¹⁸ Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; ^(A)I will make him a helper fit for^[a] him.” ^19 (B)Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed^[b] every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and ^(C)brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam^[c] there was not found a helper fit for him. ²¹ So the Lord God caused a ^(D)deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. ²² And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made^[d] into a woman and brought her to the man. ²³ Then the man said,

^24 (G)Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. ²⁵ And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Blessed Is Everyone Who Fears the Lord

A Song of ^(A)Ascents.

Warning Against Neglecting Salvation

2 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. ² For since ^(A)the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and ^(B)every transgression or disobedience received a just ^(C)retribution, ^3 (D)how shall we escape if we ^(E)neglect such a great salvation? It was ^(F)declared at first by the Lord, and it was ^(G)attested to us ^(H)by those who heard, ^4 (I)while God also bore witness ^(J)by signs and wonders and various miracles and by ^(K)gifts of the Holy Spirit ^(L)distributed according to his will.

The Founder of Salvation

⁵ For it was not to angels that God subjected the world ^(M)to come, of which we are speaking. ⁶ It has been testified somewhere,

Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, ^(O)we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. ⁹ But we see him ^(P)who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, ^(Q)crowned with glory and honor ^(R)because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might ^(S)taste death ^(T)for everyone.

¹⁰ For it ^(U)was fitting that he, ^(V)for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons ^(W)to glory, should make the ^(X)founder of their salvation ^(Y)perfect through suffering. ¹¹ For ^(Z)he who sanctifies and ^(AA)those who are sanctified ^(AB)all have one source.^[b] That is why he is not ashamed to call them ^(AC)brothers,^{[c] 12} saying,

¹³ And again,

And again,

¹⁴ Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise ^(AI)partook of the same things, that ^(AJ)through death he might ^(AK)destroy ^(AL)the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵ and deliver all those who ^(AM)through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. ¹⁶ For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he ^(AN)helps the offspring of Abraham. ¹⁷ Therefore he had ^(AO)to be made like his brothers in every respect, ^(AP)so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest ^(AQ)in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. ¹⁸ For because he himself has suffered ^(AR)when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

² And Pharisees came up and in order ^(A)to test him asked, ^(B)“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” ³ He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” ⁴ They said, ^(C)“Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” ⁵ And Jesus said to them, “Because of your ^(D)hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. ⁶ But ^(E)from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them ^(F)male and female.’ ^7 (G)‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,^{[a] 8} and ^(H)the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. ^9 (I)What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

¹⁰ And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. ¹¹ And he said to them, ^(J)“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, ¹² and ^(K)if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Let the Children Come to Me

^13 (L)And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples ^(M)rebuked them. ¹⁴ But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, ^(N)“Let the children come to me; ^(O)do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ^15 (P)Truly, I say to you, whoever does not ^(Q)receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” ¹⁶ And ^(R)he took them in his arms and blessed them, ^(S)laying his hands on them.