Hebrews 13
13
Worship That Pleases God
1Continue loving each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. 2Always remember to help people by welcoming them into your home. Some people have done that and have helped angels without knowing it. 3Don’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.
4Marriage 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. 5Keep 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.” Deuteronomy 31:6
6So we can feel sure and say,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not be afraid.
People can do nothing to me.” Psalm 118:6
7Remember your leaders. They taught God’s message to you. Remember how they lived and died, and copy their faith. 8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9Don’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.
10We have a sacrifice.#13:10 sacrifice Literally, “altar.” Here, it means the sacrifice (offering) of Jesus. He gave his life to pay for people’s sins. And those priests who serve in the Holy Tent cannot eat from the sacrifice we have. 11The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place#13:11 Most Holy Place Literally, “the holies,” the place in the Jewish Tabernacle or Temple where God met the high priest. and offers that blood for sins. But the bodies of those animals are burned outside the camp. 12So Jesus also suffered outside the city. He died to make his people holy with his own blood. 13So we should go to Jesus outside the camp and accept the same shame that he had. 14Here 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. 15So through Jesus we should never stop offering our sacrifice to God. That sacrifice is our praise, coming from lips that speak his name. 16And don’t forget to do good and to share what you have with others, because sacrifices like these are very pleasing to God.
17Obey 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.
18Continue praying for us. We feel right about what we do, because we always try to do what is best. 19And I beg you to pray that God will send me back to you soon. I want this more than anything else.
20-21I 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.
22My 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. 23I 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.
24Give my greetings to all your leaders and to all God’s people. All those from Italy send you their greetings.
25God’s grace be with you all.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Hebrews 13
13
Service Well-pleasing to God
1Let brotherly love continue. 2#Gen 18.1-8; 19.1-3. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 3Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. 4Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. 5#Deut 31.6,8; Josh 1.5. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said,
I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
6 #
Ps 118.6. So that we may boldly say,
The Lord is my helper,
and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
7Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end#13.7 end or outcome. of their conversation. 8Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever. 9Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines: for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. 10We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. 11#Lev 16.27. For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. 12Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. 13Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. 14For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. 15By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. 16But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
17Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
18Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly. 19But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.
Benediction and Final Greetings
20Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
22And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words. 23Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you. 24Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you. 25Grace be with you all. Amen.
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King James Version 1611, spelling, punctuation and text formatting modernized by ABS in 1962; typesetting © 2010 American Bible Society.