Hebrews 13

Concluding Words

1Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters.*13:1 Greek Continue in brotherly love. 2Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! 3Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.

4Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.

5Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,

“I will never fail you.

I will never abandon you.”*13:5 Deut 31:6, 8.

6So we can say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper,

so I will have no fear.

What can mere people do to me?”*13:6 Ps 118:6.

7Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.

8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.

10We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle*13:10 Or tent. have no right to eat. 11Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. 12So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. 13So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. 14For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.

15Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. 16And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

17Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

18Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honorably in everything we do. 19And especially pray that I will be able to come back to you soon.

20Now may the God of peace—

who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus,

the great Shepherd of the sheep,

and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—

21may he equip you with all you need

for doing his will.

May he produce in you,*13:21 Some manuscripts read in us.

through the power of Jesus Christ,

every good thing that is pleasing to him.

All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

22I urge you, dear brothers and sisters,*13:22 Greek brothers. to pay attention to what I have written in this brief exhortation.

23I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released from jail. If he comes here soon, I will bring him with me to see you.

24Greet all your leaders and all the believers there.*13:24 Greek all of God’s holy people. The believers from Italy send you their greetings.

25May God’s grace be with you all.