Hebrews 13 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Keep loving each other like family.

Don't forget to welcome strangers into your homes — some people have done that and ended up hosting angels without even knowing it.

Remember those in prison as if you were locked up with them. Remember those being mistreated as if it were your own body suffering.

Marriage should be respected by everyone, and the marriage bed should be kept faithful — because God will judge those who are sexually unfaithful and those who violate the marriage bond.

Keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God himself has said, "I will never leave you. I will never abandon you."

So we can say with confidence: "God is my helper — I won't be afraid. What can anyone do to me?"

Remember your leaders who first spoke God's message to you. Look at how their lives turned out and follow the example of their trust in God.

Jesus, The One, is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Don't get carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It's better for your heart to be strengthened by God's undeserved kindness than by following food regulations — which have never actually helped the people who practice them.

We have an altar that the priests who serve the tent of worship have no right to eat from.

Under the old system, the chief priest carries the blood of animals into the innermost sacred space as an offering for failure, but the bodies of those animals are burned outside the camp.

That's why Jesus also suffered outside the city gate — to set the people apart as his own through his own blood.

So let's go to him outside the camp, bearing the same disgrace he carried.

Because here on earth we don't have a permanent city — we're looking for the city that's coming.

Through Jesus, then, let's keep offering God a sacrifice of praise — that is, the words from our lips that openly declare his name.

And don't forget to do good and to share what you have — because these are the kinds of sacrifices that make God happy.

Trust your leaders and respect their guidance, because they watch over your lives and will have to give an account for how they did it. Make their job a joy, not a burden — because if it's a burden, that doesn't help you either.

Pray for us. We're confident that we have a clear conscience and want to live the right way in everything.

I especially ask you to pray that I'll be able to come back to you soon.

Now may the God of peace — who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of an agreement that lasts forever —

— equip you with everything good so you can do what he wants, working in us what is pleasing to him through Jesus, The One. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

I urge you, brothers and sisters, to bear with this message of encouragement — after all, I've written you only a short letter.

You should know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he gets here soon enough, I'll come visit you with him.

Give my greetings to all your leaders and to all of God's people. Those from Italy send you their greetings.

May God's undeserved kindness be with all of you.