Hebrews 2

Chapter 2

A Warning against Drifting Away

1 So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.2 For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished.3 So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak?

4 And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.

Jesus, the Man

5 And furthermore, it is not angels who will control the future world we are talking about.

6 For in one place the Scriptures say,
“What are mere mortals that you should think about them,
or a son of mant that you should care for him?7 Yet you made them only a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.t8 You gave them authority over all things.”t
Now when it says “all things,” it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority.9 What we do see is Jesus, who was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honor.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.

10 God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.
11 So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.t

12 For he said to God,
“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.
I will praise you among your assembled people.”t

13 He also said,
“I will put my trust in him,”
that is, “I and the children God has given me.”t14 Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who hadt the power of death.

15 Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.
16 We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham.17 Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters,t so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.

18 Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

Hebrews 2

Warning to Pay Attention

1 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.2 For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment,3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.

4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Jesus Made Like His Brothers

5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking.

6 But there is a place where someone has testified:
“What is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

7 You made him a little lower than the angels;
you crowned him with glory and honor
8 and put everything under his feet.”In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.

9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

12 He says,
“I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises.”

13 And again,
“I will put my trust in him.”And again he says,
“Here am I, and the children God has given me.”
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil–15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants.17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement forthe sins of the people.

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