeḏi yaŋal-ŋa yiɽu yi, ner zi ṯuzezi kwɔmne kweŋen tatap kweḏir, eṯir zi inḏini ṯurfa, eṯir zi owɽina yey beṯen. 38 na ki lizi klu na ṯurmun kḏu ere ofḏani mac. eṯir ta irerelu kwuḏer-na domony, ki yayin la tɔk, ki yumbuŋ-na, na ki yibaŋ-na tɔk.
39 na ŋunduŋa klu tatap, əginer gwu ṯiɽinena kaka eḏir gwu ṯəmna, ner ere afi keni ṯikitaḏa tir minmin mac, 40 kaka izacinyji gwu Allah ŋiɽaŋali ŋiṯemḏelu, ŋenuŋw, lizi klu liti liṯimayini dap mac liira nyuŋwuzi.