结尾的劝勉

13 你们当常存弟兄之爱。 不要忘记款待客旅,因为曾经有些人这样做,在无意中就招待了天使。 你们要顾念那些被囚禁的人,好像与他们一同被囚禁;要记念那些受虐待的人,好像你们自己也是在肉体中受虐待。 婚姻当受所有人尊重,床也不可玷污,因为神将要审判淫乱和通奸的人。 你们行事为人不要爱钱财,要以现有的为满足,因为神自己说过:“我绝不撇下你,也绝不离弃你。”[a] 所以,我们可以满怀勇气地说:

“主是我的帮助,
我就不惧怕,
人能把我怎么样呢?”[b]

你们当记住那些带领你们、把神的话语[c]传给你们的人;要仔细观察他们行事为人的结果,效法他们的信仰。 耶稣基督昨天、今天、直到永远,都是一样的。 你们不要被各种怪异的教导引入歧途[d],因为人的心靠恩典,不靠食物规定得以确立才是好的;那靠食物规定[e]而行事的人,从来没有得到什么益处。 10 我们有一个祭坛,这坛上的祭物[f],是那些在会幕中事奉的人没有权利吃的。 11 原来动物的血由大祭司带进圣所,是为了赎罪,而动物的身体却在营地外面被烧掉; 12 所以耶稣为了藉着自己的血使子民分别为圣,也在城门外受难。 13 因此,让我们到营地外面他那里去,担当他所受的责骂。 14 因为在这里,我们没有长存的城;相反,我们是在寻求那将要来临的城。 15 这样,让我们藉着耶稣,常常以颂赞为祭物献给神,这祭物就是承认他名的嘴唇所结的[g]果子。 16 你们不可忘记行善和分享[h],因为这样的祭物是蒙神喜悦的。 17 你们要信任那些带领你们的人,要服从他们,因为他们做为要交账的人,要为你们的灵魂时刻警醒。你们要让他们能怀着喜乐的心做这事,而不至叹息,因为让他们叹息,对你们并没有益处。 18 请为我们祷告;因为我们深信自己有无愧的良心,愿意在一切事上行事正直。 19 我特别请求你们祷告,好让我能快一点回到你们那里。

问候与祝福

20 愿赐平安的神,就是藉着永恒之约的血,把群羊的大牧人我们的主耶稣从死人中领上来的那一位, 21 在一切美善之事上使你们完备,好遵行他的旨意。愿神藉着耶稣基督,在我们里面行他看为喜悦的事。愿荣耀归于他,直到永永远远!阿们。

22 弟兄们,我恳求你们容忍我这劝勉的话,因为我只是简略地写信给你们。 23 你们要知道,我们的弟兄提摩太已经被释放了。如果他能快一点来,我就与他一起去看你们。 24 请问候所有带领你们的人和所有的圣徒。从意大利来的那些人也问候你们。 25 愿恩典与你们大家同在![i]

Footnotes

  1. 希伯来书 13:5 《申命记》31:6。
  2. 希伯来书 13:6 《诗篇》118:6。
  3. 希伯来书 13:7 神的话语——或译作“神的道”。
  4. 希伯来书 13:9 引入歧途——有古抄本作“被带走”或“被摇动”。
  5. 希伯来书 13:9 规定——辅助词语。
  6. 希伯来书 13:10 祭物——辅助词语。
  7. 希伯来书 13:15 所结的——辅助词语。
  8. 希伯来书 13:16 分享——或译作“相契合”。
  9. 希伯来书 13:25 有古抄本附“阿们。”

13 Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. ·Remember [Do not forget/neglect] to ·welcome [show hospitality to] strangers, because some who have done this have welcomed angels without knowing it [Gen. 18:1–16; 19:1–22]. Remember those who are in prison as if you were in prison with them. Remember those who are ·suffering [mistreated] ·as if you were suffering with them [or since you are vulnerable to the same treatment; L being in a/the body yourselves].

Marriage should be honored by everyone, and ·husband and wife should keep their marriage [L the marriage bed should be kept] ·pure [undefiled]. God will ·judge as guilty [L judge] ·those who take part in sexual sins [L the sexually immoral and adulterers]. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be ·satisfied [content] with what you have. [L For] God has said,

“I will never leave you;
    I will never ·abandon [T forsake] you [Deut. 31:6].”

  So we can be ·sure [confident; bold] when we say,

“I will not be afraid, because the Lord is my helper.
    ·People can’t do anything [L What can people do…?] to me [Ps. 118:6].”

Remember your leaders who ·taught [proclaimed; spoke] God’s ·message [word] to you. ·Remember [Consider; Reflect on] ·how they lived and died [or the outcome/result of their way of life], and ·copy [imitate] their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Do not let all kinds of strange teachings ·lead you into the wrong way [take you off course; lead you astray]. ·Your hearts should be strengthened by [or Inner strength comes from] God’s grace, not by obeying rules about foods [C referring to Jewish dietary laws; Lev. 11; Mark 7:19; Acts 10; Col. 2:16], which ·do not help [or have never benefited] those who ·obey [observe; live by] them.

10 We have a ·sacrifice [L altar], but the priests who serve in the ·Holy Tent [T Tabernacle] ·cannot [L have no authority/right to] eat from it. 11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the ·Most Holy Place [sanctuary; L holy things; T Holy of Holies] where he offers this blood for sins. But the bodies of the animals are burned outside the camp [Lev. 6:11]. 12 So Jesus also suffered outside the ·city [L gate] to ·make his people holy [sanctify the people] ·with [through] his own blood. 13 So let us go to Jesus outside the camp, ·holding on as he did when we are abused [L bearing the abuse/humiliation he bore].

14 [L For] Here on earth we do not have a city that ·lasts forever [endures], but we are ·looking for [seeking] the city that ·we will have in the future [is to come]. 15 So through Jesus let us ·always [continuously] offer to God our sacrifice of praise, ·coming from [L which is the fruit of] lips that ·speak [profess; acknowledge] his name. 16 Do not ·forget [neglect] to do good to others, and share with them, because such sacrifices please God.

17 ·Obey [or Have confidence in] your leaders and ·act under [or submit to] their authority. [L For; Because] They are watching over you, because they ·are responsible [will give an account (to God)] for ·your souls [or you]. ·Obey them [Do this; Act this way] so that they will do this work with joy, not ·sadness [or complaint; groaning], for that would be of no ·benefit [advantage; help] to you.

18 Pray for us. We are ·sure [convinced] that we have a clear conscience, ·because [or and] we always want to ·do the right thing [act honorably]. 19 I especially ·beg [urge; exhort] you to pray so that ·God will send me back [L I may be restored] to you soon.

·I pray that the God of peace will [or May the God of peace] ·give you [equip/prepare you with] every good thing you need so you can do ·what he wants [his will]. This God of peace raised from the dead our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep [Ps. 23; John 10:11–18], ·because of [or through; by] the ·blood of his death [L blood] ·that began the eternal agreement that God made with his people [L of the eternal covenant/contract; 8:1–13]. I pray that God will do in us what ·pleases [is acceptable to] him, through Jesus Christ, and to him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

22 My brothers and sisters, I ·beg [urge; exhort] you to ·listen patiently to [bear with] this message I have written to ·encourage [exhort] you, because ·it is not very long [L I have written to you briefly]. 23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy [Acts 16:1–5; 1 Cor. 16:10–11; Phil. 2:19–24; 1 and 2 Timothy] has been ·let out of prison [L released]. If he arrives soon, ·we will both come [he will come with me] to see you.

24 Greet all your leaders and all ·of God’s people [T the saints]. Those from Italy send greetings to you.

25 Grace be with you all.

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