Hebrews 2

1 So we should pay even closer attention to what we've learned so we don't drift away from it.

Therefore we must give still more heed to what we were taught, so we do not drift away.

2 If the message the angels brought was trustworthy, and every sin and disobedient act brings its own consequence,

For, if the message which was delivered by angels had its authority confirmed, so that every offense against it, or neglect of it, met with a fitting requital,

3 how will we escape if we don't pay attention to this great salvation that the Lord first announced, and then we had confirmed to us by those who heard him.

how can we, of all people, expect to escape, if we disregard so great a salvation? It was the Master who at the outset spoke of this salvation, and its authority was confirmed for us by those who heard him,

4 God also testified through signs and miracles, by acts that show his power, and by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, given as he chose.

while God himself added his testimony to it by signs, and marvels, and many different miracles, as well as by imparting the Holy Spirit as he saw fit.

5 It's not angels who will be in charge of the world to come that we're talking about.

God has not given to angels the control of that future world of which we are speaking!

6 But as it's been said, “What are human beings that you should worry about them? What is a son of man that you should care about him?

No; a writer has declared somewhere – ‘What are mere mortals that you should remember them? Or human beings that you should care for them?

7 You set him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor, and placed him over all your creation.

You have made them, for a while, lower than angels; with glory and honor you have crowned them; you have set them over all that your hands have made;

8 You gave him authority over everything.” Nothing was left out when God gave him authority over everything. However, we see that not everything is subject to his authority yet.

you have placed all things beneath their feet.’ This ‘placing of everything’ under humanity means that there was nothing which was not placed under them. As yet, however, we do not see everything placed under humanity.

9 But we see Jesus, placed a little lower than the angels, through the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor. Through God's grace Jesus experienced death for everyone.

What our eyes do see is Jesus, who was made for a while lower than angels, now, because of his sufferings and death, crowned with glory and honor; so that his tasting the bitterness of death should, in God’s loving kindness, be on behalf of all humanity.

10 It was appropriate that God, who creates and maintains everything, should bring many of his children to glory, and to completely prepare through suffering the one who leads them to salvation.

It was, indeed, fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, should, when leading many children to glory, make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.

11 For both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy belong to the same family. That's why he doesn't hesitate to call them “brothers,”

For he who purifies, and those whom he purifies, all spring from One; and therefore he is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.

12 saying “I will announce your name to my brothers; I will praise you among your people when they meet together.”

He says – ‘I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.’

13 Also: “I will place my trust in him,” and “Here I am, together with the children God has given to me.”

And again – ‘As for me, I will put my trust in God.’ And yet again – ‘See, here am I and the children whom God gave me.’

14 Because the children share flesh and blood in common, he shared in this in the same way so that through death he could destroy the one that had the power of death—the devil—

Therefore, since human nature is the common heritage of the children, Jesus also shared it, in order that by death he might render powerless him whose power lies in death – that is, the devil –

15 and free everyone who through fear of death were enslaved all their lives.

and so might deliver all those who, from fear of death, had all their lives been living in slavery.

16 Of course it's not angels he's concerned about; he's concerned to help the children of Abraham.

It was not, surely, to the help of the angels that Jesus came, but to the help of the descendants of Abraham.

17 That's why it was necessary for him to become like his brothers in everything, so that he could become a merciful and trustworthy high priest in the things of God, to forgive his people's sins.

And consequently it was necessary that he should in all points be made like his brothers and sisters, in order that he might prove a merciful as well as a faithful high priest in humanity’s relations with God, for the purpose of expiating the sins of his people.

18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

The fact that he himself suffered under temptation enables him to help those who are tempted.