< Hebrews 2 >
1 Therefore we must give still more heed to what we were taught, so we do not drift away.
For this reason we ought to pay the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, for fear we should drift away from them.
2 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,
For if the message delivered through angels proved to be true, and every transgression and act of disobedience met with just retribution,
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 shall we escape if we are indifferent to a salvation as great as that now offered to us? This, after having first of all been announced by the Lord Himself, had its truth made sure to us by those who heard Him,
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.
while God corroborated their testimony by signs and marvels and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed in accordance with His own will.
5 God has not given to angels the control of that future world of which we are speaking!
It is not to angels that God has assigned the sovereignty of that coming world, of 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, as we know, a writer has solemnly said, "How poor a creature is man, and yet Thou dost remember him, and a son of man, and yet Thou dost come to him!
7 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;
Thou hast made him only a little inferior to the angels; with glory and honour Thou hast crowned him, and hast set him to govern the works of Thy hands.
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 hast put everything in subjection under his feet." For this subjecting of the universe to man implies the leaving nothing not subject to him. But we do not as yet see the universe subject 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 honor; so that his tasting the bitterness of death should, in God’s loving kindness, be on behalf of all humanity.
But Jesus--who was made a little inferior to the angels in order that through God's grace He might taste death for every human being--we already see wearing a crown of glory and honour because of His having suffered death.
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 that He for whom, and through whom, all things exist, after He had brought many sons to glory, should perfect by suffering the Prince Leader who had saved them.
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 whom He is sanctifying have all one Father; and for this reason He is not ashamed to speak of them as His 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.’
as when He says: "I will proclaim Thy name to My brothers: in the midst of the congregation I will hymn Thy praises;"
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, "As for Me, I will be one whose trust reposes in God;" and again, "Here am I, and here are the children 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 then the children referred to are all alike sharers in perishable human nature, He Himself also, in the same way, took on Him a share of it, in order that through death He might render powerless him who had authority over death, 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 might set at liberty all those who through fear of death had been subject to lifelong slavery.
16 It was not, surely, to the help of the angels that Jesus came, but to the help of the descendants of Abraham.
For assuredly it is not to angels that He is continually reaching a helping hand, but it is to the descendants 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.
And for this purpose it was necessary that in all respects He should be made to resemble His brothers, so that He might become a compassionate and faithful High Priest in things relating to God, in order to atone for the sins of the people.
18 The fact that he himself suffered under temptation enables him to help those who are tempted.
For inasmuch as He has Himself felt the pain of temptation and trial, He is also able instantly to help those who are tempted and tried.