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Our acts of service and sacrifice

13 Keep loving each other like family. Don’t neglect to open up your homes to guests, because by doing this some have been hosts to angels without knowing it. Remember prisoners as if you were in prison with them, and people who are mistreated as if you were in their place. 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. 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] 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]

Remember your leaders who spoke God’s word to you. Imitate their faith as you consider the way their lives turned out. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

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.

Concluding Exhortations

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

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

“Never will I leave you;
    never will I forsake you.”[a](I)

So we say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?”[b](J)

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

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)

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 13:5 Deut. 31:6
  2. Hebrews 13:6 Psalm 118:6,7