Hebrews 13
Good News Translation
How to Please God
13 Keep on loving one another as Christians. 2 (A)Remember to welcome strangers in your homes. There were some who did that and welcomed angels without knowing it. 3 Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them. Remember those who are suffering, as though you were suffering as they are.
4 (B)Marriage is to be honored by all, and husbands and wives must be faithful to each other. God will judge those who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
5 (C)Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.” 6 (D)Let us be bold, then, and say,
“The Lord is my helper,
I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?”
7 Remember your former leaders, who spoke God's message to you. Think back on how they lived and died, and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Do not let all kinds of strange teachings lead you from the right way. It is good to receive inner strength from God's grace, and not by obeying rules about foods; those who obey these rules have not been helped by them.
10 The priests who serve in the Jewish place of worship have no right to eat any of the sacrifice on our altar. 11 (E)The Jewish high priest brings the blood of the animals into the Most Holy Place to offer it as a sacrifice for sins; but the bodies of the animals are burned outside the camp. 12 For this reason Jesus also died outside the city, in order to purify the people from sin with his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp and share his shame. 14 For there is no permanent city for us here on earth; we are looking for the city which is to come. 15 Let us, then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess him as Lord. 16 Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.
17 Obey your leaders and follow their orders. They watch over your souls without resting, since they must give to God an account of their service. If you obey them, they will do their work gladly; if not, they will do it with sadness, and that would be of no help to you.
18 Keep on praying for us. We are sure we have a clear conscience, because we want to do the right thing at all times. 19 And I beg you even more earnestly to pray that God will send me back to you soon.
Closing Prayer
20-21 God has raised from death our Lord Jesus, who is the Great Shepherd of the sheep as the result of his blood,[a] by which the eternal covenant is sealed. May the God of peace provide you with every good thing you need in order to do his will, and may he, through Jesus Christ, do in us what pleases him. And to Christ be the glory forever and ever! Amen.
Final Words
22 I beg you, my friends, to listen patiently to this message of encouragement; for this letter I have written you is not very long. 23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been let out of prison. If he comes soon enough, I will have him with me when I see you.
24 Give our greetings to all your leaders and to all God's people. The believers from Italy send you their greetings.
25 May God's grace be with you all.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 13:20 his blood; or his sacrificial death.
Hebrews 13
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Service Well-Pleasing to God
13 Let mutual affection continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.(A) 3 Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them, those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured.[a] 4 Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.(B) 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”(C) 6 So we can say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?”
7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by regulations about food,[b] which have not benefited those who observe them.(D) 10 We have an altar from which those who officiate in the tent[c] have no right to eat.(E) 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.(F) 12 Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the city gate in order to sanctify the people by his own blood.(G) 13 Let us then go to him outside the camp and bear the abuse he endured. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.(H) 15 Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.(I) 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with sighing, for that would be harmful to you.(J)
18 Pray for us; we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.(K) 19 I urge you all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you very soon.
Benediction
20 Now may the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant,(L) 21 make you complete in everything good[d] so that you may do his will, as he works among us[e] that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever.[f] Amen.(M)
Final Exhortation and Greetings
22 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. 23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been set free, and if he comes in time he will be with me when I see you.(N) 24 Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy send you greetings. 25 Grace be with all of you.[g](O)
Hebrews 13
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
13 Let the charity of the brotherhood abide in you.
2 And hospitality do not forget; for by this some, being not aware of it, have entertained angels.
3 Remember them that are in bands, as if you were bound with them; and them that labour, as being yourselves also in the body.
4 Marriage honourable in all, and the bed undefiled. For fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
5 Let your manners be without covetousness, contented with such things as you have; for he hath said: I will not leave thee, neither will I forsake thee.
6 So that we may confidently say: The Lord is my helper: I will not fear what man shall do to me.
7 Remember your prelates who have spoken the word of God to you; whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation,
8 Jesus Christ, yesterday, and to day; and the same for ever.
9 Be not led away with various and strange doctrines. For it is best that the heart be established with grace, not with meats; which have not profited those that walk in them.
10 We have an altar, whereof they have no power to eat who serve the tabernacle.
11 For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the holies by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.
12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people by his own blood, suffered without the gate.
13 Let us go forth therefore to him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
14 For we have not here a lasting city, but we seek one that is to come.
15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise always to God, that is to say, the fruit of lips confessing to his name.
16 And do not forget to do good, and to impart; for by such sacrifices God's favour is obtained.
17 Obey your prelates, and be subject to them. For they watch as being to render an account of your souls; that they may do this with joy, and not with grief. For this is not expedient for you.
18 Pray for us. For we trust we have a good conscience, being willing to behave ourselves well in all things.
19 And I beseech you the more to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.
20 And may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great pastor of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ, in the blood of the everlasting testament,
21 Fit you in all goodness, that you may do his will; doing in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom is glory for ever and ever. Amen.
22 And I beseech you, brethren, that you suffer this word of consolation. For I have written to you in a few words.
23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty: with whom (if he come shortly) I will see you.
24 Salute all your prelates, and all the saints. The brethren from Italy salute you.
25 Grace be with you all. Amen.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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