Final Appeals
1Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2Don’t forget to welcome outsiders. By doing that, some people have welcomed angels without knowing it. 3Keep on remembering those in prison. Do this as if you were together with them in prison. And remember those who are treated badly as if you yourselves were suffering.
4All of you should honor marriage. You should keep the marriage bed pure. God will judge the person who commits adultery. He will judge everyone who commits sexual sins. 5Don’t be controlled by love for money. Be happy with what you have. God has said,
“I will never leave you.
I will never desert you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)
6So we can say boldly,
“The Lord helps me. I will not be afraid.
What can mere human beings do to me?” (Psalm 118:6,7)
7Remember your leaders. They spoke God’s word to you. Think about the results of their way of life. Copy their faith. 8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
9Don’t let all kinds of strange teachings lead you astray. It is good that God’s grace makes our hearts strong. Don’t try to grow strong by eating foods that the law requires. They have no value for the people who eat them. 10The priests, who are Levites, worship at the holy tent. But we have an altar that they have no right to eat from.
11The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Room. He brings their blood as a sin offering. But the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12Jesus also suffered outside the city gate. He suffered to make the people holy by spilling his own blood. 13So let us go to him outside the camp. Let us be willing to suffer the shame he suffered. 14Here we do not have a city that lasts. But we are looking for the city that is going to come.
15So let us never stop offering to God our praise through Jesus. Let us talk openly about our faith in him. Then our words will be like an offering to God. 16Don’t forget to do good. Don’t forget to share with others. God is pleased with those kinds of offerings.
17Trust in your leaders. Put yourselves under their authority. Do this, because they keep watch over you. They know they are accountable to God for everything they do. Do this, so that their work will be a joy. If you make their work a heavy load, it won’t do you any good.
18Pray for us. We feel sure we have done what is right. We desire to live as we should in every way. 19I beg you to pray that I may return to you soon.
Final Blessing and Greetings
20Our Lord Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep. The God who gives peace brought him back from the dead. He did it because of the blood of the eternal covenant. Now may God 21supply you with everything good. Then you can do what he wants. May he do in us what is pleasing to him. We can do it only with the help of Jesus Christ. Give him glory for ever and ever. Amen.
22Brothers and sisters, I beg you to accept my word. It tells you to be faithful. Accept my word because I have written to you only a short letter.
23I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been set free. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.
24Greet all your leaders. Greet all the Lord’s people.
The believers from Italy send you their greetings.
25May grace be with you all.
Afsluttende formaninger og hilsener
1Hold fast ved den indbyrdes kærlighed. 2Forsøm ikke at byde de fremmede velkommen hos jer, for derved har nogle haft engle som gæster uden at vide af det. 3Husk på dem, der sidder i fængsel, og føl med dem, som var I selv i fængsel. Føl smerten hos dem, der mishandles, som var det jeres egen krop, det gik ud over.
4Alle bør respektere ægteskabet, og I skal være tro mod jeres ægtefælle, for Gud vil dømme dem, der er utro eller lever i seksuel synd. 5Hold jer fri af pengebegær og vær tilfredse med det, I har. Gud har jo sagt: „Jeg vil aldrig svigte dig eller forlade dig.”13,5 5.Mos. 31,6.
6Derfor kan vi med frimodighed sige:
„Herren er min hjælper, så jeg vil intet frygte.
Hvad kan mennesker gøre mig?”13,6 Sl. 118,6 (LXX).
7Tænk på jeres ledere, som har talt Guds ord til jer. Se på, hvad de har udrettet, og efterlign deres tro. 8Jesus Kristus er den samme i går og i dag, ja til evig tid. 9Lad jer ikke rive med af forskellige, fremmede lærdomme. Det er godt for det indre menneske at hente styrke i Guds nåde og ikke i religiøse spiseregler, som alligevel ikke hjælper dem, der prøver at overholde dem.
10Vi har et alter, som de præster, der gør tjeneste i templet, ikke har adgang til. 11Ypperstepræsten bragte på forsoningsdagen blodet fra syndofrene ind i åbenbaringsteltets allerhelligste rum, men dyrenes kroppe blev brændt uden for lejren.13,11 Jf. 3.Mos. 16,27. 12Jesus skabte forsoning mellem Gud og folket ved sit eget blod, da han blev dræbt uden for byen. 13Lad os derfor samles med ham uden for lejren, selvom vi bliver hånet for det. 14Der findes nemlig ikke noget sted i denne verden, som kan være vores blivende hjem. Vi ser i stedet frem til vores evige hjem i den himmelske verden.
15Lad os på grund af, hvad Jesus har gjort, altid bringe lovprisningsofre til Gud. Lad os prise og takke Gud med vores ord. 16Men forsøm heller ikke at gøre godt og at dele med andre, for sådanne ofre glæder Gud.
17Adlyd jeres åndelige ledere og ret jer efter dem. De våger over jer, fordi de har ansvar for jer og en dag skal aflægge regnskab for deres tjeneste over for Gud. Hvis I adlyder lederne, vil de kunne gøre deres arbejde med glæde, i stedet for at det bliver en byrde. Det sidste ville ikke være godt for jer.
18Bed for os, venner, for vi mener at have en god samvittighed, da vi altid søger at gøre det rigtige. 19Netop nu har jeg særligt brug for jeres forbøn, så jeg hurtigt kan få mulighed for at besøge jer.
20Jesus, vores Herre, er den store Hyrde for fårene, og han beseglede en evig pagt med sit eget blod. Jeg beder om, at Fredens Gud, som oprejste Jesus fra de døde, 21vil udruste jer med alt, hvad I har brug for for at kunne gøre hans vilje, og at han ved Kristi kraft vil fremelske alt det i os alle, som glæder ham. Æren tilhører Jesus Kristus i al evighed. Amen.
22Kære venner, tag godt imod mine formaninger, selvom jeg har skrevet i al korthed. 23I skal vide, at vores medarbejder Timoteus nu er blevet løsladt, og hvis han snart kommer hertil, vil jeg tage ham med, når jeg kommer til jer. 24Hils alle jeres ledere og de andre troende. De kristne fra Italien sender hilsen til jer. 25Guds nåde være med jer alle!
