How to Please God
1 Keep on loving one another as Christians. 2 Remember to welcome strangers in your homes. There were some who did that and welcomed angels without knowing it. 3 Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them. Remember those who are suffering, as though you were suffering as they are.
4 Marriage is to be honored by all, and husbands and wives must be faithful to each other. God will judge those who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.” 6 Let us be bold, then, and say,
“The Lord is my helper,
I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?”
7 Remember your former leaders, who spoke God's message to you. Think back on how they lived and died, and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Do not let all kinds of strange teachings lead you from the right way. It is good to receive inner strength from God's grace, and not by obeying rules about foods; those who obey these rules have not been helped by them.
10 The priests who serve in the Jewish place of worship have no right to eat any of the sacrifice on our altar. 11 The Jewish high priest brings the blood of the animals into the Most Holy Place to offer it as a sacrifice for sins; but the bodies of the animals are burned outside the camp. 12 For this reason Jesus also died outside the city, in order to purify the people from sin with his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp and share his shame. 14 For there is no permanent city for us here on earth; we are looking for the city which is to come. 15 Let us, then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess him as Lord. 16 Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.
17 Obey your leaders and follow their orders. They watch over your souls without resting, since they must give to God an account of their service. If you obey them, they will do their work gladly; if not, they will do it with sadness, and that would be of no help to you.
18 Keep on praying for us. We are sure we have a clear conscience, because we want to do the right thing at all times. 19 And I beg you even more earnestly to pray that God will send me back to you soon.
Closing Prayer
20-21 God has raised from death our Lord Jesus, who is the Great Shepherd of the sheep as the result of his blood, by which the eternal covenant is sealed. May the God of peace provide you with every good thing you need in order to do his will, and may he, through Jesus Christ, do in us what pleases him. And to Christ be the glory forever and ever! Amen.
Final Words
22 I beg you, my friends, to listen patiently to this message of encouragement; for this letter I have written you is not very long. 23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been let out of prison. If he comes soon enough, I will have him with me when I see you.
24 Give our greetings to all your leaders and to all God's people. The believers from Italy send you their greetings.
25 May God's grace be with you all.
Dievam tīkama kalpošana
1 Lai arī turpmāk jūsu vidū ir brāļu mīlestība! 2 Neaizmirstiet viesmīlību! Svešiniekus uzņemdami, daži, pašiem nezinot, ir uzņēmuši eņģeļus. 3 Atcerieties tos, kas cietumā, it kā paši būtu tiem līdzi saistīti, atcerieties arī tos, kas pakļauti ciešanām, jo paši, būdami miesā, esat pakļauti ciešanām. 4 Laulība lai ir pie visiem godā, un laulības gulta lai ir neaptraipīta. Netiklos un laulības apgānītājus Dievs tiesās. 5 Lai jūsu domas ir brīvas no mantkārības, lai jums pietiek ar to, kas jums ir! Pats Dievs taču ir sacījis:
es tevi nekad neatstāšu un nekad nepametīšu, –
6 tā ka mēs varam droši teikt:
Kungs ir mans palīgs,
tādēļ es neizbīšos –
ko gan cilvēks man padarīs?
7 Pieminiet savus vadītājus, kas jums ir Dieva vārdu sludinājuši, un, rūpīgi vērodami viņu dzīves iznākumu, esiet tādā pašā ticībā! 8 Jēzus Kristus ir tas pats vakar, šodien un mūžos! 9 Neļaujiet sevi aizraut ar dažādām svešām mācībām! Ir labi, kad sirds top stiprināta ar Dieva žēlastību, bet noteikumi ēšanā nav atnesuši nekādu labumu tiem, kas pēc šiem priekšrakstiem dzīvo. 10 Mums ir tāds altāris, no kura nav atļauts ēst tiem, kas vēl kalpo teltī. 11 Augstais priesteris ieiet svētnīcā ar grēku upura asinīm, bet upurdzīvnieku miesas tiek sadedzinātas ārpus apmetnes. 12 Tādēļ arī Jēzus, lai ar savām paša asinīm darītu tautu svētu, ir cietis ārpus vārtiem. 13 Tādēļ iziesim pie viņa ārpus nometnes un būsim kopā ar viņu šajā pazemojumā. 14 Un mums taču šeit nav paliekama pilsēta, bet mēs meklējam nākamo. 15 Tad nu vienmēr caur viņu nesīsim Dievam pateicības upuri, tas ir, mūsu lūpu augļus, kas apliecina viņa vārdu. 16 Neaizmirstiet labdarību un līdzdalību citu vajadzībās, tādi upuri ir tīkami Dievam. 17 Paļaujieties uz saviem vadītājiem un paklausiet tos, viņi ir nomodā par jūsu dvēselēm, un viņiem būs jādod par tām norēķins. Lai viņi to var darīt ar prieku, nevis ar vaimanām; tas jums nenāktu pa labu. 18 Lūdziet par mums! Mēs esam pārliecināti, ka esam ar tīru sirdsapziņu, visās lietās cenzdamies izturēties labi. 19 Vēl jo vairāk jūs uz to pamudinu, lai es jums drīz tiktu atdots. 20 Bet miera Dievs, kas caur mūžīgās derības asinīm uzvedis augšā no mirušiem lielo Avju ganu, mūsu Kungu Jēzu, 21 lai stiprinātu jūs visā labajā, tā ka jūs piepildāt viņa gribu, lai jūsos piepilda to, kas viņam ir tīkams caur Jēzu Kristu, kam gods mūžu mūžos! Āmen!
Sveicieni
22 Es lūdzu, brāļi, pieņemiet šos pamudinājuma vārdus, es esmu jums rakstījis pēc iespējas īsi. 23 Ziniet, ka mūsu brālis Timotejs ir atbrīvots. Ja viņš atnāks drīz, kopā ar viņu es jūs apciemošu. 24 Sveiciniet visus savus vadītājus un visus ticīgos! Jūs sveicina ticīgie Itālijā. 25 Žēlastība lai ar jums visiem!
