New International Version NIV
The Message Bible MSG
1 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.
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Stay on good terms with each other, held together by love.
2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
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Be ready with a meal or a bed when it's needed. Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it!
3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
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Regard prisoners as if you were in prison with them. Look on victims of abuse as if what happened to them had happened to you.
4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
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Honor marriage, and guard the sacredness of sexual intimacy between wife and husband. God draws a firm line against casual and illicit sex.
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
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Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,"
6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
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we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I'm fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?
7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
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Appreciate your pastoral leaders who gave you the Word of God. Take a good look at the way they live, and let their faithfulness instruct you, as well as their truthfulness. There should be a consistency that runs through us all.
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
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For Jesus doesn't change - yesterday, today, tomorrow, he's always totally himself.
9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so.
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Don't be lured away from him by the latest speculations about him. The grace of Christ is the only good ground for life. Products named after Christ don't seem to do much for those who buy them.
10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.
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The altar from which God gives us the gift of himself is not for exploitation by insiders who grab and loot.
11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp.
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In the old system, the animals are killed and the bodies disposed of outside the camp. The blood is then brought inside to the altar as a sacrifice for sin.
12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.
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It's the same with Jesus. He was crucified outside the city gates - that is where he poured out the sacrificial blood that was brought to God's altar to cleanse his people.
13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.
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So let's go outside, where Jesus is, where the action is - not trying to be privileged insiders, but taking our share in the abuse of Jesus.
14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
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This "insider world" is not our home. We have our eyes peeled for the City about to come.
15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.
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Let's take our place outside with Jesus, no longer pouring out the sacrificial blood of animals but pouring out sacrificial praises from our lips to God in Jesus' name.
16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
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Make sure you don't take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship - a different kind of "sacrifice" - that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets.
17 Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.
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Be responsive to your pastoral leaders. Listen to their counsel. They are alert to the condition of your lives and work under the strict supervision of God. Contribute to the joy of their leadership, not its drudgery. Why would you want to make things harder for them?
18 Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.
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Pray for us. We have no doubts about what we're doing or why, but it's hard going and we need your prayers. All we care about is living well before God.
19 I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.
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Pray that we may be together soon.
20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,
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May God, who puts all things together, makes all things whole, Who made a lasting mark through the sacrifice of Jesus, the sacrifice of blood that sealed the eternal covenant, Who led Jesus, our Great Shepherd, up and alive from the dead,
21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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Now put you together, provide you with everything you need to please him, Make us into what gives him most pleasure, by means of the sacrifice of Jesus, the Messiah. All glory to Jesus forever and always! Oh, yes, yes, yes.
22 Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly.
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Friends, please take what I've written most seriously. I've kept this as brief as possible; I haven't piled on a lot of extras.
23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.
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You'll be glad to know that Timothy has been let out of prison. If he leaves soon, I'll come with him and get to see you myself.
24 Greet all your leaders and all the Lord’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings.
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Say hello to your pastoral leaders and all the congregations. Everyone here in Italy wants to be remembered to you.
25 Grace be with you all.
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Grace be with you, every one.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.