⁷ Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents.^(A) Then you will live a long time in the land^(B) where you are nomads.’

¹⁰ We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jehonadab commanded us.

² “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— ³ “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”^[a](A)

¹⁴ They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters^(A) during the festival of the seventh month ¹⁵ and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters”—as it is written.^[a]

¹⁶ So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate^(B) and the one by the Gate of Ephraim.^(C)

⁴² Live in temporary shelters^(A) for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters ⁴³ so your descendants will know^(B) that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’”

²⁷ The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter,^(A) a man of the open country,^(B) while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents.

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

¹¹ Dear friends,^(A) I urge you, as foreigners and exiles,^(B) to abstain from sinful desires,^(C) which wage war against your soul.^(D)

⁹ By faith he made his home in the promised land^(A) like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents,^(B) as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.^{(C) 10} For he was looking forward to the city^(D) with foundations,^(E) whose architect and builder is God.^{(F) 11} And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age,^(G) was enabled to bear children^(H) because she^[a] considered him faithful^(I) who had made the promise. ¹² And so from this one man, and he as good as dead,^(J) came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.^(K)

¹³ All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;^(L) they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance,^(M) admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.^(N)