Hebrews 13:16

THE MESSAGE

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.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.

King James Version (1611)
But to doe good, and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

King James Version
But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

English Standard Version
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

New American Standard Bible
And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

New Century Version
Do not forget to do good to others, and share with them, because such sacrifices please God.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Legacy Standard Bible
And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

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

Contemporary English Version
But don't forget to help others and to share your possessions with them. This too is like offering a sacrifice that pleases God.

Complete Jewish Bible
But don't forget doing good and sharing with others, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Darby Translation
But of doing good and communicating [of your substance] be not forgetful, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Easy-to-Read Version
And don't forget to do good and to share what you have with others, because sacrifices like these are very pleasing to God.

Geneva Bible (1587)
To doe good, and to distribute forget not: for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

George Lamsa Translation
And do not forget kindness and fellowship with the poor: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Good News Translation
Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.

Lexham English Bible
And do not neglect doing good and generosity, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.

Literal Translation
But do not be forgetful of doing good and sharing, for God is well pleased with such sacrifices.

Amplified Bible
Do not neglect to do good, to contribute [to the needy of the church as an expression of fellowship], for such sacrifices are always pleasing to God.

American Standard Version
But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Bible in Basic English
But go on doing good and giving to others, because God is well-pleased with such offerings.

Hebrew Names Version
But don't forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

International Standard Version
Do not neglect to do good and to be generous, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.Romans 12:13; 2 Corinthians 9:12; Philippians 4:18; Hebrews 6:10;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And forget not compassion and communication to the poor: for with these sacrifices a man pleaseth Aloha.

Murdock Translation
And forget not commiseration and communication with the poor; for with such sacrifices a man pleaseth God.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
To do good & to distribute forget not, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

English Revised Version
But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

World English Bible
But don't forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But to do good, and to distribute, forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Weymouth's New Testament
And do not forget to be kind and liberal; for with sacrifices of that sort God is greatly pleased.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And nyle ye foryete wel doynge, and comynyng; for bi siche sacrifices God is disserued.

Update Bible Version
But to do good and to communicate do not forget: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Webster's Bible Translation
But to do good, and to communicate, forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

New English Translation
And do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.

New King James Version
But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

New Living Translation
And don't forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

New Life Bible
Remember to do good and help each other. Gifts like this please God.

New Revised Standard
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, of the doing good and of fellowship, be not forgetful; for, with such sacrifices as these, is, God, well-pleased.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And do not forget to do good and to impart: for by such sacrifices God’s favour is obtained.

Revised Standard Version
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
To do good and to distribute forget not for with suche sacrifises god is pleased.

Young's Literal Translation
and of doing good, and of fellowship, be not forgetful, for with such sacrifices God is well-pleased.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
To do good and to destribute forget not, for wt soch sacrifices God is pleased.

Mace New Testament (1729)
but don't forget to be beneficent to the community; for such sacrifice is acceptable to God.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Ride hard, help others, and share what you have. These are the kinds of sacrifices that make God smile.

Contextual Overview

¹Stay on good terms with each other, held together by love. Be ready with a meal or a bed when it's needed. Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it! 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. Honor marriage, and guard the sacredness of sexual intimacy between wife and husband. God draws a firm line against casual and illicit sex. ⁵Don'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," we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I'm fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me? ⁷Appreciate 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. For Jesus doesn't change—yesterday, today, tomorrow, he's always totally himself. ⁹ 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. ¹⁰The altar from which God gives us the gift of himself is not for exploitation by insiders who grab and loot. 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. 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. ¹³So 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. This "insider world" is not our home. We have our eyes peeled for the City about to come. 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 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 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?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

to do: Hebrews 13:1, Hebrews 13:2, Psalms 37:3, Matthew 25:35-40, Luke 6:35, Luke 6:36, Acts 9:36, Acts 10:38, Galatians 6:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:15, 2 Thessalonians 3:13, 3 John 1:11

communicate: Luke 18:22, Romans 12:13, 2 Corinthians 9:12, 2 Corinthians 9:13, Galatians 6:6, Ephesians 4:28, Philippians 4:14, 1 Timothy 6:18, Philemon 1:6

with such: Hebrews 6:10, Psalms 51:19, Micah 6:7, Micah 6:8, Philippians 4:18

Reciprocal: Genesis 8:20 - builded Leviticus 1:17 - it is Numbers 6:21 - beside that Numbers 15:4 - a meat Deuteronomy 15:10 - because Deuteronomy 33:19 - they shall Psalms 4:5 - Offer Psalms 34:14 - do Psalms 37:21 - righteous Psalms 37:23 - delighteth Psalms 37:27 - do good Psalms 51:17 - sacrifices Psalms 96:8 - bring Psalms 112:9 - dispersed Proverbs 22:9 - He that hath a bountiful eye Proverbs 28:27 - that giveth Proverbs 31:20 - she reacheth Isaiah 60:7 - they shall Jeremiah 33:18 - General Malachi 1:11 - incense Malachi 3:3 - an Matthew 5:42 - General Matthew 6:2 - when Matthew 13:23 - beareth Luke 11:41 - rather Luke 21:23 - woe John 5:29 - done good Acts 10:4 - thine Acts 20:35 - It is Romans 8:8 - please Romans 15:16 - offering up 1 Corinthians 15:58 - in the 2 Corinthians 4:15 - the abundant 2 Corinthians 8:10 - expedient Galatians 2:10 - that Ephesians 3:21 - by Philippians 1:11 - are Philippians 2:17 - the sacrifice Colossians 1:10 - all 1 Thessalonians 4:1 - to please 1 Timothy 2:3 - this Hebrews 13:21 - working 1 Peter 2:5 - spiritual 1 Peter 3:11 - do 1 Peter 4:9 - hospitality 1 John 3:17 - whoso

Cross-References

Genesis 13:1
So Abram left Egypt and went back to the Negev, he and his wife and everything he owned, and Lot still with him. By now Abram was very rich, loaded with cattle and silver and gold.

Genesis 13:3
He moved on from the Negev, camping along the way, to Bethel, the place he had first set up his tent between Bethel and Ai and built his first altar. Abram prayed there to God .

Genesis 13:14
After Lot separated from him, God said to Abram, "Open your eyes, look around. Look north, south, east, and west. Everything you see, the whole land spread out before you, I will give to you and your children forever. I'll make your descendants like dust—counting your descendants will be as impossible as counting the dust of the Earth. So—on your feet, get moving! Walk through the country, its length and breadth; I'm giving it all to you."

Genesis 13:18
Abram moved his tent. He went and settled by the Oaks of Mamre in Hebron. There he built an altar to God .

Genesis 15:5
Then he took him outside and said, "Look at the sky. Count the stars. Can you do it? Count your descendants! You're going to have a big family, Abram!"

Genesis 17:20
"And Ishmael? Yes, I heard your prayer for him. I'll also bless him; I'll make sure he has plenty of children—a huge family. He'll father twelve princes; I'll make him a great nation. But I'll establish my covenant with Isaac whom Sarah will give you about this time next year."

Genesis 28:3
"And may The Strong God bless you and give you many, many children, a congregation of peoples; and pass on the blessing of Abraham to you and your descendants so that you will get this land in which you live, this land God gave Abraham."

Genesis 35:11
God continued, I am The Strong God. Have children! Flourish! A nation—a whole company of nations!— will come from you. Kings will come from your loins; the land I gave Abraham and Isaac I now give to you, and pass it on to your descendants.

Genesis 46:3
God said, "I am the God of your father. Don't be afraid of going down to Egypt. I'm going to make you a great nation there. I'll go with you down to Egypt; I'll also bring you back here. And when you die, Joseph will be with you; with his own hand he'll close your eyes."

1 Kings 4:20
Judah and Israel were densely populated—like sand on an ocean beach! All their needs were met; they ate and drank and were happy. Solomon was sovereign over all the kingdoms from the River Euphrates in the east to the country of the Philistines in the west, all the way to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and were vassals of Solomon all his life.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But to do good and to communicate forget not,.... Which is to be understood, not of doing good works in general, but of acts of beneficence, or communicating to "the poor", as the Syriac version renders it: the apostle proceeds to take notice of another sort of sacrifice, which continues under the Gospel dispensation; and that is, alms; which should be attended to: alms should be given, or beneficence be exercised to all men in need, even to our enemies, as well as to our friends and relations; and especially to poor saints, and ministers of the Gospel: and this believers should not "forget"; which shows that it is a duty of importance; and that men are too apt to neglect it, and should be stirred up unto it:

for with such sacrifices God is well pleased; not that they are meritorious of the favour of God and of eternal life; for what a man gives in a way of charity is but what God has given him, and cannot be profitable to God, though it is to a fellow creature; nor is there any proportion between what is given, and grace and glory which the saints receive; yet doing good in this way, when it is done in faith, springs from love, and is directed to the glory of God, is well pleasing to him; yea, these sacrifices are preferred by him to legal ones, Hosea 6:6 and the Jews also say, that

"greater is he who does alms than (if he offered) all sacrifices c.''

c T. Bab. Succa, fol. 49. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But to do good, and to communicate, forget not - To communicate or impart to others; that is, to share with them what we have. The Greek word means having in common with others. The meaning is, that they were to show liberality to those who were in want, and were to take special pains not to forget this duty. We are prone to think constantly of our own interests, and there is great danger of forgetting the duty which we owe to the poor and the needy. On the duty here enjoined, see the notes on Galatians 6:10.

For with such sacrifices God is well pleased - He is pleased with the sacrifices of prayer and of praise; with the offerings of a broken and a contrite heart: but he is especially pleased with the religion which leads us to do good to others. This was eminently the religion of his Son, the Lord Jesus; and to this all true religion prompts. The word “sacrifices” here is not taken in a strict sense, as denoting what is offered as an expiation for sin, or in the sense that we are by doing good to attempt to make atonement for our transgressions, but in the general sense of an offering made to God. God is pleased with this:

(1)Because it shows in us a right state of heart;

(2)Because it accords with his own nature. He does good continually, and he is pleased with all who evince the same spirit.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 16. But to do good and to communicate — These are continual sacrifices which God requires, and which will spring from a sense of God's love in Christ Jesus. Praise to God for his unspeakable gift, and acts of kindness to men for God's sake. No reliance, even on the infinitely meritorious sacrifice of Christ, can be acceptable in the sight of God if a man have not love and charity towards his neighbour. Praise, prayer, and thanksgiving to God, with works of charity and mercy to man, are the sacrifices which every genuine follower of Christ must offer: and they are the proofs that a man belongs to Christ; and he who does not bear these fruits gives full evidence, whatever his creed may be, that he is no Christian.