By Faith

1 Now faith is the assurance of things ^ohoped for, the conviction of things ^pnot seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that ^qthe universe was created ^rby the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

8 By faith ^xAbraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith ^yhe went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the ^zcity that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. 11 By faith ^aSarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful ^bwho had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him ^cas good as dead, were born descendants ^das many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

13 These all died in faith, ^enot having received the things promised, but having ^fseen them and greeted them from afar, and ^ghaving acknowledged that they were strangers and ^hexiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ⁱashamed to be called ^jtheir God, for he has prepared for them a city.