HEBREËRS 13

Aansporing om as Christene te lewe

1 Julle moet mekaar steeds met ware broederliefde liefhê.2 Moenie nalaat om gasvry te wees nie. Deur gasvry te wees het party mense, sonder dat hulle dit besef, selfs engele tuis ontvang!

3 Moenie hulle wat in die tronk is, vergeet nie. Ly saam met hulle asof julle self daar sit. Deel in die seer van hulle wat mishandel word asof julle dit aan julle eie liggaam voel.

4 Respekteer die huwelik in alle omstandighede. Wees getrou aan julle huweliksmaats. God sal almal wat immoreel lewe en in die huwelik ontrou is, in die oordeel bring.

5 Hou julle lewe vry van die honger na geld. Laat wat julle het, vir julle genoeg wees. Onthou dat God die versekering gegee het: "Ek sal jou nie los nie. Ek sal jou nie in die steek laat nie."
6 Daarom kan ons moed skep en antwoord:
"Die Here is my hulp;
daarom sal ek nie bang wees nie.
Wat kan 'n blote mens
my aandoen?"

7 Onthou julle voorgangers wat die woord van God aan julle verkondig het. Dink aan watter voorbeeldige lewe hulle enduit gelei het en vertrou soos hulle op God.
8 Jesus Christus bly steeds dieselfde - gister, vandag en vir altyd!9 Pas op dat julle nie meegesleur word deur die bekoring van allerlei vreemde idees nie. Dit is goed om deur God se genade versterk te word en nie deur die nakoming van kosvoorskrifte, wat in elk geval vir dié wat dit nagekom het, niks gebaat het nie.

10 Ons het 'n altaar om van te eet; dis 'n altaar waarvan die priesters in die aardse verbondstent nie die reg het om te eet nie.
11 Die hoofpriester bring die bloed van die offerdiere in die Allerheiligste in om as 'n offer vir die sonde te dien, maar hulle karkasse word buitekant die laer verbrand.12 Daarom het Jesus ook buitekant die stadspoort gely om sy volk met sy eie bloed aan God toe te wy.13 Kom ons gaan dan uit na Hom toe buitekant die laer en ons dra saam aan die smaad wat Hy moes verduur.

14 Want ons het hier geen blywende stad nie; ons hunker na die komende stad van God.
15 Kom ons bring dan, met Jesus Christus se hulp, 'n voortdurende offer van lofprysing aan God - 'n offer wat opklink van die lippe van hulle wat Hom bely.16 Moenie versuim om goed te doen en wat julle het met mense in nood te deel nie. Dit is hierdie soort offers wat God se hart bly maak.

17 Luister na julle voorgangers en doen wat hulle aan julle opdra. Hulle taak is om te waak oor julle geestelike lewe, want hulle moet aan God verslag doen. Help hulle om dit met blydskap te kan doen en nie met 'n beswaarde gemoed nie. Dít sal sekerlik vir julle geen voordeel inhou nie.

Slotopmerkings

18 Bid vir ons. Ons glo dat ons gewete skoon is, want ons probeer om in alle omstandighede reg op te tree.

19 Ek vra veral dringend dat julle sal bid dat God my binnekort aan julle sal terugbesorg.
20 Mag die God wat vrede gee, wat Jesus ons Here uit die dood teruggebring het - Jesus wat deur die bloed van die ewige verbond die Herder van die kudde geword het -

21 julle toerus met alles wat goed is sodat julle sy wil kan uitvoer. Mag Hy, deur Jesus Christus se bemagtiging, in ons tot stand bring wat God se hart sal bly maak. Aan Hom kom die heerlikheid toe vir altyd en altyd! Amen.

22 Ek vra julle mooi, broers en susters, luister geduldig na hierdie woord van aansporing. Ek het ook maar heel bondig aan julle geskryf.

23 Julle weet dat ons broer Timoteus vrygelaat is. As hy binnekort hier by my opdaag, bring ek hom saam wanneer ek na julle toe kom.

24 Gee my groete aan al julle voorgangers en aan al God se mense. Die gelowiges uit Italië stuur vir julle groete.

25 Mag God se genade met julle almal wees.

HEBREWS 13

Service That Pleases God

1 Keep being concerned about each other as the Lord's followers should.

2  t Be sure to welcome strangers into your home. By doing this, some people have welcomed angels as guests, without even knowing it.

3 Remember the Lord's people who are in jail and be concerned for them. Don't forget those who are suffering, but imagine you are there with them.

4  t Have respect for marriage. Always be faithful to your partner, because God will punish anyone who is immoral or unfaithful in marriage.
5  t Don't fall in love with money. Be satisfied with what you have. The Lord has promised that he will not leave us or desert us.

6 t This should make you feel like saying,
“The Lord helps me!
Why should I be afraid
of what people
can do to me?”

7 Don't forget about your leaders who taught you God's message. Remember what kind of lives they lived and try to have faith like theirs.
8 Jesus Christ never changes! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Don't be fooled by any kind of strange teachings. It is better to receive strength from God's gift of undeserved grace than to depend on certain foods. After all, these foods don't really help the people who eat them.

10 But we have an altar where even the priests who serve in the place of worship have no right to eat.
11  t After the high priest offers the blood of animals as a sin offering, the bodies of those animals are burned outside the camp. 12 Jesus himself suffered outside the city gate, so his blood would make people holy. 13 This is why we should go outside the camp to Jesus and share in his disgrace.

14 On this earth we don't have a city that lasts forever, but we are waiting for such a city.
15 Our sacrifice is to keep offering praise to God in the name of Jesus.

16 But don't forget to help others and to share your possessions with them. This too is like offering a sacrifice that pleases God.

17 Obey your leaders and do what they say. They are watching over you, and they must answer to God. So don't make them sad as they do their work. Make them happy. Otherwise, they won't be able to help you at all.
18 Pray for us. Our consciences are clear, and we always try to live right.

19 I especially want you to pray that I can visit you again soon.

Final Prayers and Greetings

21 t I pray God will make you ready to obey him and that you will always be eager to do right. May Jesus help you do what pleases God. To Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever! Amen.

22 My friends, I have written only a short letter to encourage you, and I beg you to pay close attention to what I have said.

23 By now you surely must know that our friend Timothy is out of jail. If he gets here in time, I will bring him with me when I come to visit you.

24 Please give my greetings to your leaders and to the rest of the Lord's people.
His followers from Italy send you their greetings.
25 I pray that God will be kind to all of you!t