By [having] faith, he left Egypt, not being afraid of the king’s anger, for he endured [all the rigors of wandering in the desert] because he could see the invisible God.
These people [all] continued to have faith until they died, [even though] they had not obtained [all] the things God had promised, but had [only] seen them and welcomed them from a distance. And they had confessed to being strangers and aliens on earth.
So, we do not look at the things which can be seen, but at what cannot be seen, for the things which can be seen are [only] temporary, but the things which cannot be seen are never ending.
Notice that we consider those who endured [suffering with patience] to be blessed [by God]. You people have heard of Job’s patience and have seen what the Lord finally did [for him]. The Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
[Love] conceals all [people’s] faults; it believes [the best about] all people; it hopes [for the best in] all people; it endures [ill treatment from] all people.
And you will be hated by everyone for being loyal to me. But the person who endures [this persecution by remaining faithful] to the end [of his life] is the one who will be saved [i.e., from spiritual and physical destruction].
He alone possesses immortality [Note: That is, only God possesses an eternal existence, with neither beginning nor ending. See John 5:26], and lives in unapproachable light. No one has seen Him, or can see Him. May there be honor and never ending power to Him. May it be so.
You will be hated by all people because you belong to me, but the person who holds out [i.e., remains faithful to God] until the end [i.e., the end of this time of severe persecution] will be saved [from destruction].
but [since] they had such shallow roots, they continued on for [only] a little while. Then, when trouble and persecution arose over [obeying] ‘the word,’ immediately they stumbled [i.e., and fell away from God].
But the person who holds out [i.e., remains faithful to God] until the end [i.e., of this time of severe persecution] will be saved [from destruction].