11. We don’t enjoy being disciplined. It always seems to cause more pain than joy. But later on, those who learn from that discipline have peace that comes from doing what is right.
12. Strengthen your tired arms and weak knees.
13. Keep walking along straight paths so that your injured leg won’t get worse. Instead, let it heal.
14. Try to live peacefully with everyone, and try to live holy lives, because if you don’t, you will not see the Lord.
15. Make sure that everyone has kindness from God so that bitterness doesn’t take root and grow up to cause trouble that corrupts many of you.
16. Make sure that no one commits sexual sin or is as concerned about earthly things as Esau was. He sold his rights as the firstborn son for a single meal.
17. You know that afterwards, when he wanted to receive the blessing that the firstborn son was to receive, he was rejected. Even though he begged and cried for the blessing, he couldn’t do anything to change what had happened.
18. You have not come to something that you can feel, to a blazing fire, to darkness, to gloom, to a storm,
19. to a trumpet’s blast, and to a voice. When your ancestors heard that voice, they begged not to hear it say another word.
20. They couldn’t obey the command that was given, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”
21. The sight was so terrifying that even Moses said he was trembling and afraid.
22. Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to tens of thousands of angels joyfully gathered together
23. and to the assembly of God’s firstborn children (whose names are written in heaven). You have come to a judge (the God of all people) and to the spirits of people who have God’s approval and have gained eternal life.