32What more shall I say? I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,^a 33who by faith conquered kingdoms, did what was righteous, obtained the promises; they closed the mouths of lions,^b 34put out raging fires, escaped the devouring sword; out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle, and turned back foreign invaders.^c 35Women received back their dead through resurrection. Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance, in order to obtain a better resurrection.^d 36Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment.^e 37They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword’s point; they went about in skins of sheep or goats, needy, afflicted, tormented.^f 38The world was not worthy of them. They wandered about in deserts and on mountains, in caves and in crevices in the earth.^g

39Yet all these, though approved because of their faith, did not receive what had been promised. 40God had foreseen something better for us, so that without us they should not be made perfect.^*