But without faith it is impossible to please God; for he who draws near to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.
By faith Noah, when he was warned by God about things not yet seen, with fear prepared the ark in which his house would be saved; and by that faith he condemned the world, and was made heir of the righteousness that comes through faith.
By faith Abraham, being called, obeyed to go out to the place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and left without knowing where he was going.
By faith he dwelt as a stranger in the promised land as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, joint heirs of the same promise; because he was waiting for the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
By faith also Sarah herself, being barren, received strength to conceive; and she gave birth even outside the time of age, because she believed that he who had promised was faithful. For this reason also, from one, and that one was almost dead, there came forth like the stars of heaven in multitude, and like the innumerable sand that is on the seashore.
All of these died according to faith without having received what was promised, but looking at it from afar, and believing it, and greeting it, and confessing that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Because those who say this clearly imply that they are looking for a homeland; Well, if they had been thinking about the one from which they came, they certainly had time to return. But they longed for a better, that is, a heavenly one; therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; because he has prepared a city for them.
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered Isaac; and he who had received the promises offered his only begotten son, having been told: In Isaac your descendants will be called; thinking that God is able to raise even from the dead, from where, in a figurative sense, he also received him again.
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
By faith Jacob, when he died, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped leaning on the end of his staff.
By faith Joseph, when he died, mentioned the departure of the children of Israel, and gave a commandment concerning their bones.
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden by his parents for three months, because they saw him as a beautiful child, and they did not fear the king's decree.
By faith Moses, now grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the temporal pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ to be greater riches than the treasures of the Egyptians; because he had his sights set on the award.
By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's wrath; because he stood as seeing the Invisible.
By faith he celebrated the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.
By faith they crossed the Red Sea as through dry land; and trying to do the same, the Egyptians were drowned.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell after surrounding them for seven days.
By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with the disobedient, having received the spies in peace.

And what else do I say? Because I would lack time telling about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, as well as Samuel and the prophets; who by faith conquered kingdoms, did justice, achieved promises, stopped lions' mouths, put out impetuous fires, avoided the edge of the sword, drew strength from weakness, became strong in battles, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead through resurrection; but others were tormented, not accepting the ransom, in order to obtain a better resurrection.

Others experienced reproaches and scourgings, and in addition to this, prisons and jails. They were stoned, sawn, put to the test, killed with the edge of the sword; They walked from here to there covered in sheep and goat skins, poor, distressed, mistreated; of which the world was not worthy; wandering in the deserts, in the mountains, in the caves and in the caverns of the earth. And all of these, although they obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive what was promised; God providing something better for us, so that they would not be perfected apart from us.