Concluding Exhortations

13 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.^{(A) 2} Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers,^(B) for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.^{(C) 3} 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.

⁴ 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) 5} Keep your lives free from the love of money^(G) and be content with what you have,^(H) because God has said,

⁶ So we say with confidence,

⁷ 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. ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.^(N)

⁹ 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)

The Ten Commandments^(A)

5 Moses summoned all Israel and said:

Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws^(B) I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them. ² The Lord our God made a covenant^(C) with us at Horeb.^{(D) 3} It was not with our ancestors^[a] that the Lord made this covenant, but with us,^(E) with all of us who are alive here today.^{(F) 4} The Lord spoke^(G) to you face to face^(H) out of the fire^(I) on the mountain. ⁵ (At that time I stood between^(J) the Lord and you to declare to you the word of the Lord, because you were afraid^(K) of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said:

²² These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness;^(AJ) and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets^(AK) and gave them to me.

²³ When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leaders of your tribes and your elders^(AL) came to me. ²⁴ And you said, “The Lord our God has shown us^(AM) his glory and his majesty,^(AN) and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a person can live even if God speaks with them.^{(AO) 25} But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer.^{(AP) 26} For what mortal has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived?^{(AQ) 27} Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says.^(AR) Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you. We will listen and obey.”^(AS)

²⁸ The Lord heard you when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, “I have heard what this people said to you. Everything they said was good.^{(AT) 29} Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me^(AU) and keep all my commands^(AV) always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!^(AW)

³⁰ “Go, tell them to return to their tents. ³¹ But you stay here^(AX) with me so that I may give you all the commands, decrees and laws you are to teach them to follow in the land I am giving them to possess.”

³² So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you;^(AY) do not turn aside to the right or to the left.^{(AZ) 33} Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you,^(BA) so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days^(BB) in the land that you will possess.

Love the Lord Your God

6 These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, ² so that you, your children and their children after them may fear^(BC) the Lord your God as long as you live^(BD) by keeping all his decrees and commands^(BE) that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.^{(BF) 3} Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey^(BG) so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly^(BH) in a land flowing with milk and honey,^(BI) just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised^(BJ) you.

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^{[c](BK) 5} Love^(BL) the Lord your God with all your heart^(BM) and with all your soul and with all your strength.^{(BN) 6} These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.^{(BO) 7} Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.^{(BP) 8} Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.^{(BQ) 9} Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.^(BR)

¹⁰ When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build,^{(BS) 11} houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig,^(BT) and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied,^{(BU) 12} be careful that you do not forget^(BV) the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

¹³ Fear the Lord^(BW) your God, serve him only^(BX) and take your oaths^(BY) in his name.^{(BZ) 14} Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; ¹⁵ for the Lord your God^(CA), who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. ¹⁶ Do not put the Lord your God to the test^(CB) as you did at Massah. ¹⁷ Be sure to keep^(CC) the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you.^{(CD) 18} Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight,^(CE) so that it may go well^(CF) with you and you may go in and take over the good land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors, ¹⁹ thrusting out all your enemies^(CG) before you, as the Lord said.

²⁰ In the future, when your son asks you,^(CH) “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?” ²¹ tell him: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.^{(CI) 22} Before our eyes the Lord sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. ²³ But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors. ²⁴ The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God,^(CJ) so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today.^{(CK) 25} And if we are careful to obey all this law^(CL) before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.^(CM)”

Driving Out the Nations

7 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess^(CN) and drives out before you many nations^(CO)—the Hittites,^(CP) Girgashites,^(CQ) Amorites,^(CR) Canaanites, Perizzites,^(CS) Hivites^(CT) and Jebusites,^(CU) seven nations larger and stronger than you— ² and when the Lord your God has delivered^(CV) them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy^(CW) them totally.^[d](CX) Make no treaty^(CY) with them, and show them no mercy.^{(CZ) 3} Do not intermarry with them.^(DA) Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, ⁴ for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods,^(DB) and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy^(DC) you. ⁵ This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles^[e](DD) and burn their idols in the fire.^{(DE) 6} For you are a people holy^(DF) to the Lord your God.^(DG) The Lord your God has chosen^(DH) you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.^(DI)

⁷ The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous^(DJ) than other peoples, for you were the fewest^(DK) of all peoples.^{(DL) 8} But it was because the Lord loved^(DM) you and kept the oath he swore^(DN) to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand^(DO) and redeemed^(DP) you from the land of slavery,^(DQ) from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. ⁹ Know therefore that the Lord your God is God;^(DR) he is the faithful God,^(DS) keeping his covenant of love^(DT) to a thousand generations^(DU) of those who love him and keep his commandments.^{(DV) 10} But

¹¹ Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today.

¹² If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your ancestors.^{(DX) 13} He will love you and bless you^(DY) and increase your numbers.^(DZ) He will bless the fruit of your womb,^(EA) the crops of your land—your grain, new wine^(EB) and olive oil^(EC)—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.^{(ED) 14} You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor will any of your livestock be without young.^{(EE) 15} The Lord will keep you free from every disease.^(EF) He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt,^(EG) but he will inflict them on all who hate you.^{(EH) 16} You must destroy all the peoples the Lord your God gives over to you.^(EI) Do not look on them with pity^(EJ) and do not serve their gods,^(EK) for that will be a snare^(EL) to you.

¹⁷ You may say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?^(EM)” ¹⁸ But do not be afraid^(EN) of them; remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.^{(EO) 19} You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand^(EP) and outstretched arm, with which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear.^{(EQ) 20} Moreover, the Lord your God will send the hornet^(ER) among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished. ²¹ Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you,^(ES) is a great and awesome God.^{(ET) 22} The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little.^(EU) You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you. ²³ But the Lord your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed.^{(EV) 24} He will give their kings^(EW) into your hand,^(EX) and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you;^(EY) you will destroy them.^{(EZ) 25} The images of their gods you are to burn^(FA) in the fire. Do not covet^(FB) the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared^(FC) by it, for it is detestable^(FD) to the Lord your God. ²⁶ Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction.^(FE) Regard it as vile and utterly detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.