做上帝喜悦的事

13 你们要继续彼此相爱,情同手足。 不要忘记款待客旅,因为曾经有人接待客旅时不知不觉接待了天使。 要设身处地地顾念那些被囚禁的人,要感同身受地顾念那些遭遇苦难的人。

人人都要尊重婚姻,不可玷污夫妻关系[a],因为上帝必审判淫乱和通奸的人。

不要贪爱钱财,要对自己拥有的知足,因为上帝说过:

“我永不撇下你,也不离弃你。”

这样,我们可以放胆地说:

“主是我的帮助,
我必不惧怕,
人能把我怎么样?”

你们要记住从前带领你们、把上帝的道传给你们的人,留心观察他们一生如何行事为人,效法他们的信心。 耶稣基督昨日、今日、直到永远都不改变。 你们不要被五花八门的异端邪说勾引了去,因为心中得到力量是靠上帝的恩典,而不是靠饮食上的礼仪,这些礼仪从未使遵守的人受益。

10 我们有一座祭坛,坛上的祭物是那些在圣幕里工作的人没有权利吃的。 11 大祭司把祭牲的血带进圣所作为赎罪祭献上,而祭牲的身体则在营外烧掉。 12 同样,耶稣也在城门外受难,为要用自己的血使祂的子民圣洁。 13 因此,让我们也走出营外到祂那里,忍受祂所忍受的凌辱吧! 14 我们在地上没有永远的城,我们寻求的是那将来的城。

15 让我们靠着基督,常常开口以颂赞为祭献给上帝,这是承认主名的人[b]所结的果子。 16 不可忘记行善和帮补别人,因为这样的祭是上帝所喜悦的。

17 要顺服引导你们的人,因为他们为你们的灵魂时刻警醒,将来要向上帝交账。你们要听从他们,使他们满心喜乐地尽此职责,不致忧愁,否则对你们毫无益处。

18 请为我们祷告,因为我们自信良心无愧,凡事都愿意遵行正道。 19 也请你们特别为我祷告,使我能够早日回到你们那里。

祝福与问安

20 愿赐平安的上帝,就是那位凭着立永恒之约的血使群羊的大牧人——我主耶稣从死里复活的上帝, 21 在各样善事上成全你们,好使你们遵行祂的旨意,并借着主耶稣在你们心中动工,使你们做祂喜悦的事!愿荣耀归给上帝,直到永永远远。阿们!

22 弟兄姊妹,我简短地写信给你们,希望你们听我劝勉的话。 23 你们知道,我们的弟兄提摩太已经被释放了。如果他及时来到,我会与他一起去看你们。

24 请代我问候所有带领你们的人以及众圣徒。从意大利来的人也问候你们。

25 愿恩典与你们众人同在!

Footnotes

  1. 13:4 夫妻关系”希腊文是“婚姻的床”。
  2. 13:15 承认主名的人”希腊文是“承认主名的嘴唇”。

Our acts of service and sacrifice

13 Keep loving each other like family. Don’t neglect to open up your homes to guests, because by doing this some have been hosts to angels without knowing it. Remember prisoners as if you were in prison with them, and people who are mistreated as if you were in their place. Marriage must be honored in every respect, with no cheating on the relationship, because God will judge the sexually immoral person and the person who commits adultery. Your way of life should be free from the love of money, and you should be content with what you have. After all, he has said, I will never leave you or abandon you.[a] This is why we can confidently say,

The Lord is my helper,
    and I won’t be afraid.
What can people do to me?[b]

Remember your leaders who spoke God’s word to you. Imitate their faith as you consider the way their lives turned out. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

Don’t be misled by the many strange teachings out there. It’s a good thing for the heart to be strengthened by grace rather than by food. Food doesn’t help those who live in this context. 10 We have an altar, and those who serve as priests in the meeting tent don’t have the right to eat from it. 11 The blood of the animals is carried into the holy of holies by the high priest as an offering for sin, and their bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy with his own blood.

13 So now, let’s go to him outside the camp, bearing his shame. 14 We don’t have a permanent city here, but rather we are looking for the city that is still to come.

15 So let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise through him, which is the fruit from our lips that confess his name. 16 Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have because God is pleased with these kinds of sacrifices.

Closing greeting and blessing

17 Rely on your leaders and defer to them, because they watch over your whole being as people who are going to be held responsible for you. They need to be able to do this with pleasure and not with complaints about you, because that wouldn’t help you. 18 Pray for us. We’re sure that we have a good conscience, and we want to do the right thing in every way. 19 I’m particularly asking you to do this so that I can be returned to you quickly.

20 May the God of peace,
        who brought back the great shepherd of the sheep,
        our Lord Jesus,
        from the dead by the blood of the eternal covenant,
21     equip you with every good thing to do his will,
        by developing in us what pleases him through Jesus Christ.
    To him be the glory forever and always. Amen.

22 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to put up with this message of encouragement, since I’ve only written a short letter to you! 23 You should know that our brother Timothy has been set free. If he comes soon, we will travel together to see you.

24 Greet your leaders and all of God’s holy people. The group from Italy greets you.

25 May grace be with all of you.

Concluding Exhortations

13 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.(A) Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers,(B) for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.(C) Continue to remember those in prison(D) as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Marriage should be honored by all,(E) and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.(F) Keep your lives free from the love of money(G) and be content with what you have,(H) because God has said,

“Never will I leave you;
    never will I forsake you.”[a](I)

So we say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?”[b](J)

Remember your leaders,(K) who spoke the word of God(L) to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate(M) their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.(N)

Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.(O) It is good for our hearts to be strengthened(P) by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods,(Q) which is of no benefit to those who do so.(R) 10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle(S) have no right to eat.(T)

11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering,(U) but the bodies are burned outside the camp.(V) 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate(W) to make the people holy(X) through his own blood.(Y) 13 Let us, then, go to him(Z) outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.(AA) 14 For here we do not have an enduring city,(AB) but we are looking for the city that is to come.(AC)

15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice(AD) of praise—the fruit of lips(AE) that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others,(AF) for with such sacrifices(AG) God is pleased.

17 Have confidence in your leaders(AH) and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you(AI) as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

18 Pray for us.(AJ) We are sure that we have a clear conscience(AK) and desire to live honorably in every way. 19 I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.(AL)

Benediction and Final Greetings

20 Now may the God of peace,(AM) who through the blood of the eternal covenant(AN) brought back from the dead(AO) our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,(AP) 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will,(AQ) and may he work in us(AR) what is pleasing to him,(AS) through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.(AT)

22 Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly.(AU)

23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy(AV) has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.

24 Greet all your leaders(AW) and all the Lord’s people. Those from Italy(AX) send you their greetings.

25 Grace be with you all.(AY)

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 13:5 Deut. 31:6
  2. Hebrews 13:6 Psalm 118:6,7