Hebrews 13
Common English Bible
Our acts of service and sacrifice
13 Keep loving each other like family. 2 Don’t neglect to open up your homes to guests, because by doing this some have been hosts to angels without knowing it. 3 Remember prisoners as if you were in prison with them, and people who are mistreated as if you were in their place. 4 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. 5 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] 6 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]
7 Remember your leaders who spoke God’s word to you. Imitate their faith as you consider the way their lives turned out. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!
9 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.
Footnotes
Hebrews 13
English Standard Version
Sacrifices Pleasing to God
13 Let (A)brotherly love continue. 2 (B)Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby (C)some have entertained angels unawares. 3 (D)Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. 4 (E)Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge (F)the sexually immoral and adulterous. 5 Keep your life (G)free from love of money, and (H)be content with what you have, for he has said, (I)“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say,
7 Remember (L)your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and (M)imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is (N)the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be (O)led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, (P)not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. 10 We have an altar (Q)from which those who serve the tent[a] have no right to eat. 11 For (R)the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned (S)outside the camp. 12 So Jesus also (T)suffered (U)outside the gate in order to sanctify the people (V)through his own blood. 13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear (W)the reproach he endured. 14 For (X)here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15 (Y)Through him then let us continually offer up (Z)a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, (AA)the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and (AB)to share what you have, for such (AC)sacrifices are pleasing to God.
17 Obey (AD)your leaders and submit to them, (AE)for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to (AF)give an account. (AG)Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
18 (AH)Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. 19 I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order (AI)that I may be restored to you the sooner.
Benediction
20 Now (AJ)may the God of peace (AK)who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, (AL)the great shepherd of the sheep, by (AM)the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 (AN)equip you with everything good that you may do his will, (AO)working in us[b] that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, (AP)to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings
22 I appeal to you, brothers,[c] bear with my word of exhortation, for (AQ)I have written to you briefly. 23 You should know that (AR)our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. 24 Greet all (AS)your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you greetings. 25 (AT)Grace be with all of you.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 13:10 Or tabernacle
- Hebrews 13:21 Some manuscripts you
- Hebrews 13:22 Or brothers and sisters
Hebrews 13
Easy-to-Read Version
Worship That Pleases God
13 Continue loving each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. 2 Always remember to help people by welcoming them into your home. Some people have done that and have helped angels without knowing it. 3 Don’t forget those who are in prison. Remember them as though you were in prison with them. And don’t forget those who are suffering. Remember them as though you were suffering with them.
4 Marriage should be honored by everyone. And every marriage should be kept pure between husband and wife. God will judge guilty those who commit sexual sins and adultery. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money. And be satisfied with what you have. God has said,
“I will never leave you;
I will never run away from you.” (A)
6 So we can feel sure and say,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not be afraid.
People can do nothing to me.” (B)
7 Remember your leaders. They taught God’s message to you. Remember how they lived and died, and copy their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Don’t let all kinds of strange teachings lead you into the wrong way. Depend only on God’s grace for spiritual strength, not on rules about foods. Obeying those rules doesn’t help anyone.
10 We have a sacrifice.[a] And those priests who serve in the Holy Tent cannot eat from the sacrifice we have. 11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place[b] and offers that blood for sins. But the bodies of those animals are burned outside the camp. 12 So Jesus also suffered outside the city. He died to make his people holy with his own blood. 13 So we should go to Jesus outside the camp and accept the same shame that he had. 14 Here on earth we don’t have a city that lasts forever. But we are waiting for the city that we will have in the future. 15 So through Jesus we should never stop offering our sacrifice to God. That sacrifice is our praise, coming from lips that speak his name. 16 And don’t forget to do good and to share what you have with others, because sacrifices like these are very pleasing to God.
17 Obey your leaders. Be willing to do what they say. They are responsible for your spiritual welfare, so they are always watching to protect you. Obey them so that their work will give them joy, not grief. It won’t help you to make it hard for them.
18 Continue praying for us. We feel right about what we do, because we always try to do what is best. 19 And I beg you to pray that God will send me back to you soon. I want this more than anything else.
20-21 I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing you need so that you can do what he wants. God is the one who raised from death our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of his sheep. He raised him because Jesus sacrificed his blood to begin the new agreement that never ends. I pray that God will work through Jesus Christ to do the things in us that please him. To him be glory forever. Amen.
22 My brothers and sisters, I beg you to listen patiently to what I have said. I wrote this letter to strengthen you. And it is not very long. 23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy is out of prison. If he comes to me soon, we will both come to see you.
24 Give my greetings to all your leaders and to all God’s people. All those from Italy send you their greetings.
25 God’s grace be with you all.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 13:10 sacrifice Literally, “altar.” Here, it means the sacrifice (offering) of Jesus. He gave his life to pay for people’s sins.
- Hebrews 13:11 Most Holy Place Literally, “the holies,” the place in the Jewish Tabernacle or Temple where God met the high priest.
Hebrews 13
New English Translation
Final Exhortations
13 Brotherly love must continue. 2 Do not neglect hospitality, because through it some have entertained angels without knowing it.[a] 3 Remember those in prison as though you were in prison with them,[b] and those ill-treated as though you too felt their torment.[c] 4 Marriage must be honored among all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers. 5 Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.”[d] 6 So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, and[e] I will not be afraid. What can people do to me?”[f] 7 Remember your leaders, who spoke God’s message to you; reflect on the outcome of their lives and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever! 9 Do not be carried away by all sorts of strange teachings.[g] For it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not ritual meals,[h] which have never benefited those who participated in them. 10 We have an altar that those who serve in the tabernacle have no right to eat from. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood the high priest brings[i] into the sanctuary as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore, to sanctify the people by his own blood, Jesus also suffered outside the camp. 13 We must go out to him, then, outside the camp, bearing the abuse he experienced.[j] 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, acknowledging his name. 16 And do not neglect to do good and to share what you have,[k] for God is pleased with such sacrifices.
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their work.[l] Let them do this[m] with joy and not with complaints, for this would be no advantage for you. 18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to conduct ourselves rightly in every respect. 19 I especially ask you to pray[n] that I may be restored to you very soon.
Benediction and Conclusion
20 Now may the God of peace who by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, 21 equip you with every good thing to do his will, working in us[o] what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever.[p] Amen.
22 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters,[q] bear with my message of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you briefly. 23 You should know that[r] our brother Timothy has been released. If he comes soon, he will be with me when I see you.[s] 24 Greetings to all your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy send you greetings. 25 Grace be with you all.[t]
Footnotes
- Hebrews 13:2 sn This is a vague allusion to people described in scripture and extra-biblical literature and may include Abraham and Sarah (Gen 18:2-15), Lot (Gen 19:1-14), Gideon (Judg 6:11-18), Manoah (Judg 13:3-22), and possibly Tobit (Tob 12:1-20).
- Hebrews 13:3 tn Grk “as being imprisoned together.”
- Hebrews 13:3 tn Or “since you too are vulnerable”; Grk “you also being in the body.”
- Hebrews 13:5 sn A quotation from Deut 31:6, 8.
- Hebrews 13:6 tc Some significant mss (א* C* P 0285vid 33 1175 1739 lat) lack καί (kai), but because the omission conforms to the wording of Ps 118:6 (117:6 LXX), it is suspect.
- Hebrews 13:6 sn A quotation from Ps 118:6.
- Hebrews 13:9 tn Grk “by diverse and strange teachings.”
- Hebrews 13:9 tn Grk “foods,” referring to the meals associated with the OT sacrifices (see the contrast with the next verse; also 9:9-10; 10:1, 4, 11).
- Hebrews 13:11 tn Grk “whose blood is brought by the high priest.”
- Hebrews 13:13 tn Grk “his abuse.”
- Hebrews 13:16 tn Grk “neglect doing good and fellowship.”
- Hebrews 13:17 tn Or “as ones who will give an account”; Grk “as giving an account.”
- Hebrews 13:17 tn Grk “that they may do this.”
- Hebrews 13:19 tn Grk “I urge you to do this all the more.”
- Hebrews 13:21 tc Some mss (C P Ψ 6 629* 630 1505 pm latt syh) read ὑμῖν (humin, “in you”) here, but ἡμῖν (hēmin) has stronger external support (P46 א A Dvid K 0243 0285 33 81 104 326 365 629c 1175 1739 1881 pm syp co). It is also more likely that ἡμῖν would have been changed to ὑμῖν in light of the “you” which occurs at the beginning of the verse than vice versa.
- Hebrews 13:21 tc ‡ Most mss (א A [C*] 0243 0285 33 1739 1881 M latt) include the words “and ever” here, but the shorter reading (supported by P46 C3 D Ψ 6 104 365 1505 al) is preferred on internal grounds. It seemed more likely that scribes would assimilate the wording to the common NT doxological expression “for ever and ever,” found especially in the Apocalypse (cf., e.g., 1 Tim 1:17; 2 Tim 4:18; Rev 4:9; 22:5) than to the “forever” of Heb 13:8. Nevertheless, a decision is difficult here. NA28 places the phrase in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
- Hebrews 13:22 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 2:11.
- Hebrews 13:23 tn Grk “Know that” (an imperative).
- Hebrews 13:23 tn Grk “has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you.”
- Hebrews 13:25 tc Most witnesses, including several significant ones (א2 A C D H Ψ 0243 1739 1881 M lat sy bo), conclude the letter with ἀμήν (amēn, “amen”). Such a conclusion is routinely added by scribes to NT books because a few of these books originally had such an ending (cf. Rom 16:27; Gal 6:18; Jude 25). A majority of Greek witnesses have the concluding ἀμήν in every NT book except Acts, James, and 3 John (and even in these books, ἀμήν is found in some witnesses). It is thus a predictable variant. Further, there is sufficient testimony (P46 א* Ivid 6 33 sa) for the lack of the particle, rendering its omission the preferred reading.
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