Service That Pleases God
1 Keep being concerned about each other as the Lord's followers should.
2 Be sure to welcome strangers into your home. By doing this, some people have welcomed angels as guests, without even knowing it.
3 Remember the Lord's people who are in jail and be concerned for them. Don't forget those who are suffering, but imagine you are there with them.
4 Have respect for marriage. Always be faithful to your partner, because God will punish anyone who is immoral or unfaithful in marriage.
5 Don't fall in love with money. Be satisfied with what you have. The Lord has promised that he will not leave us or desert us. 6 This should make you feel like saying,
“The Lord helps me!
Why should I be afraid
of what people
can do to me?”
7 Don't forget about your leaders who taught you God's message. Remember what kind of lives they lived and try to have faith like theirs.
8 Jesus Christ never changes! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Don't be fooled by any kind of strange teachings. It is better to receive strength from God's gift of undeserved grace than to depend on certain foods. After all, these foods don't really help the people who eat them. 10 But we have an altar where even the priests who serve in the place of worship have no right to eat.
11 After the high priest offers the blood of animals as a sin offering, the bodies of those animals are burned outside the camp. 12 Jesus himself suffered outside the city gate, so his blood would make people holy. 13 This is why we should go outside the camp to Jesus and share in his disgrace. 14 On this earth we don't have a city that lasts forever, but we are waiting for such a city.
15 Our sacrifice is to keep offering praise to God in the name of Jesus. 16 But don't forget to help others and to share your possessions with them. This too is like offering a sacrifice that pleases God.
17 Obey your leaders and do what they say. They are watching over you, and they must answer to God. So don't make them sad as they do their work. Make them happy. Otherwise, they won't be able to help you at all.
18 Pray for us. Our consciences are clear, and we always try to live right. 19 I especially want you to pray that I can visit you again soon.
Final Prayers and Greetings
20 God gives peace, and he raised our Lord Jesus Christ from death. Now Jesus is like a Great Shepherd whose blood was used to make God's eternal agreement with his flock. 21 I pray God will make you ready to obey him and that you will always be eager to do right. May Jesus help you do what pleases God. To Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever! Amen.
22 My friends, I have written only a short letter to encourage you, and I beg you to pay close attention to what I have said.
23 By now you surely must know that our friend Timothy is out of jail. If he gets here in time, I will bring him with me when I come to visit you.
24 Please give my greetings to your leaders and to the rest of the Lord's people.
His followers from Italy send you their greetings.
25 I pray that God will be kind to all of you!
XIII.
1 Jyusūs arvīnu lai mōjoj brōliska mīlesteiba! 2 Naaizmērstit par vīsmīleibu, jo caur tū daži, poši tō nazynōdami, pi sevis ir pījāmuši engeļus. 3 Pīminit par cītumnīkim, itkai poši byutu reizē cītumā īslūdzeiti, kai arī par cītūšajim, jo arī poši mīsā dzeivojat. 4 Lauleibā visim jōir gūdeigim un laulōtūs guļamvītai jōir nasatraipeitai, jo palaidnīkus un lauleibas lauzējus tīsōs Dīvs. 5 Jyusu dzeive lai ir breiva nu montkōreibas, esit pīticeigi ar tū, kas jums ir, jo pats Dīvs ir sacejis: Es tevis naatstōšu un napamesšu. 6 Tōpēc mes drūši varam saceit: Kungs ir muns paleigs un es nanūsabeišu, kū tad cylvāks man spēs padareit?
7 Pīminit jyusu prīkšnīkus, kuri jums sludynōja Dīva vōrdu. Raugatēs uz jūs dzeives nūslāgumu un dorit pakaļ jūs ticeibai. 8 Jezus Kristus ir tys pats vakar, šudiņ un myužam. 9 Naļaunit sevis maldynōt ar dažaidom svešom mōceibom. Lobōk ir sirdi styprynōt ar žēlesteibu na kai ar bareibu, kura nikō napaleidzēja tim, kuri jū ījēme. 10 Mums ir upuru oltors, nu kura nadreikst ēst tī, kas kolpoj nūmetnei, 11 jo ōrpus nūmetnes sadadzynōja tūs lūpu gaļu, kuru asni vērsgoreidznīks nese vyssvātōkajā pōrlyugšonai par grākim. 12 Tōpēc arī Jezus, lai ar sovu asni svātdareitu tautu, cīte ōrpus piļsātas vōrtim. 13 Īsim tad arī mes pi Jō ōrpus nūmetnes un jimsim uz sevis Jō pazamōšonu. 14 Mums te nav pastōveigais miteklis, bet gon mes steidzamēs pēc nōkamō. 15 Upurēsim tad Dīvam caur Jū vysod slavas upurus, tys ir sovu lyupu augļus, kas slavej Jō vōrdu. 16 Naaizmērstit želesteibas dorbu un labdareibas; taidas dōvonas Dīvam ir pateikamas.
17 Sovim prīkšnīkim esit paklauseigi un padeveigi, jo jī ir nūmūdā par jyusu dvēselem, un jim reizi vajadzēs nūdūt nūrēkinu, — un tys jōdora ar prīcu, bet na ar nūpyutom, jo pādejais jums nikō loba nadūs.
18 Lyudzitēs par mums. Mes asom pōrlīcynōti, ka mums sirdsapziņa ir teira, jo mes cenšamēs vysu dareit labi. 19 Un tū vairōk es pamūdynoju jyusus tū dareit, lai jums ōtrōk mani atdūtu.
Nūslāgums.
20 Lai mīra Dīvs, kas myusu Kungu Jezu (Kristu), tū izcylus Vušku Ganeitōju caur myužeigō īstōdejuma asni pīcēle nu myrūnim, 21 styprynoj jyusus ikvīnā lobā, ka jyus izpiļdeitu Jō grybu. Lai Jys caur Jezu Kristu jyusūs padora tū, kas Jam ir pateikams. Jam lai ir gūds nu myuža uz myužim! Amen.
22 Es jyusus, brōli, lyudzu pījemit labi šytūs pamūdynōjuma vōrdus, lai gon es jums tikai eisumā saraksteju.
23 Jyus zynot, ka myusu brōļs, Timotejs ir otkon atbreivōts un jo jys ōtri atnōks, es kūpā ar jū jyusus redzēšu.
24 Sveicynojit vysus sovus prīkšnīkus un vysus svātūs. Jyusus sveicynoj tī, kas ir Italijā.
25 Žēlesteiba lai ir ar jums visim! Amen.