Hebrews 2

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

Because of this we ought to give more earnest heed to the things that were heard, lest we might slip away.

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

For if the word spoken through agents became certain, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward,

3 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,

how will we escape, having neglected so great a salvation? Which first, having taken to be spoken by the Lord, was verified for us by those who heard;

4 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.

God also testifying simultaneously by signs and wonders, and by various powers and distributions of the Holy Spirit according to his will.

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

For he did not subject the coming world to agents, about which we speak.

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

But a certain man has somewhere testified, saying, What is man, that thou remember him? Or a son of man, that thou help him?

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

Thou made him a little something less than the agents. Thou crowned him with glory and honor.

8 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.

Thou subordinated all things under his feet. For in subordinating all things to him, he left nothing not subordinate to him. But now we do not yet see all things subordinated to him.

9 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 honour; so that his tasting the bitterness of death should, in God’s loving kindness, be on behalf of all humanity.

But we see Jesus who has been made a little something less than the agents, who, because of the suffering of death, has been crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God he would taste of death for every man.

10 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.

For it was fitting for him, through whom are all things, and because of whom are all things, having brought many sons to glory, to make the pathfinder of their salvation fully perfect through sufferings.

11 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.

For both he who sanctifies and those being sanctified are all of one, because of which reason he is not ashamed to call them brothers,

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

saying, I will declare thy name to my brothers. In the midst of the congregation I will sing praise to thee.

13 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.”

And again, I will be a man who has trusted in him. And again, Behold, I and the children that God has given me.

14 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 –

Since therefore the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might make him who has the power of death impotent, that is, the devil.

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

And he might liberate these, as many as throughout all their lifetime were deserving of bondage, with a specter of death.

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

For he certainly did not embrace agents, but he embraced the seed of Abraham.

17 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.

Therefore he was obligated to be made like his brothers in accordance with all things, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things toward God, in order to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

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

For in that he himself has suffered, having been tempted, he is able to help those being tempted.