The two parts of this verse are more closely linked than Good News Translation suggests. Be concerned with renders the word translated Think of in 3.1. The verse as a whole means “Let us think how to stimulate one another to show love and do good.” Show is implied; love is linked with human action both here and in 6.10. Translations should avoid any word for love which implies a mere emotion.

In place of Let us be concerned it may be clearer to translate “We should be concerned.”

The word translated help … to show is unusual and strong, suggesting in this context a demonstration of affection.

Love may include love both for fellow Christians and for others. However, verse 25 suggests that the writer is thinking primarily of love within the Christian fellowship. “Brotherly love” in 13.1 is specifically love for fellow Christians. Unfortunately, an expression such as to show love might suggest merely outward demonstration of affection. Therefore a more satisfactory rendering of to show love may be “to show kindness to one another.”

Since concerned in the first part of this verse is directly linked to the second part, one may translate the whole verse as “We should be concerned to help one another, to show love for one another, and to do good to one another.” To do good may be best expressed as “to help one another,” provided this phrase was not already used in the first part of this verse.

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Letter of the Hebrews. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .