Hebrews 13
1 Continue to love your fellow believers.
May love for each other as brothers and sisters always continue!
2 Do not forget to be hospitable to needy travelers [LIT]. You need to know that by being hospitable, some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
Don't forget to show love for strangers too, because by doing so some have welcomed angels without knowing it.
3 Remember [to help] those who are in prison [because they are Christians], as though you were in prison with them. Remember those who are being mistreated {whom people are mistreating} [because they are believers. As you do that], consider that you you could suffer as they do.
Remember those who are locked up in prison as if you were imprisoned with them. Remember those who are mistreated as if you were physically suffering with them.
4 You must (respect/keep sacred) the marriage relationship in every way, and you must keep sexual relations [EUP] pure, because God will surely condemn those who act immorally and those who act adulterously.
Everyone should honor marriage. Husbands and wives should be faithful to each other. God will judge adulterers.
5 Live without constantly coveting money, and be content with the things you possess, remembering what [Moses] wrote [that God] has said [about supplying what you need], I will never leave you, I will never stop providing for you [DOU].
Don't love money; be content with what you have. God himself has said, “I'll never let you down; I'll never give up on you.”
6 So we can say confidently [as the Psalmist said], Since the Lord is the one who helps me, I will not be afraid! People can do nothing to me [that will deprive me of God’s blessings] [RHQ].
That's why we can confidently say, “The Lord is the one who helps me, so I won't be afraid. What can anyone do to me?”
7 Your spiritual leaders used to tell you the message from God [before they died]. Remember how they conducted their lives. By considering (how they died/what resulted from how they lived), imitate how they believed [in Christ/God].
Remember your leaders who explained God's word to you. Look again at the results of their lives, and imitate their trust in God.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (aiōn g165)
9 [So], do not let yourselves be diverted {let anything divert you} so that you believe various teachings [that are contrary to God’s truth]. It is good that God acts kindly toward us so that we may be strengthened spiritually. [Obeying rules about] various foods, rules that have not benefited those who obeyed them, will not benefit us.
Don't get distracted by different kinds of strange teachings. It's good for the mind to be convinced by grace, not by laws concerning what we eat. Those who followed such laws didn't gain anything.
10 We have [Jesus] [MTY]. All those who continue to observe the Jewish rituals [MTY] of sacrifice have no right to obtain the benefits of his sacrifice [MET].
We have an altar that those priests of the Tabernacle have no right to eat from.
11 After the high priest brings into the most holy place the blood of animals [that they have sacrificed to atone] for sins, the bodies of those animals are burned {they burn the bodies of those animals} outside the camp.
The carcasses of the animals, whose blood is carried by the high priest into the most holy place as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp.
12 Similarly, Jesus suffered [and died] outside the gate [of Jerusalem] in order that he might make [us], his people, holy by [offering] his own blood [as a sacrifice to atone for our sins].
In the same way Jesus also died outside the city gate so that he could make God's people holy through his own blood.
13 So, we must abandon [performing Jewish] sacrifices and rituals [MET] [in order to be saved], and let us go to Jesus [to be saved]. As we do that, we must [be willing to] let others reproach us just like people reproached Jesus.
So let us go out to him, outside the camp, experiencing and sharing in his shame.
14 Here on earth, we believers do not have a city [such as Jerusalem where we must] continually [offer sacrifices] [MET]. Instead, we are waiting for a future [heavenly] city [that will last forever].
For we don't have a permanent city to live in here; we're looking for the home that is still to come.
15 With [the help of] Jesus, we must continually praise God. That will be something we can sacrifice [to him] [MET] [instead of our sacrificing animals only at specific times]. Specifically, we must say openly [MTY] [that we have trusted] in Christ [MTY].
So let us through Jesus always offer a sacrifice of praise to God—this means speaking well of God, declaring his character.
16 Be continually [LIT] doing good deeds [for others], and be continually sharing [with others the things you have], because doing things like that will [also] be [as though you are offering] sacrifices that will please God.
And don't forget to do what is good, and to share with others what you have, for God is pleased when you make such sacrifices.
17 Obey your [spiritual] leaders; do what they tell you, since they are the ones who are looking out for your spiritual welfare [SYN]. [Some day] they will have to stand before God so that he can say if he approves of what they have done. Obey them in order that they can do the work of guarding you joyfully, and not have to do it sadly, because if you cause them to do it sadly, that will certainly not help you at all (OR, they will not be able to help you at all).
Follow your leaders, and do what they tell you, for they are watching out for you and are accountable. Act in such a way that they can do this happily—and not with sadness, for that wouldn't help you!
18 Pray for me. I am certain that I have not done anything that displeases God. I have tried to act honorably [toward you] in every way.
Please pray for us. We're convinced we have acted in good conscience, always wanting to do what's good and right in every situation.
19 I urge you earnestly to pray that [God] will quickly remove the things that hinder my coming to you.
I really want you to pray hard so that I can come back to see you soon.
20 Jesus [provides for us], [protects us, and guides us as] a great shepherd does for his sheep [MET]. And God, who gives us [inner] peace, brought our Lord Jesus back to life. By doing that, God ratified his eternal covenant with us by the blood [that flowed from Jesus when he died on the] cross. (aiōnios g166)
Now may the God of peace who raised our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, from the dead, with the blood of an eternal agreement— (aiōnios g166)
21 So I pray that God will equip you with everything good [that you need in order] that you may do the things that he desires. May he accomplish in our lives whatever he considers pleasing as a result of Jesus Christ [equipping us]. May Jesus Christ be praised forever. (Amen!/May it be so!) (aiōn g165)
may he provide you with all that is good so you can do his will. May he work in us, doing everything that pleases him, through Jesus Christ—glory to him forever and ever. Amen. (aiōn g165)
22 My fellow believers, I appeal to you that you patiently consider [what] I have written in this short letter, to exhort you.
I want to encourage you, brothers and sisters, to pay attention to what I've written to you in this short letter.
23 I want you to know that our fellow believer Timothy has been released {[the authorities] have released our fellow believer Timothy} [from prison]. If he comes here soon, he will accompany me when I go to see you.
You should know that Timothy has been set free. If he gets here soon, I will come with him to see you.
24 Tell all your [spiritual] leaders and all the [other] fellow believers [in your city] that (I am thinking fondly about them/I am sending them my greetings). The believers [in this area who have come] from Italy [want you to know they] are (thinking about you/sending you their greetings).
Give my greetings to all your leaders, and to all the believers there. The believers here in Italy send their greetings.
25 [I pray that] you will continue to experience God’s acting kindly toward you all.
May God's grace be with all of you. Amen.
