Hebrews 2

1 So, [since that is true], we must pay very careful attention to what we have heard [about God’s Son], in order that we do not drift away from it, [as a boat drifts off its course when people do not guide it] [MET].

Διὰ τοῦτο δεῖ περισσοτέρως προσέχειν ἡμᾶς τοῖς ἀκουσθεῖσιν, μή ποτε παραρυῶμεν.

2 [God’s laws that] were given by angels were valid, and God justly punished all who rejected them and all who disobeyed [DOU] them.

εἰ γὰρ ὁ δι’ ἀγγέλων λαληθεὶς λόγος ἐγένετο βέβαιος, καὶ πᾶσα παράβασις καὶ παρακοὴ ἔλαβεν ἔνδικον μισθαποδοσίαν,

3 So, we will certainly not escape [God punishing us] if we ignore such a great [message about how God] [MTY] saves us! [RHQ] This [new message] was first spoken by the Lord [Jesus] {The Lord [Jesus] first spoke this [message]}. Then it was confirmed to us by those who heard [what the Lord told them] {those who heard [what the Lord told them] confirmed it to us}.

πῶς ἡμεῖς ἐκφευξόμεθα τηλικαύτης ἀμελήσαντες σωτηρίας; ἥτις ἀρχὴν λαβοῦσα λαλεῖσθαι διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, ὑπὸ τῶν ἀκουσάντων εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐβεβαιώθη,

4 God also confirmed to us [that this message was true] by [enabling believers to do] many things that showed God’s power, to do other miraculous things [DOU], and [to do other things] by the gifts that the Holy Spirit distributed to them according to what [God] desired.

συνεπιμαρτυροῦντος τοῦ Θεοῦ σημείοις τε καὶ τέρασιν καὶ ποικίλαις δυνάμεσιν καὶ Πνεύματος Ἁγίου μερισμοῖς κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ θέλησιν.

5 God has determined that the angels will not rule over everything. [Instead, he has determined that Christ] will rule in the new world that [God] will [create]. [That is the new world] about which I am writing.

Οὐ γὰρ ἀγγέλοις ὑπέταξεν τὴν οἰκουμένην τὴν μέλλουσαν, περὶ ἧς λαλοῦμεν.

6 Someone spoke to [God about this] somewhere [in the Scriptures], saying, (No one is worthy enough for you to think about him!/Who is [worthy enough] for you to think about him?) [RHQ] (No human is [worthy enough] for you to care for him!/Is any human [worthy enough] for you to care for him?) [RHQ]

διεμαρτύρατο δέ πού τις λέγων Τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ὅτι μιμνῄσκῃ αὐτοῦ; ἢ υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ὅτι ἐπισκέπτῃ αὐτόν;

7 [So it is surprising that] you have caused people to be for a little while inferior in rank to angels. You have greatly honored [DOU] them [MET], as [kings are honored with] a crown.

ἠλάττωσας αὐτὸν βραχύ τι παρ’ ἀγγέλους, δόξῃ καὶ τιμῇ ἐστεφάνωσας αὐτόν,

8 You have put everything under people’s control [MET]. God has determined that people will rule over absolutely everything [LIT]. But now, at this present time, we perceive that people do not yet have authority over everything.

πάντα ὑπέταξας ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ. ἐν τῷ γὰρ ὑποτάξαι αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα οὐδὲν ἀφῆκεν αὐτῷ ἀνυπότακτον. νῦν δὲ οὔπω ὁρῶμεν αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα ὑποτεταγμένα·

9 But we do know about Jesus, [who truly has authority over everything]! Hebrews 2:9b-13 Jesus, for a little while, became inferior [in rank] to angels in order to die on behalf of [MET] everyone. He became inferior when he suffered [and] died, as God kindly [planned]. But now he has been greatly [honored] [DOU] [by being] crowned [as kings are].

τὸν δὲ βραχύ τι παρ’ ἀγγέλους ἠλαττωμένον βλέπομεν Ἰησοῦν διὰ τὸ πάθημα τοῦ θανάτου δόξῃ καὶ τιμῇ ἐστεφανωμένον, ὅπως χάριτι Θεοῦ ὑπὲρ παντὸς γεύσηται θανάτου.

10 It was fitting that [God] make [Jesus] (perfect/all that God intended him to be). God was enabling many people who would belong to him [MET] to share his glory. God [is the one who] created all things, and [he is the one] for whom all things [exist]. [He perfected Jesus] by causing him to suffer [and die]. [Jesus] is the one whom [God] uses to save people.

Ἔπρεπεν γὰρ αὐτῷ, δι’ ὃν τὰ πάντα καὶ δι’ οὗ τὰ πάντα, πολλοὺς υἱοὺς εἰς δόξαν ἀγαγόντα τὸν ἀρχηγὸν τῆς σωτηρίας αὐτῶν διὰ παθημάτων τελειῶσαι.

11 [Jesus] is the one who (makes people holy/sets people apart for God), and they all belong to God’s family. [As a result, Christ] gladly [LIT] proclaims them to be [like] his own brothers [and sisters].

ὅ τε γὰρ ἁγιάζων καὶ οἱ ἁγιαζόμενοι ἐξ ἑνὸς πάντες· δι’ ἣν αἰτίαν οὐκ ἐπαισχύνεται ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοὺς καλεῖν,

12 [The Psalmist wrote what Christ said to God about us becoming] his brothers, in these words: I will proclaim to my brothers how awesome you are (OR, what you ([are like/have done])) [MTY]. I will sing praise to you in the presence of the congregation!

λέγων Ἀπαγγελῶ τὸ ὄνομά σου τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς μου, ἐν μέσῳ ἐκκλησίας ὑμνήσω σε·

13 And a prophet wrote [in] another [Scripture passage what Christ said about God], I will trust him. And in another [Scripture passage, Christ said about those who are like his] children, I and the ones that God has given me are here.

καὶ πάλιν Ἐγὼ ἔσομαι πεποιθὼς ἐπ’ αὐτῷ· καὶ πάλιν Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ παιδία ἅ μοι ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεός.

14 So, since those [whom God calls his] children are all human beings [MTY], Jesus also became a human being [just like them]. The devil has the power to cause people [to be afraid] to die, but Christ became human in order that by his dying he might make the devil powerless.

ἐπεὶ οὖν τὰ παιδία κεκοινώνηκεν αἵματος καὶ σαρκός, καὶ αὐτὸς παραπλησίως μετέσχεν τῶν αὐτῶν, ἵνα διὰ τοῦ θανάτου καταργήσῃ τὸν τὸ κράτος ἔχοντα τοῦ θανάτου, τοῦτ’ ἔστιν τὸν διάβολον,

15 [Jesus did that] to free all of us who are like slaves [MET] all the time we live, because we are [forced to] be afraid to die.

καὶ ἀπαλλάξῃ τούτους, ὅσοι φόβῳ θανάτου διὰ παντὸς τοῦ ζῆν ἔνοχοι ἦσαν δουλείας.

16 Because [Jesus became a human being], it is not angels whom he wants to help. No, it is we who trust God as Abraham did whom he wants to help.

οὐ γὰρ δήπου ἀγγέλων ἐπιλαμβάνεται, ἀλλὰ σπέρματος Ἀβραὰμ ἐπιλαμβάνεται.

17 So, [since he came to help humans, not angels], he had to be made exactly like [us whom he calls] his own brothers [and sisters]. He wants to be a Supreme Priest who [acts] mercifully [to all people] and who faithfully does what God wants, so that people who had sinned would be declared no longer guilty.

ὅθεν ὤφειλεν κατὰ πάντα τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ὁμοιωθῆναι, ἵνα ἐλεήμων γένηται καὶ πιστὸς ἀρχιερεὺς τὰ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, εἰς τὸ ἱλάσκεσθαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ λαοῦ.

18 [Specifically], he is able to help those/us who are tempted [to sin]. He can do that because he suffered, and he was also tempted [to sin like we are tempted to sin].

ἐν ᾧ γὰρ πέπονθεν αὐτὸς πειρασθείς, δύναται τοῖς πειραζομένοις βοηθῆσαι.