New Testament · Letter

Hebrews 13

Love and Final Words

Keep loving strangers — some have entertained angels without knowing it. Jesus suffered outside the gate. Let us go to him, bearing his reproach.

Berean Standard Bible BSB KJV

1Continue in brotherly love.

2Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.

3Remember those in prison as if you were bound with them, and those who are mistreated as if you were suffering with them.

4Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”

6So we say with confidence: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

7Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

9Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace and not by foods of no value to those devoted to them.

10We have an altar from which those who serve at the tabernacle have no right to eat.

11Although the high priest brings the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, the bodies are burned outside the camp.

12And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate, to sanctify the people by His own blood.

13Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace He bore.

14For here we do not have a permanent city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

15Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name.

16And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

17Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch over your souls as those who must give an account. To this end, allow them to lead with joy and not with grief, for that would be of no advantage to you.

18Pray for us; we are convinced that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.

19And I especially urge you to pray that I may be restored to you soon.

20Now 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,

21equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

22I urge you, brothers, to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have only written to you briefly.

23Be aware that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.

24Greet all your leaders and all the saints.

25Grace be with all of you.

Understand This

Hebrews 13, explained

What Hebrews 13 is saying

The epistle concludes with practical exhortations covering hospitality, marriage, contentment, and respect for leaders. The theological grounding returns to the sacrificial motif: Jesus suffered 'outside the gate' to sanctify the people, and believers are called to go to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. The author describes Christian worship as a continuous sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips confessing His name. The letter closes with a benediction invoking the God of peace who raised Jesus, the great Shepherd.

The background behind it

The 'outside the camp' language draws on Leviticus 16:27, where sin offering remains were burned outside the Israelite camp. 'Outside the gate' locates Jesus' crucifixion outside Jerusalem's walls, connecting sacrificial typology to historical geography. The mention of Timothy and possible Italian connections have fueled ongoing debates about authorship and destination.

Themes running underneath

The camp/city dialectic is theologically rich: believers must leave the security of established religious structures to identify with the crucified Christ, looking for the 'city that is to come.' The closing benediction's reference to Jesus as 'great Shepherd' and the 'blood of the eternal covenant' recapitulates the epistle's major christological and covenantal themes.

Why it still matters

Following Christ may require leaving behind comfortable religious identities and social security. The 'sacrifice of praise' redefines worship as a whole-life orientation rather than a cultic act, sustained by the God who equips believers with everything good for doing His will.

This is one chapter. BibleKey does all 1,189.

Tap any verse for its meaning, any word for its Hebrew or Greek root, and follow every cross-reference without losing your place.

Get BibleKey

All 13 chapters of Hebrews · Every book of the Bible · Browse by topic

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible — used by permission, Bible Hub.