Hebrews 12:13

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed instead.

King James Version (1611)
And make straight paths for your feete, lest that which is lame bee turned out of the way, but let it rather bee healed.

King James Version
And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

English Standard Version
and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

New American Standard Bible
and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is impaired may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

New Century Version
Keep on the right path, so the weak will not stumble but rather be strengthened.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

Legacy Standard Bible
and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

Berean Standard Bible
Make straight paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be debilitated, but rather healed.

Contemporary English Version
and walk a straight path. Then lame people will be healed, instead of getting worse.

Complete Jewish Bible
and make a level path for your feet; so that what has been injured will not get wrenched out of joint but rather will be healed.

Darby Translation
and make straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame be not turned aside; but that rather it may be healed.

Easy-to-Read Version
Live in the right way so that you will be saved and your weakness will not cause you to be lost.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And make straight steppes vnto your feete, lest that which is halting, be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed.

George Lamsa Translation
And make straight the paths for your feet, so that the weak do not go astray but are healed.

Good News Translation
Keep walking on straight paths, so that the lame foot may not be disabled, but instead be healed.

Lexham English Bible
and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame will not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

Literal Translation
"and make straight tracks for your feet," that the lame not be turned aside, but rather healed. Isa. 35:3; Prov. 4:26

Amplified Bible
Cut through and make smooth, straight paths for your feet [that are safe and go in the right direction], so that the leg which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather may be healed.

American Standard Version
and make straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame be not turned out of the way, but rather be healed.

Bible in Basic English
And make straight roads for your feet, so that the feeble may not be turned out of the way, but may be made strong.

Hebrew Names Version
and make straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

International Standard Version
and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not become worse but rather be healed.Proverbs 4:26-27; Galatians 6:1;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
and right ways make for your feet, that the member which is lame may not wander, but be healed.

Murdock Translation
and make straight paths for your feet, that the limb which is lame may not be wrenched, but may be healed.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And make ryght steppes vnto your feete, lest that which is haltyng, turne you out of the way: but let it rather be healed.

English Revised Version
and make straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame be not turned out of the way, but rather be healed.

World English Bible
and make straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And make strait paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed.

Weymouth's New Testament
and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put entirely out of joint

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and knees vnboundun, and make ye riytful steppis to youre feet; that no man haltinge erre, but more be heelid.

Update Bible Version
and make straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame not be turned out of the way, but rather be healed.

Webster's Bible Translation
And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

New English Translation
and make straight paths for your feet , so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but be healed.

New King James Version
and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

New Living Translation
Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.

New Life Bible
Walk straight ahead so the weak leg will not be turned aside, but will be healed.

New Revised Standard
and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, straight tracks, be making for your feet - that the lame member may not be dislocated, but, be healed rather.

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

Revised Standard Version
and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
and se that ye have strayght steppes vnto youre fete lest eny haltinge turne out of ye waye: yee let it rather be healed.

Young's Literal Translation
and straight paths make for your feet, that that which is lame may not be turned aside, but rather be healed;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and se that ye haue straight steppes vnto youre fete, lest eny haltinge turne you out of the waye, yee let it rather be healed.

Mace New Testament (1729)
clear the way for your feet, lest that which is lame should be quite out of joint, instead of being redress'd."

Simplified Cowboy Version
Keep your eyes on the trail so you will not wander off like a weakling into the brush, briars, and box canyons.

Contextual Overview

⁴In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don't feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either. It's the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God. ¹²So don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it! ¹⁴Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you'll never get so much as a glimpse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God's generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time. Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God's lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God's blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

make: Proverbs 4:26, Proverbs 4:27, Isaiah 35:3, Isaiah 35:8-10, Isaiah 40:3, Isaiah 40:4, Isaiah 42:16, Isaiah 58:12, Jeremiah 18:15, Luke 3:5

straight: or, even

lame: Isaiah 35:6, Jeremiah 31:8, Jeremiah 31:9

but let: Galatians 6:1, Jude 1:22, Jude 1:23

Reciprocal: Leviticus 11:22 - General Deuteronomy 19:3 - General Deuteronomy 20:3 - let not Deuteronomy 22:4 - thou shalt surely 1 Samuel 23:16 - strengthened Ezra 10:4 - be of good Psalms 5:8 - make Psalms 31:24 - Be of Isaiah 57:14 - take Isaiah 62:10 - go through Micah 4:6 - will I Zephaniah 3:19 - and I will save Matthew 12:20 - bruised Matthew 18:14 - one Luke 22:32 - strengthen John 14:1 - not John 21:15 - lambs Acts 18:23 - strengthening Acts 20:35 - how that Romans 14:21 - whereby Hebrews 5:2 - them Hebrews 6:1 - let James 5:19 - and one

Cross-References

Genesis 11:29
Abram and Nahor each got married. Abram's wife was Sarai; Nahor's wife was Milcah, the daughter of his brother Haran. Haran had two daughters, Milcah and Iscah.

Genesis 12:8
He moved on from there to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent between Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. He built an altar there and prayed to God .

Genesis 26:7
The men of the place questioned him about his wife. He said, "She's my sister." He was afraid to say "She's my wife." He was thinking, "These men might kill me to get Rebekah, she's so beautiful."

Isaiah 57:11
"Who talked you into the pursuit of this nonsense, leaving me high and dry, forgetting you ever knew me? Because I don't yell and make a scene do you think I don't exist? I'll go over, detail by detail, all your ‘righteous' attempts at religion, and expose the absurdity of it all. Go ahead, cry for help to your collection of no-gods: A good wind will blow them away. They're smoke, nothing but smoke. "But anyone who runs to me for help will inherit the land, will end up owning my holy mountain!"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And make straight paths for your feet,.... By "feet" are meant the walk and conversation of the saints, both in the church, and in the world, Song of Solomon 7:1 and there are paths made ready for these feet to walk in; as the good old paths of truth, of the word and worship of God, of faith and holiness: and to make these paths "straight", is to make the word of God the rule of walking; to avoid carefully joining anything with it as a rule; to attend constantly on the ordinances of Christ; to go on evenly in a way of believing on him; to walk in some measure worthy of the calling wherewith we are called, and by way of example to others.

Lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; a lame member, as the Syriac version, a lame member of the body of Christ, the church; or a lame person, as the Arabic version, a weak believer; one that is ready to halt, either through the corruption of nature, or through the weakness of grace, or through want of light and judgment, and through instability and inconstancy; lest such an one should, through the irregular walk and conversation of others, be stumbled and offended, and go out of the way, and leave the paths of righteousness and truth. God takes care of, and has a regard to such, and he would have others also, Micah 4:6. The Ethiopic version reads, "that your halting may be healed, and not offended": that you yourselves may not halt and stumble.

But let it rather be healed; the fallen believer be restored, the weak brother be confirmed, the halting professor be strengthened, and everyone be built up and established upon the most holy faith, and in the pure ways of the Gospel.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And make straight paths for your feet - Margin, “even.” The word used here means properly straight, in the sense of upright, erect; Acts 14:10; but it is used here in the sense of straight horizontally, that is, level, plain, smooth. The meaning is, that they were to remove all obstacles out of the way, so that they need not stumble and fail. There is probably an allusion here to Proverbs 4:25-27. “Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.” The idea is, that by every proper means they were to make the way to heaven as plain and easy as possible. They were to allow no obstructions in the path over which the lame and feeble might fall.

Lest that which is lame be turned out of the way - A lame man needs a smooth path to walk in. The idea is here, that everything which would prevent those in the church who were in any danger of falling - the feeble, the unestablished, the weak - from walking in the path to heaven, or which might be an occasion to them of falling, should be removed. Or it may mean, that in a road that was not level, those who were lame would be in danger of spraining, distorting, or wrenching a lame limb; and the counsel is, that whatever would have a tendency to this should be removed. Divested of the figure, the passage means, that everything should be removed which would hinder anyone from walking in the path to life.

But let it rather be healed - As in the case of lameness, pains should be taken to heal it rather than to suffer it to be increased by careless exposure to a new sprain or fracture, so it should be in our religious and moral character. Whatever is defective we should endeavor to restore to soundness, rather than to suffer the defect to be increased. Whatever is feeble in our faith or hope; whatever evil tendency there is in our hearts, we should endeavor to strengthen and amend, lest it should become worse, and we should entirely fall.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Hebrews 12:13. Make straight paths for your feet — That is, Take the straight path that is before you, do not go in crooked or rough ways, where are stones, briers, and thorns, by which you will be inevitably lamed, and so totally prevented from proceeding in the way; whereas, if you go in the even, proper path, though you have been wounded by getting into a wrong way, that which was wounded will be healed by moderate, equal exercise, all impediments being removed. The application of all this to a correct, holy deportment in religious life, is both natural and easy.