1Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.2Don’t forget to welcome outsiders. By doing that, some people have welcomed angels without knowing it.3Keep on remembering those in prison. Do this as if you were together with them in prison. And remember those who are treated badly as if you yourselves were suffering.4All of you should honour marriage. You should keep the marriage bed pure. God will judge the person who commits adultery. He will judge everyone who commits sexual sins.5Don’t be controlled by love for money. Be happy with what you have. God has said, ‘I will never leave you. I will never desert you.’ (De 31:6)6So we can say boldly, ‘The Lord helps me. I will not be afraid. What can mere human beings do to me?’ (Ps 118:6; Ps 118:7)7Remember your leaders. They spoke God’s word to you. Think about the results of their way of life. Copy their faith.8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.9Don’t let all kinds of strange teachings lead you astray. It is good that God’s grace makes our hearts strong. Don’t try to grow strong by eating foods that the law requires. They have no value for the people who eat them.10The priests, who are Levites, worship at the holy tent. But we have an altar that they have no right to eat from.11The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Room. He brings their blood as a sin offering. But the bodies are burned outside the camp.12Jesus also suffered outside the city gate. He suffered to make the people holy by spilling his own blood.13So let us go to him outside the camp. Let us be willing to suffer the shame he suffered.14Here we do not have a city that lasts. But we are looking for the city that is going to come.15So let us never stop offering to God our praise through Jesus. Let us talk openly about our faith in him. Then our words will be like an offering to God.16Don’t forget to do good. Don’t forget to share with others. God is pleased with those kinds of offerings.17Trust in your leaders. Put yourselves under their authority. Do this, because they keep watch over you. They know they are accountable to God for everything they do. Do this, so that their work will be a joy. If you make their work a heavy load, it won’t do you any good.18Pray for us. We feel sure we have done what is right. We desire to live as we should in every way.19I beg you to pray that I may return to you soon.
Final blessing and greetings
20Our Lord Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep. The God who gives peace brought him back from the dead. He did it because of the blood of the eternal covenant. Now may God21supply you with everything good. Then you can do what he wants. May he do in us what is pleasing to him. We can do it only with the help of Jesus Christ. Give him glory for ever and ever. Amen.22Brothers and sisters, I beg you to accept my word. It tells you to be faithful. Accept my word because I have written to you only a short letter.23I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been set free. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.24Greet all your leaders. Greet all the Lord’s people. The believers from Italy send you their greetings.25May grace be with you all.
Hebrews 13
English Standard Version
Sacrifices Pleasing to God
1Let brotherly love continue. (Ro 12:10; 1Th 4:9; 1Pe 1:22; 1Pe 2:17; 1Pe 3:8; 2Pe 1:7; 1Jo 3:10; 1Jo 4:7; 1Jo 4:20)2Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (Ge 18:3; Ge 19:2; Mt 25:35; 1Pe 4:9)3Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. (Mt 25:36; Heb 10:34)4Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. (1Co 6:9; 1Co 7:38; 1Ti 4:3)5Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Jos 1:5; Ps 37:25; Mt 6:25; 2Co 4:9; Php 4:11; 1Ti 3:3; 1Ti 6:7)6So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Ps 27:1; Ps 56:4; Ps 56:11; Ps 118:6)7Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. (Heb 6:12; Heb 13:17; Heb 13:24)8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Joh 8:58; 2Co 1:19; Heb 1:12; Re 1:4; Re 1:8)9Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. (Eph 4:14; Col 2:16; Jud 1:12)10We have an altar from which those who serve the tent[1] have no right to eat. (1Co 9:13; 1Co 10:18)11For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. (Ex 29:14; Heb 13:13)12So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. (Mt 21:39; Mt 27:32; Joh 19:17; Joh 19:20; Ac 7:58; Heb 9:12; Re 14:20)13Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. (Heb 11:26; 1Pe 4:14)14For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. (Mic 2:10; Eph 2:19; Heb 11:10; Heb 11:16; Heb 12:28)15Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. (Le 7:12; Ps 107:22; Ps 116:17; Ps 119:108; Isa 57:19; Ho 14:2; Eph 5:20)16Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. (Mic 6:7; Ro 12:13; Php 4:18)17Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Jer 13:20; Eze 3:17; Eze 34:10; Ac 20:24; Ac 20:31; Heb 13:7; Heb 13:24)18Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. (1Th 5:25; 2Th 3:1)19I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. (Phm 1:22)
Benediction
20Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, (Isa 54:10; Isa 63:11; Zec 9:11; Joh 10:11; Ac 2:24; Ro 15:33; Heb 10:29)21equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us[2] that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Ro 11:36; Php 2:13; 2Th 2:17; Heb 10:36; 1Pe 5:10)
Final Greetings
22I appeal to you, brothers,[3] bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. (1Pe 5:12)23You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. (1Th 3:2)24Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you greetings. (Heb 13:7; Heb 13:17)25Grace be with all of you. (Col 4:18)