Hebrews 2

New International Reader's Version

A Warning to Pay Attention

2 So we must pay the most careful attention to what we have heard. Then we will not drift away from it. ²Even the message God spoke through angels had to be obeyed. Every time people broke the Law, they were punished. Every time they didn’t obey, they were punished. ³Then how will we escape if we don’t pay attention to God’s great salvation? The Lord first announced this salvation. Those who heard him gave us the message about it. ⁴God showed that this message is true by signs and wonders. He showed that it’s true by different kinds of miracles. God also showed that this message is true by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. God gave them out as it pleased him.

Jesus Was Made Fully Human

⁵God has not put angels in charge of the world that is going to come. We are talking about that world. ⁶There is a place where someone has spoken about this. He said,

“What are human beings that you think about them?
    What is a son of man that you take care of him?
⁷You made them a little lower than the angels.
    You placed on them a crown of glory and honor.
⁸    You have put everything under their control.” (Psalm 8:4–6)

So God has put everything under his Son. Everything is under his control. We do not now see everything under his control. ⁹But we do see Jesus already given a crown of glory and honor. He was made lower than the angels for a little while. He suffered death. By the grace of God, he tasted death for everyone. That is why he was given his crown.

¹⁰God has made everything. He is now bringing his many sons and daughters to share in his glory. It is only right that Jesus is the one to lead them into their salvation. That’s because God made him perfect by his sufferings. ¹¹And Jesus, who makes people holy, and the people he makes holy belong to the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. ¹²He says,

“I will announce your name to my brothers and sisters.
I will sing your praises among those who worship you.” (Psalm 22:22)

¹³Again he says,

“I will put my trust in him.” (Isaiah 8:17)

And again he says,

“Here I am. Here are the children God has given me.” (Isaiah 8:18)

¹⁴Those children have bodies made out of flesh and blood. So Jesus became human like them in order to die for them. By doing this, he could break the power of the devil. The devil is the one who rules over the kingdom of death. ¹⁵Jesus could set people free who were afraid of death. All their lives they were held as slaves by that fear. ¹⁶It is certainly Abraham’s children that he helps. He doesn’t help angels. ¹⁷So he had to be made like people, fully human in every way. Then he could serve God as a kind and faithful high priest. And then he could pay for the sins of the people by dying for them. ¹⁸He himself suffered when he was tempted. Now he is able to help others who are being tempted.

Hebrews 2

Legacy Standard Bible

Warning Against Neglecting Salvation

2 For this reason we must pay much closer attention to ^[a]what we have heard, lest ^(A)we drift away. ²For if the word ^(B)spoken through ^(C)angels proved ^[b]unalterable, and ^(D)every trespass and disobedience received a just ^[c]^(E)penalty, ³^(F)how will we escape if we neglect so great a ^(G)salvation? That salvation, first ^(H)spoken by the Lord, was ^(I)confirmed to us by those who heard, ⁴God also testifying with them, both by ^(J)signs and wonders and by ^(K)various ^[d]miracles and by ^[e]^(L)gifts of the Holy Spirit ^(M)according to His own will.

Jesus, the Author of Salvation

⁵For He did not subject to angels ^[f]^(N)the world to come, concerning which we are speaking. ⁶But one has testified ^(O)somewhere, saying,

“^(P)What is man, that You remember him?
Or the son of man, that You are concerned about him?
⁷^(Q)You have made ^[g]him for a little while lower than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
^[h]And have appointed him over the works of Your hands;
⁸^(R)You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”

For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now ^(S)we do not yet see all things subjected to him. ⁹But we do see Him who was ^(T)made ^[i]for a little while lower than the angels—Jesus, ^(U)because of the suffering of death ^(V)crowned with glory and honor, so that ^(W)by the grace of God He might ^(X)taste death ^(Y)for everyone.

¹⁰For ^(Z)it was fitting for Him, ^(AA)for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to ^(AB)perfect the ^[j]^(AC)author of their salvation through sufferings. ¹¹For both He who ^(AD)sanctifies and those who ^(AE)are being sanctified are all ^(AF)of One; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them ^(AG)brothers, ¹²saying,

“^(AH)I will recount Your name to My brothers,
In the midst of the assembly I will sing Your praise.”

¹³And again,

“^(AI)I will put My trust in Him.”

And again,

“^(AJ)Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.”

¹⁴Therefore, since the children share in ^[k]^(AK)flesh and blood, ^(AL)He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that ^(AM)through death He might render powerless ^(AN)him who had the ^[l]power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵and might free those who through ^(AO)fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. ¹⁶For assuredly He does not ^[m]give help to angels, but He gives help to the seed of Abraham. ¹⁷Therefore, He ^[n]had ^(AP)to be made like His brothers in all things, so that He might ^(AQ)become a merciful and faithful ^(AR)high priest in ^(AS)things pertaining to God, to ^(AT)make propitiation for the sins of the people. ¹⁸For since He Himself was ^(AU)tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to help those who are tempted.

Footnotes

Hebrews 2:1 Lit the things that have been heard
Hebrews 2:2 Or steadfast
Hebrews 2:2 Or recompense
Hebrews 2:4 Or works of power
Hebrews 2:4 Lit distributions
Hebrews 2:5 Lit the inhabited earth
Hebrews 2:7 Or ...him a little lower than...
Hebrews 2:7 Two early mss omit And...hands
Hebrews 2:9 Or a little lower
Hebrews 2:10 Or leader
Hebrews 2:14 Lit blood and flesh
Hebrews 2:14 Lit might
Hebrews 2:16 Lit take hold of angels, but He takes hold of
Hebrews 2:17 Lit was obligated to be

New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

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Hebrews 2 New International Reader's Version