Hebrews 13:17
Good News Translation
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.

New Revised Standard Version
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with sighing—for that would be harmful to you.

Contemporary English Version
Obey your leaders and do what they say. They are watching over you, and they must answer to God. So don't make them sad as they do their work. Make them happy. Otherwise, they won't be able to help you at all.

New American Bible
Obey your leaders and defer to them, for they keep watch over you and will have to give an account, that they may fulfill their task with joy and not with sorrow, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Obey your prelates and be subject to them. For they watch as being to render an account of your souls: that they may do this with joy and not with grief. For this is not expedient for you.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Obey your prelates and be subject to them. For they watch as being to render an account of your souls: that they may do this with joy and not with grief. For this is not expedient for you.

Obey.

Hebrews 13:7 Remember your prelates who have spoken the word of God to you: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation,

1 Samuel 8:19 But the people would not hear the voice of Samuel, and they said, Nay: but there shall be a king over us,

1 Samuel 15:19,20 Why then didst thou not hearken to the voice of the Lord: but hast turned to the prey, and hast done evil in the eyes of the Lord? . . .

Proverbs 5:13 I have almost been in all evil, in the midst of the church and of the congregation.

Philippians 2:12,29 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, (as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but much more now in my absence) with fear and trembling work out your salvation. . . .

1 Thessalonians 5:12,13 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them who labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you; . . .

2 Thessalonians 3:14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.

1 Timothy 5:17 Let the priests that rule well be esteemed worthy of double honour: especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

have the rule over.

Genesis 16:9 And the angel of the Lord said to her: Return to thy mistress, and humble thyself under her hand.

1 Corinthians 16:16 That you also be subject to such and to every one that worketh with us and laboureth.

Ephesians 5:21 Being subject one to another, in the fear of Christ.

James 4:7 Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil: and he will fly from you.

1 Peter 5:5 In like manner, ye young men, be subject to the ancients. And do you all insinuate humility one to another: for God resisteth the proud, but to the humble he giveth grace.

watch.

Ezekiel 3:17-21 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman to the house of Israel: and thou shalt hear the word out of my mouth, and shalt tell it them from me. . . .

Ezekiel 33:2,7-9 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say to them: When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man, one of their meanest, and make him a watchman over them: . . .

Acts 20:24-26,28 But I fear none of these things, neither do I count my life more precious than myself, so that I may consummate my course and the ministry of the word which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. . . .

1 Corinthians 4:1,2 Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of God. . . .

1 Peter 5:2,3 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking care of it, not by constraint but willingly, according to God: not for filthy lucre's sake but voluntarily: . . .

give account.

Luke 16:2 And he called him and said to him: How is it that I hear this of thee? Give an account of thy stewardship: for now thou canst be steward no longer.

Romans 14:12 Therefore every one of us shall render account to God for himself.

2 Corinthians 5:10,11 For we must all be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the proper things of the body, according as he hath done, whether it be good or evil. . . .

with joy.

Philippians 1:4 Always in all my prayers making supplication for you all with joy:

Philippians 2:16 Holding forth the word of life to my glory in the day of Christ: because I have not run in vain, nor laboured in vain.

Philippians 4:1 Therefore my dearly beloved brethren and most desired, my joy and my crown: so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.

1 Thessalonians 2:19,20 For what is our hope or joy or crown of glory? Are not you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? . . .

1 Thessalonians 3:9,10 For what thanks can we return to God for you, in all the joy wherewith we rejoice for you before our God, . . .

with grief.

Exodus 32:31 And returning to the Lord, he said: I beseech thee: this people hath sinned a heinous sin, and they have made to themselves gods of gold: either forgive them this trespass,

Jeremiah 13:17 But if you will not hear this, my soul shall weep in secret for your pride: weeping it shall weep, and my eyes shall run down with tears, because the flock of the Lord is carried away captive.

Philippians 3:18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often (and now tell you weeping) that they are enemies of the cross of Christ:

Context
Sacrifice, Obedience, and Prayer
16And do not forget to do good and to impart: for by such sacrifices God's favour is obtained. 17Obey your prelates and be subject to them. For they watch as being to render an account of your souls: that they may do this with joy and not with grief. For this is not expedient for you. 18Pray for us. For we trust we have a good conscience, being willing to behave ourselves well in all things.…
Cross References
Isaiah 62:6
Upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen all the day, and all the night, they shall never hold their peace. You that are mindful of the Lord, hold not your peace,

Ezekiel 3:17
Son of man, I have made thee a watchman to the house of Israel: and thou shalt hear the word out of my mouth, and shalt tell it them from me.

Acts 20:28
Take heed to yourselves and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops, to rule the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood.

1 Corinthians 16:16
That you also be subject to such and to every one that worketh with us and laboureth.

1 Thessalonians 5:12
And we beseech you, brethren, to know them who labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you;

Hebrews 13:7
Remember your prelates who have spoken the word of God to you: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation,

Hebrews 13:24
Salute all your prelates and all the saints. The brethren from Italy salute you.

Hebrews 13:16
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