Hebrews, 2

1. We ought, then, to turn our minds more attentively than before to what we have been taught, so that we do not drift away.

1. Therefore we must pay the closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

2. If a message that was spoken through angels proved to be so reliable that every infringement and disobedience brought its own proper punishment,

2. For if the message declared by angels was valid and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution,

3. then we shall certainly not go unpunished if we neglect such a great salvation. It was first announced by the Lord himself, and is guaranteed to us by those who heard him;

3. how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him,

4. God himself confirmed their witness with signs and marvels and miracles of all kinds, and by distributing the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the various ways he wills.

4. while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his own will.

5. It was not under angels that he put the world to come, about which we are speaking.

5. For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking.

6. Someone witnesses to this somewhere with the words: What are human beings that you spare a thought for them, a child of Adam that you care for him?

6. It has been testified somewhere, "What is man that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man, that thou carest for him?

7. For a short while you have made him less than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honour,

7. Thou didst make him for a little while lower than the angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and honor,

8. put all things under his feet. For in putting all things under him he made no exceptions. At present, it is true, we are not able to see that all things are under him,

8. putting everything in subjection under his feet." Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.

9. but we do see Jesus, who was for a short while made less than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because he submitted to death; so that by God's grace his experience of death should benefit all humanity.

9. But we see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for every one.

10. It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should, in bringing many sons to glory, make perfect through suffering the leader of their salvation.

10. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering.

11. For consecrator and consecrated are all of the same stock; that is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers

11. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified have all one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

12. in the text: I shall proclaim your name to my brothers, praise you in full assembly; or in the text:

12. saying, "I will proclaim thy name to my brethren, in the midst of the congregation I will praise thee."

13. I shall put my hope in him; followed by Look, I and the children whom God has given me.

13. And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again, "Here am I, and the children God has given me."

14. Since all the children share the same human nature, he too shared equally in it, so that by his death he could set aside him who held the power of death, namely the devil,

14. Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil,

15. and set free all those who had been held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death.

15. and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.

16. For it was not the angels that he took to himself; he took to himself the line of Abraham.

16. For surely it is not with angels that he is concerned but with the descendants of Abraham.

17. It was essential that he should in this way be made completely like his brothers so that he could become a compassionate and trustworthy high priest for their relationship to God, able to expiate the sins of the people.

17. Therefore he had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people.

18. For the suffering he himself passed through while being put to the test enables him to help others when they are being put to the test.

18. For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.