---
title: "Hebrews 11 – Catholic Bible (CPDV) & Latin Vulgate · Bless"
url: https://blessbible.app/bible/hebrews/11/
description: "What faith is. Its wonderful fruits and efficacy demonstrated in the fathers. Hebrews 11 in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin Vulgate."
---

# Hebrews 11

Hebrews 11 is chapter 11 of 13 in the Letter to the Hebrews. Here are all 40 verses in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin of the Clementine Vulgate beside them.

> What faith is. Its wonderful fruits and efficacy demonstrated in the fathers.
>
> — Bp. Richard Challoner, chapter summary

## Hebrews 11 (Catholic Public Domain Version)

1. Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not apparent.
2. For this reason, the ancients were given testimony.
3. By faith, we understand the world to be fashioned by the Word of God, so that the visible might be made by the invisible.
4. By faith, Abel offered to God a much better sacrifice than that of Cain, through which he obtained testimony that he was just, in that God offered testimony to his gifts. And through that sacrifice, he still speaks to us, though he is dead.
5. By faith, Enoch was transferred, so that he would not see death, and he was not found because God had transferred him. For before he was transferred, he had testimony that he pleased God.
6. But without faith, it is impossible to please God. For whoever approaches God must believe that he exists, and that he rewards those who seek him.
7. By faith, Noah, having accepted an answer about those things which were not yet seen, being afraid, fashioned an ark for the salvation of his house. Through the ark, he condemned the world, and was established as the heir of the justice that occurs through faith.
8. By faith, the one called Abraham obeyed, going out to the place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
9. By faith, he stayed in the Land of the Promise as if in a foreign land, dwelling in cottages, with Isaac and Jacob, co-heirs of the same promise.
10. For he was awaiting a city having firm foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
11. By faith also, Sarah herself, being barren, received the ability to conceive offspring, even though she was past that age in life. For she believed him to be faithful, who had promised.
12. Because of this, there were also born, from one who himself was as if dead, a multitude like the stars of heaven, who are, like the sand of the seashore, innumerable.
13. All of these passed away, adhering to faith, not having received the promises, yet beholding them from afar and saluting them, and confessing themselves to be sojourners and guests upon the earth.
14. For those who speak in this way are themselves indicating that they seek a homeland.
15. And if, indeed, they had been mindful of the very place from which they departed, they certainly would have returned in time.
16. But now they hunger for a better place, that is, Heaven. For this reason, God is not ashamed to be called their God. For he has prepared a city for them.
17. By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered Isaac, so that he who had received the promises was offering up his only son.
18. To him, it was said, “Through Isaac, shall your offspring be summoned,”
19. indicating that God is even able to raise up from the dead. And thus, he also established him as a parable.
20. By faith, also, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, concerning future events.
21. By faith, Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph; and he reverenced the summit of his rod.
22. By faith, Joseph, as he was dying, recalled the departure of the sons of Israel, and gave a commandment concerning his bones.
23. By faith, Moses, after being born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they had seen that he was a graceful infant, and they did not fear the king’s edict.
24. By faith, Moses, after growing up, denied himself a place as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,
25. choosing to be afflicted with the people of God, rather than to have the pleasantness of sin for a time,
26. valuing the reproach of Christ to be a greater wealth than the treasures of the Egyptians. For he looked forward to his reward.
27. By faith, he abandoned Egypt, not dreading the animosity of the king. For he pressed on, as if seeing him who is unseen.
28. By faith, he celebrated the Passover and the shedding of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn might not touch them.
29. By faith, they crossed the Red Sea, as if on dry land, yet when the Egyptians attempted it, they were swallowed up.
30. By faith, the walls of Jericho collapsed, after being encircled for seven days.
31. By faith, Rahab, the harlot, did not perish with the unbelievers, after receiving the spies with peace.
32. And what should I say next? For time is not sufficient for me to give an account of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the Prophets:
33. those who, by faith, conquered kingdoms, accomplished justice, obtained promises, closed the mouths of lions,
34. extinguished the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, recovered from infirmities, showed strength in battle, turned back the armies of foreigners.
35. Women received their dead by means of resurrection. But others suffered severe punishment, not yet receiving redemption, so that they would find a better resurrection.
36. Truly, others were tested by mocking and lashes, and moreover by chains and imprisonment.
37. They were stoned; they were cut; they were tempted. With the slaughter of the sword, they were killed. They wandered about in sheepskin and in goatskin, in dire need, in anguish afflicted.
38. Of them, the world was not worthy, wandering in solitude on mountains, in the caves and caverns of the earth.
39. And all these, having been proven by the testimony of faith, did not receive the Promise.
40. God’s Providence holds something better for us, so that not without us would they be perfected.

## Hebrews 11 in Latin (Clementine Vulgate, 1592)

1. Est autem fides sperandarum substantia rerum, argumentum non apparentium.
2. In hac enim testimonium consecuti sunt senes.
3. Fide intelligimus aptata esse sæcula verbo Dei: ut ex invisibilibus visibilia fierent.
4. Fide plurimam hostiam Abel, quam Cain, obtulit Deo, per quam testimonium consecutus est esse justus, testimonium perhibente muneribus ejus Deo, et per illam defunctus adhuc loquitur.
5. Fide Henoch translatus est ne videret mortem, et non inveniebatur, quia transtulit illum Deus: ante translationem enim testimonium habuit placuisse Deo.
6. Sine fide autem impossibile est placere Deo. Credere enim oportet accedentem ad Deum quia est, et inquirentibus se remunerator sit.
7. Fide Noë responso accepto de iis quæ adhuc non videbantur, metuens aptavit arcam in salutem domus suæ, per quam damnavit mundum: et justitiæ, quæ per fidem est, hæres est institutus.
8. Fide qui vocatur Abraham obedivit in locum exire, quem accepturus erat in hæreditatem: et exiit, nesciens quo iret.
9. Fide demoratus est in terra repromissionis, tamquam in aliena, in casulis habitando cum Isaac et Jacob cohæredibus repromissionis ejusdem.
10. Exspectabat enim fundamenta habentem civitatem: cujus artifex et conditor Deus.
11. Fide et ipsa Sara sterilis virtutem in conceptionem seminis accepit, etiam præter tempus ætatis: quoniam fidelem credidit esse eum qui repromiserat.
12. Propter quod et ab uno orti sunt (et hoc emortuo) tamquam sidera cæli in multitudinem, et sicut arena, quæ est ad oram maris, innumerabilis.
13. Juxta fidem defuncti sunt omnes isti, non acceptis repromissionibus, sed a longe eas aspicientes, et salutantes, et confitentes quia peregrini et hospites sunt super terram.
14. Qui enim hæc dicunt, significant se patriam inquirere.
15. Et si quidem ipsius meminissent de qua exierunt, habebant utique tempus revertendi:
16. nunc autem meliorem appetunt, id est, cælestem. Ideo non confunditur Deus vocari Deus eorum: paravit enim illis civitatem.
17. Fide obtulit Abraham Isaac, cum tentaretur, et unigenitum offerebat, qui susceperat repromissiones:
18. ad quem dictum est: Quia in Isaac vocabitur tibi semen:
19. arbitrans quia et a mortuis suscitare potens est Deus: unde eum et in parabolam accepit.
20. Fide et de futuris benedixit Isaac Jacob et Esau.
21. Fide Jacob, moriens, singulos filiorum Joseph benedixit: et adoravit fastigium virgæ ejus.
22. Fide Joseph, moriens, de profectione filiorum Israël memoratus est, et de ossibus suis mandavit.
23. Fide Moyses, natus, occultatus est mensibus tribus a parentibus suis, eo quod vidissent elegantem infantem, et non timuerunt regis edictum.
24. Fide Moyses grandis factus negavit se esse filium filiæ Pharaonis,
25. magis eligens affligi cum populo Dei, quam temporalis peccati habere jucunditatem,
26. majores divitias æstimans thesauro Ægyptiorum, improperium Christi: aspiciebat enim in remunerationem.
27. Fide reliquit Ægyptum, non veritus animositatem regis: invisibilem enim tamquam videns sustinuit.
28. Fide celebravit Pascha, et sanguinis effusionem: ne qui vastabat primitiva, tangeret eos.
29. Fide transierunt mare Rubrum tamquam per aridam terram: quod experti Ægyptii, devorati sunt.
30. Fide muri Jericho corruerunt, circuitu dierum septem.
31. Fide Rahab meretrix non periit cum incredulis, excipiens exploratores cum pace.
32. Et quid adhuc dicam? deficiet enim me tempus enarrantem de Gedeon, Barac, Samson, Jephte, David, Samuel, et prophetis:
33. qui per fidem vicerunt regna, operati sunt justitiam, adepti sunt repromissiones, obturaverunt ora leonum,
34. extinxerunt impetum ignis, effugerunt aciem gladii, convaluerunt de infirmitate, fortes facti sunt in bello, castra verterunt exterorum:
35. acceperunt mulieres de resurrectione mortuos suos: alii autem distenti sunt non suscipientes redemptionem ut meliorem invenirent resurrectionem.
36. Alii vero ludibria, et verbera experti, insuper et vincula, et carceres:
37. lapidati sunt, secti sunt, tentati sunt, in occisione gladii mortui sunt, circuierunt in melotis, in pellibus caprinis, egentes, angustiati, afflicti:
38. quibus dignus non erat mundus: in solitudinibus errantes, in montibus, in speluncis, et in cavernis terræ.
39. Et hi omnes testimonio fidei probati, non acceperunt repromissionem,
40. Deo pro nobis melius aliquid providente, ut non sine nobis consummarentur.

## Catechism of the Catholic Church

Paragraph numbers and the Catechism's own section headings (never quoted); text at vatican.va.
- CCC ¶ 146: The Obedience of Faith ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 147: The Obedience of Faith ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 286: The Creator ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- cf. CCC ¶ 848: The Church Is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 145: The Obedience of Faith ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- CCC ¶ 2572: In the Old Testament ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- cf. CCC ¶ 145: The Obedience of Faith ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))

## The saints

- “Understand so that you may believe; believe so that you may understand.” — St. Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 43, c. 400 (On this theme: verse 1)
- “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary; to one without faith, no explanation is possible.” — St. Thomas Aquinas, popular saying, source unconfirmed (Attributed: verse 1)
- “I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand.” — St. Anselm, Proslogion, ch. 1, 1078 (On this theme: verse 3)

## Bishop Challoner's notes

Bp. Richard Challoner, notes on the Douay-Rheims (1750); they comment on its older wording.
- Verse 8: or, Abraham being called.
- Verse 19: That is, as a figure of Christ, slain and coming to life again.
- Verse 21: The apostle here follows the ancient Greek Bible of the seventy interpreters, (which translates in this manner, Gen. 47. 31.,) and alleges this fact of Jacob, in paying a relative honour and veneration to the top of the rod or sceptre of Joseph, as to a figure of Christ's sceptre and kingdom, as an instance and argument of his faith. But some translators, who are no friends to this relative honour, have corrupted the text, by translating it, he worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff; as if this circumstance of leaning upon his staff were any argument of Jacob's faith, or worthy the being thus particularly taken notice of by the Holy Ghost.

## Read at Mass (US)

- Sat, Jan 30, 2027: Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time — First Reading, Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19
- Mon, Feb 1, 2027: Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time — First Reading, Hebrews 11:32-40
- Sun, Aug 13, 2028 (computed): Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time — Second Reading, Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19

Citations as published in the USCCB liturgical calendar (principal Mass, first option). Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.

Source: Catholic Public Domain Version (Ronald L. Conte Jr., 2009), public domain; Latin: Clementine Vulgate (1592).