How beautiful on the mountains(A)
    are the feet of those who bring good news,(B)
who proclaim peace,(C)
    who bring good tidings,
    who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
    “Your God reigns!”(D)
Listen! Your watchmen(E) lift up their voices;(F)
    together they shout for joy.(G)
When the Lord returns(H) to Zion,(I)
    they will see it with their own eyes.
Burst into songs of joy(J) together,
    you ruins(K) of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted(L) his people,
    he has redeemed Jerusalem.(M)
10 The Lord will lay bare his holy arm(N)
    in the sight of all the nations,(O)
and all the ends of the earth(P) will see
    the salvation(Q) of our God.

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Psalm 2

Why do the nations conspire[a]
    and the peoples plot(A) in vain?
The kings(B) of the earth rise up
    and the rulers band together
    against the Lord and against his anointed,(C) saying,
“Let us break their chains(D)
    and throw off their shackles.”(E)

The One enthroned(F) in heaven laughs;(G)
    the Lord scoffs at them.
He rebukes them in his anger(H)
    and terrifies them in his wrath,(I) saying,
“I have installed my king(J)
    on Zion,(K) my holy mountain.(L)

I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:

He said to me, “You are my son;(M)
    today I have become your father.(N)
Ask me,
    and I will make the nations(O) your inheritance,(P)
    the ends of the earth(Q) your possession.
You will break them with a rod of iron[b];(R)
    you will dash them to pieces(S) like pottery.(T)

10 Therefore, you kings, be wise;(U)
    be warned, you rulers(V) of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear(W)
    and celebrate his rule(X) with trembling.(Y)
12 Kiss his son,(Z) or he will be angry
    and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath(AA) can flare up in a moment.
    Blessed(AB) are all who take refuge(AC) in him.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 2:1 Hebrew; Septuagint rage
  2. Psalm 2:9 Or will rule them with an iron scepter (see Septuagint and Syriac)

God’s Final Word: His Son

In the past God spoke(A) to our ancestors through the prophets(B) at many times and in various ways,(C) but in these last days(D) he has spoken to us by his Son,(E) whom he appointed heir(F) of all things, and through whom(G) also he made the universe.(H) The Son is the radiance of God’s glory(I) and the exact representation of his being,(J) sustaining all things(K) by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins,(L) he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.(M) So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.(N)

The Son Superior to Angels

For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son;
    today I have become your Father”[a]?(O)

Or again,

“I will be his Father,
    and he will be my Son”[b]?(P)

And again, when God brings his firstborn(Q) into the world,(R) he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.”[c](S)

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 1:5 Psalm 2:7
  2. Hebrews 1:5 2 Samuel 7:14; 1 Chron. 17:13
  3. Hebrews 1:6 Deut. 32:43 (see Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint)

In speaking of the angels he says,

“He makes his angels spirits,
    and his servants flames of fire.”[a](A)

But about the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;(B)
    a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
    therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions(C)
    by anointing you with the oil(D) of joy.”[b](E)

10 He also says,

“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands.(F)
11 They will perish, but you remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment.(G)
12 You will roll them up like a robe;
    like a garment they will be changed.
But you remain the same,(H)
    and your years will never end.”[c](I)

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 1:7 Psalm 104:4
  2. Hebrews 1:9 Psalm 45:6,7
  3. Hebrews 1:12 Psalm 102:25-27

The Word Became Flesh

In the beginning was the Word,(A) and the Word was with God,(B) and the Word was God.(C) He was with God in the beginning.(D) Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.(E) In him was life,(F) and that life was the light(G) of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness,(H) and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.(I)

There was a man sent from God whose name was John.(J) He came as a witness to testify(K) concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.(L) He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

The true light(M) that gives light to everyone(N) was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him,(O) the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.(P) 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed(Q) in his name,(R) he gave the right to become children of God(S) 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.(T)

14 The Word became flesh(U) and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory,(V) the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace(W) and truth.(X)

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Footnotes

  1. John 1:5 Or understood

15 (John testified(A) concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”)(B) 16 Out of his fullness(C) we have all received grace(D) in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses;(E) grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.(F) 18 No one has ever seen God,(G) but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[a](H) is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

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Footnotes

  1. John 1:18 Some manuscripts but the only Son, who

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