Hebrews 13
1 Let brotherly love abide.
Continue to love your fellow believers.
2 Do not forget love for strangers, for by this some lodged agents, unaware.
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.
3 Remember the prisoners as being in bondage together, those who are ill-treated as also yourselves being in the body.
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.
4 Marriage is precious in every way, and the undefiled bed, but God will judge fornicators and adulterers.
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.
5 The Way of life is to be without love of money, being content with the things that are present, for he has said, I will, no, not leave thee, and also, I will, no, not forsake thee.
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].
6 So then we have confidence to say, The Lord is a helper to me, and I will not fear. What will man do to me?
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].
7 Remember those who lead you, men who spoke the word of God to you, of whom, carefully observing the outcome of their conduct, imitate the faith-
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].
Jesus Christ [is] the same now as he was previously, and he will be the same forever. (aiōn g165)
9 Be not carried away by various and foreign doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established with grace, not with foods by which those who walked were not benefited.
[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.
10 We have an altar from which they have no right to eat, those officiating at the tabernacle.
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].
11 For of the beasts whose blood is brought into the holy things for sin by the high priest, the bodies of these are burned outside the camp.
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.
12 Therefore Jesus also, so that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside the gate.
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].
13 Let us therefore go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach.
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.
14 For here we have no enduring city, but we seek that which is coming.
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].
15 Through him therefore, let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, fruit of lips acknowledging his name.
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].
16 But do not forget benevolence and fellowship, for God is well pleased with such sacrifices.
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.
17 Have confidence in those who lead you, and yield yourselves, for they watch for your souls as men who will render account, so that they may do this with joy, and not groaning, for this is unprofitable for you.
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).
18 Pray about us, for we trust that we have a good conscience, desiring to behave well in all things.
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.
19 But I urge you to do this even more, so that I may be restored to you sooner.
I urge you earnestly to pray that [God] will quickly remove the things that hinder my coming to you.
20 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep by the blood of an eternal covenant-our Lord Jesus- (aiōnios g166)
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)
21 may he make you fully qualified in every good work in order to do his will, doing in you what is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom is the glory into the ages of the ages. Truly. (aiōn g165)
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)
22 And I urge you, brothers, bear with the word of exhortation, for I also wrote to you in brief.
My fellow believers, I appeal to you that you patiently consider [what] I have written in this short letter, to exhort you.
23 Know ye, brother Timothy who was set free is with whom I will see you, if he comes sooner.
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.
24 Salute all those who lead you, and all the sanctified. The men from Italy salute you.
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).
25 Grace is with you all. Truly.
[I pray that] you will continue to experience God’s acting kindly toward you all.
