012:022 On the contrary you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city
of the ever-living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to countless
hosts of angels,
012:023 to the great festal gathering and Church of the first-born,
whose names are recorded in Heaven, and to a Judge who is God
of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,
012:024 and to Jesus the negotiator of a new Covenant, and to the sprinkled
blood which speaks in more gracious tones than that of Abel.
012:025 Be careful not to refuse to listen to Him who is speaking to you.
For if they of old did not escape unpunished when they refused
to listen to him who spoke on earth, much less shall we escape
who turn a deaf ear to Him who now speaks from Heaven.
012:026 His voice then shook the earth, but now we have His promise,
"Yet again I will, once for all, cause not only the earth
to tremble, but Heaven also."
012:027 Here the words "Yet again, once for all" denote the removal
of the things which can be shaken--created things--in order
that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
012:028 Therefore, receiving, as we now do, a kingdom which cannot
be shaken, let us cherish thankfulness so that we may ever offer
to God an acceptable service, with godly reverence and awe.
012:029 For our God is also a consuming fire.
013:001 Let brotherly love always continue.
013:002 Do not neglect to show kindness to strangers; for, in this way,
some, without knowing it, have had angels as their guests.
013:003 Remember prisoners, as if you were in prison with them;
and remember those suffering ill-treatment, for you yourselves
also are still in the body.
013:004 Let marriage be held in honour among all, and let the marriage bed
be unpolluted; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
013:005 Your lives should be untainted by love for money. Be content
with what you have; for God Himself has said, "I will never,
never let go your hand: I will never never forsake you."
013:006 So that we fearlessly say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not
be afraid: what can man do to me?"
013:007 Remember your former leaders--it was they who brought you
God's Message. Bear in mind how they ended their lives,
and imitate their faith.
013:008 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and to-day--yes, and to
the ages to come.
013:009 Do not be drawn aside by all sorts of strange teaching; for it
is well to have the heart made stedfast through God's grace,
and not by special kinds of food, from which those who
scrupulously attend to them have derived no benefit.
013:010 We Christians have an altar from which the ministers of
the Jewish Tent have no right to eat.
013:011 For the bodies of those animals of which the blood is carried
by the High Priest into the Holy place as an offering for sin,
are burned outside the camp.
013:012 And for this reason Jesus also, in order, by His own blood,
to set the people free from sin, suffered outside the gate.
013:013 Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp, sharing the insults
directed against Him.
013:014 For we have no permanent city here, but we are longing for
the city which is soon to be ours.
013:015 Through Him, then, let us continually lay on the altar
a sacrifice of praise to God, namely, the utterance of lips
that give thanks to His Name.
013:016 And do not forget to be kind and liberal; for with sacrifices
of that sort God is greatly pleased.
013:017 Obey your leaders and be submissive to them. For they are keeping
watch over your souls as those who will have to give account;
that they may do this with joy and not with lamentation.
For that would be of no advantage to you.
013:018 Keep on praying for us; for we are sure that we have clear
consciences, and we desire to live nobly in every respect.
013:019 I specially urge this upon you in order that I may be the more
speedily restored to you.
013:020 Now may God who gives peace, and brought Jesus, our Lord,
up again from among the dead--even Him who, by virtue
of the blood of the eternal Covenant, is the great Shepherd
of the sheep--
013:021 fully equip you with every grace that you may need for the doing
of His will, producing in us that which will truly please
Him through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory to the Ages
of the Ages! Amen.
013:022 Bear with me, brethren, when I thus exhort you; for, in fact,
it is but a short letter that I have written to you.
013:023 You will rejoice to hear that our brother Timothy has been set
at liberty. If he comes soon, I will see you with him.
013:024 Greet all your leaders and all God's people. The brethren
from Italy send you greetings.
013:025 Grace be with you all! Amen.