Hebrews 13
How to Please God
1 Keep on loving one another as Christians. 2 t Remember to welcome strangers in your homes. There were some who did that and welcomed angels without knowing it. 3 Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them. Remember those who are suffering, as though you were suffering as they are.
4 t Marriage is to be honored by all, and husbands and wives must be faithful to each other. God will judge those who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
5 t Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.” 6 t Let us be bold, then, and say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?”
7 Remember your former leaders, who spoke God's message to you. Think back on how they lived and died, and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Do not let all kinds of strange teachings lead you from the right way. It is good to receive inner strength from God's grace, and not by obeying rules about foods; those who obey these rules have not been helped by them.
10 The priests who serve in the Jewish place of worship have no right to eat any of the sacrifice on our altar. 11 t The Jewish high priest brings the blood of the animals into the Most Holy Place to offer it as a sacrifice for sins; but the bodies of the animals are burned outside the camp. 12 For this reason Jesus also died outside the city, in order to purify the people from sin with his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp and share his shame. 14 For there is no permanent city for us here on earth; we are looking for the city which is to come. 15 Let us, then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess him as Lord. 16 Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.
17 Obey your leaders and follow their orders. They watch over your souls without resting, since they must give to God an account of their service. If you obey them, they will do their work gladly; if not, they will do it with sadness, and that would be of no help to you.
18 Keep on praying for us. We are sure we have a clear conscience, because we want to do the right thing at all times. 19 And I beg you even more earnestly to pray that God will send me back to you soon.
Closing Prayer
20-21 God has raised from death our Lord Jesus, who is the Great Shepherd of the sheep as the result of his blood, t by which the eternal covenant is sealed. May the God of peace provide you with every good thing you need in order to do his will, and may he, through Jesus Christ, do in us what pleases him. And to Christ be the glory forever and ever! Amen.
Final Words
22 I beg you, my friends, to listen patiently to this message of encouragement; for this letter I have written you is not very long. 23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been let out of prison. If he comes soon enough, I will have him with me when I see you.
24 Give our greetings to all your leaders and to all God's people. The believers from Italy send you their greetings.
25 May God's grace be with you all.
Hebrews 13
1 Let love of the brethren continue.2 Forget not to show love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.3 Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; them that are illtreated, as being yourselves also in the body.4 Let marriage be had in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.5 Be ye free from the love of money; content with such things as ye have: for himself hath said, I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee.6 So that with good courage we say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear: What shall man do unto me?
7 Remember them that had the rule over you, men that spake unto you the word of God; and considering the issue of their life, imitate their faith.8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and to-day, yea and for ever.9 Be not carried away by divers and strange teachings: for it is good that the heart be established by grace; not by meats, wherein they that occupied themselves were not profited.10 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat that serve the tabernacle.11 For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned without the camp.12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered without the gate.13 Let us therefore go forth unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.14 For we have not here an abiding city, but we seek after the city which is to come.15 Through him then let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which make confession to his name.16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit to them: for they watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not with grief: for this were unprofitable for you.18 Pray for us: for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, desiring to live honorably in all things.19 And I exhort you the more exceedingly to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.20 Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, even our Lord Jesus,21 make you perfect in every good thing to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.22 But I exhort you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written unto you in few words.23 Know ye that our brother Timothy hath been set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you.24 Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.25 Grace be with you all. Amen.