OET-RV HEB Chapter 13

13 Continue to love your fellow believers. 2 Don’t be lax in showing hospitality to others, because some people who’ve been hospitable have actually hosted God’s messengers without even realising.[ref] 3 Don’t forget about those who’re in prison—help them as if you all were in prison with them. Also, help those who’re being mistreated because you, yourselves are human.

4 Marriage needs to be honoured by everyone and the marriage relationship kept pure, because God will judge adulterers and those who’re sexually immoral.

5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said:[ref]

“I’ll never leave you;

Indeed I’ll never abandon you.”

6 So in turn, we can confidently say:[ref]

“The master is my helper,

so I won’t be afraid.

What can mere people do to me?”

7 Don’t forget about your leaders who taught you all God’s message. Reflect on the outcome of their behaviour and imitate their faith. 8 Yeshua Messiah hasn’t changed in the past and will never change in the future. 9 Don’t be carried away by all sorts of new and novel teachings—God’s grace strengthens your faith, but beware of other teachings which won’t strengthen you all because the teachers don’t even practise what they preach. 10 We benefit from what Yeshua offered, but which others cannot benefit from despite their religious positions. 11 Although the high priest brings the blood of animals into the sacred chambers as a sacrifice for sin, the bodies of the animals are burnt outside the camp.[ref] 12 So too, Yeshua also suffered outside the city gate so that he could declare the people innocent by means of the price of his own blood, 13 therefore we should leave our religious sacrifices and rituals and share in his shame outside the system. 14 Yes, we don’t belong to any earthly city, but we wait for the new city that’s coming.

15 With Yeshua’s help, we should always be praising God as if we were presenting offerings to him. We do that when we say that we believe that Yeshua is God. 16 But on top of faith, we need to continue to do good and share what we have with others, because those are the kinds of sacrifices that please God.

17 Your leaders keep watch over your spiritual lives, knowing that they will have to give account to God for you, so obey them and yield to them so that they can fulfil their ministry cheerfully and without groaning, because that wouldn’t help you all either.

18 Also, please pray for us, because we believe that we have clear consciences and have conducted ourselves honourably in everything we’ve done, 19 and I especially urge you to pray that I might be able to return to be with you all soon.

20 Now may the God of peace, the one who brought the wonderful shepherd of the sheep back to life from the dead (by the blood that’s specified in the eternal agreement), our master Yeshua, 21 equip you all with everything good so that you can do what he desires—doing what will please him greatly through Yeshua Messiah, who will be honoured through all the ages. May it be so.

22 But brothers and sisters, I’m urging you all to tolerate my message of encouragement because I haven’t made it too long. 23 You all know our brother Timothy was released and if he comes here soon, I’ll be seeing you all.[fn]

24 Greet all your leaders for us, and all the believers. The Italians here also send their greetings.

25 May God’s grace be with all of you. May it be so.