Hebrews 13:5

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Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV)

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."

Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Hebrews 13:5 (KJV)

Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you."

Hebrews 13:5 (NLT)

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you,"

Hebrews 13:5 (NASB)

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed — be financially ethical], being content with what you have; for He has said, "I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!"

Hebrews 13:5 (AMP)

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]

Hebrews 13:5 (AMPC)

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMPC), Copyright © 1954, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

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," we can boldly quote, "God is there, ready to help; I'm fearless no matter what."

Hebrews 13:5 (MSG)

Scripture quotations from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.

New Covenant Meaning

Contentment Is Possible Because God Is the Source

The writer of Hebrews connects two things that do not seem related at first glance: freedom from greed and God's promise of presence. But the connection is actually tight. The root of covetousness and the love of money is almost always a fear of not having enough. If you are afraid that your needs will not be met, accumulation feels like protection. But when you know that God Himself has promised to never leave you, the fear of lack loses its grip. Contentment becomes possible not because you have everything you want but because you trust the one who has promised to always be there. The presence of God is the reason you do not have to grasp.

The Promise Is Stated in the Strongest Terms Possible

The Greek text of the promise in Hebrews 13:5 is emphatic to the point of being almost untranslatable in English. It contains five negatives stacked together, essentially saying: I will never, not ever, not under any circumstances, not in any degree leave you or forsake you. The AMPC captures it with the triple "I will not, I will not, I will not." This is God going out of His way to eliminate every possible loophole in the promise. He is not saying He will usually be there or that He will be there in the important moments. He is saying that departure is not something He is capable of when it comes to those who are His.

In the New Covenant, the promise of God's presence has been fulfilled and exceeded in Christ. The Old Covenant had God dwelling among His people in the tabernacle and temple. The New Covenant has God dwelling in His people through the Holy Spirit. John 14:16-17 records Jesus promising the Spirit as one who would be with the disciples and in them. The promise that God will never leave you is not a general divine faithfulness. It is the specific, personal presence of the Holy Spirit inside the believer at all times. You cannot go anywhere the Spirit is not. The promise of Hebrews 13:5 is as close as your next breath.

Application for Your Life

Let the Promise Deal with Fear Before Fear Drives Behavior

Most financial anxiety, most compulsive reaching for more, most of the greed and hoarding that shows up in people's lives comes from an underlying fear: what if there is not enough, what if I am left without, what if no one provides for me? Hebrews 13:5 goes straight to the root. God has said He will never leave you. That promise, received and believed, addresses the fear that drives the behavior. Before you make a financial decision from a place of fear, remind yourself of the promise. The one who will never leave you is also the God who supplies all your needs (Philippians 4:19). Let the promise of presence settle the fear of lack.

Say It Back Out Loud

The verse following Hebrews 13:5 shows what you do with the promise: "So we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (v. 6). The response to the promise is bold speech. God said it, and you say it back. "The Lord is my helper. I will not fear." This is not performance or bravado. It is the act of agreeing out loud with what God has already declared. When anxiety rises about provision, say the promise. When fear of abandonment whispers, answer it with the word: He will never leave me. The speaking is part of the receiving.

Prayer Based on This Verse

Father, I receive Your promise right now: You will never leave me and You will never forsake me. Not under any circumstances, not in any degree, not ever. I choose to stand on that today. The fear that says I am alone or that I will be left without what I need does not have a place to land when I know You are always with me. I release the grip of anxiety about provision and I trust You as my source. You are my helper. I will not fear. Let contentment replace striving and let trust replace hoarding. I am held by the God who never lets go. In Jesus name. Amen.