Hebrews 13

New International Reader's Version

Final Appeals

13 Keep 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 honor 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.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

⁶So we can say boldly,

“The Lord helps me. I will not be afraid.
What can mere human beings do to me?” (Psalm 118:6,7)

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 forever.

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 God ²¹supply 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

New King James Version

Concluding Moral Directions

13 Let ^(A)brotherly love continue. ²^(B)Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing ^(C)some have unwittingly entertained angels. ³^(D)Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

⁴^(E)Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; ^(F)but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

⁵Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ^(G)“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ⁶So we may boldly say:

^(H)“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”

Concluding Religious Directions

⁷Remember those who ^[a]rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. ⁸Jesus Christ is ^(I)the same yesterday, today, and forever. ⁹Do not be carried ^[b]about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

¹⁰We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. ¹¹For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. ¹²Therefore Jesus also, that He might ^[c]sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. ¹³Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing ^(J)His reproach. ¹⁴For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. ¹⁵^(K)Therefore by Him let us continually offer ^(L)the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, ^(M)the fruit of our lips, ^[d]giving thanks to His name. ¹⁶^(N)But do not forget to do good and to share, for ^(O)with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

¹⁷^(P)Obey those who ^[e]rule over you, and be submissive, for ^(Q)they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Prayer Requested

¹⁸^(R)Pray for us; for we are confident that we have ^(S)a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. ¹⁹But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

Benediction, Final Exhortation, Farewell

²⁰Now may ^(T)the God of peace ^(U)who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, ^(V)that great Shepherd of the sheep, ^(W)through the blood of the everlasting covenant, ²¹make you ^[f]complete in every good work to do His will, ^(X)working in ^[g]you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

²²And I appeal to you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words. ²³Know that our brother Timothy has been set free, with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly.

²⁴Greet all those who ^[h]rule over you, and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.

²⁵Grace be with you all. Amen.