Hebrews 13 : Easy-to-Read Version
13 You are brothers [and sisters] in Christ, so continue loving each other. 2Always remember to help people by accepting them into your home. Some people have done that and have helped angels without knowing it. 3Don't forget those people in prison. Remember them like you are in prison with them. And don't forget those people who are suffering. Remember them like you are suffering with them. 4Marriage should be honored by all people. And every marriage should be kept pure between only two people. God will judge guilty those people who do sexual sins and adultery.* 5Keep your lives free from the love of money. And be satisfied with the things you have. God has said, "I will never leave you; I will never run away from you." Deuteronomy 31:6
6So we can feel sure and say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. People can do nothing to me." Psalm 118:6
7Remember your leaders. They taught God's message to you. Remember how they lived and died, and copy their faith. 8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9Don't let all kinds of strange teachings lead you into the wrong way. Your hearts should be strengthened by God's grace (kindness), not by obeying rules about foods. Obeying those rules doesn't help people. 10We have a sacrifice.* And those priests who serve in the Holy Tent* cannot eat from our sacrifice. 11The high priest* carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place.* He offers that blood for sins. But the bodies of those animals are burned outside the camp. 12So Jesus also suffered outside the city. Jesus died to make his people holy* with his own blood (death). 13So we should go to Jesus outside the camp. We should accept the same shame that Jesus had. 14Here on earth we don't have a city that continues forever. But we are waiting for the city that we will have in the future. 15So through Jesus we should never stop offering our sacrifice to God. That sacrifice is our praise, coming from lips that speak his name. 16And don't forget to do good for other people. And share with other people. These are the sacrifices that please God. 17Obey your leaders and be under their authority. Those men are responsible for you. So they are always watching to protect your souls. Obey those men so that they can be happy in this work. It won't help you to make it hard for them. 18Continue praying for us. We feel right about the things we do, because we always try to do the best thing. 19And I beg you to pray that God will send me back to you soon. I want this more than anything else. 20-21I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing you need so that you can do the things he wants. God is the One who raised our Lord Jesus from death. He raised Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep. God raised Jesus because of his blood (death). His blood began the new agreement* that continues forever. I pray that God will do the things in us that please him. I ask that he will do those things through Jesus Christ. To Jesus be glory forever. Amen. 22My brothers [and sisters], I beg you to listen patiently to these things I have said. I said these things to strengthen you. And this letter is not very long. 23I want you to know that our brother Timothy is out of prison. If he comes to me soon, we will both come to see you. 24Say hello to all your leaders and to all God's people. All [God's people] in Italy say hello to you. 25God's grace (kindness) be with you all.
adultery Breaking a marriage promise by sexual sin. sacrifice Here, the sacrifice (offering) of Jesus. He gave his life to pay for people's sins. Holy Tent Or, "tabernacle." The special tent where God lived among his people and where the Jewish priests worshiped. high priest Most important Jewish priest and leader. Most Holy Place Literally, "holy of holies," the place in the Jewish tabernacle or temple where God met the high priest. holy God's people are holy because they are made pure through Christ and belong only to God. new agreement This is the "better agreement" that God has given to his people through Jesus.