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For to which of the messengers said He ever, `My Son thou art -- I to-day have begotten thee?' and again, `I will be to him for a father, and he shall be to Me for a son?'

and when again He may bring in the first-born to the world, He saith, `And let them bow before him -- all messengers of God;'

and unto the messengers, indeed, He saith, `Who is making His messengers spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire;'

and unto the Son: `Thy throne, O God, [is] to the age of the age; a scepter of righteousness [is] the scepter of thy reign;

thou didst love righteousness, and didst hate lawlessness; because of this did He anoint thee -- God, thy God -- with oil of gladness above thy partners;'

10 and, `Thou, at the beginning, Lord, the earth didst found, and a work of thy hands are the heavens;

11 these shall perish, and Thou dost remain, and all, as a garment, shall become old,

12 and as a mantle Thou shall roll them together, and they shall be changed, and Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail.'

13 And unto which of the messengers said He ever, `Sit at My right hand, till I may make thine enemies thy footstool?'

14 are they not all spirits of service -- for ministration being sent forth because of those about to inherit salvation?

Because of this it behoveth [us] more abundantly to take heed to the things heard, lest we may glide aside,

for if the word being spoken through messengers did become stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience did receive a just recompense,

how shall we escape, having neglected so great salvation? which a beginning receiving -- to be spoken through the Lord -- by those having heard was confirmed to us,

God also bearing joint-witness both with signs and wonders, and manifold powers, and distributions of the Holy Spirit, according to His will.

For not to messengers did He subject the coming world, concerning which we speak,

and one in a certain place did testify fully, saying, `What is man, that Thou art mindful of him, or a son of man, that Thou dost look after him?

Thou didst make him some little less than messengers, with glory and honour Thou didst crown him, and didst set him over the works of Thy hands,

all things Thou didst put in subjection under his feet,' for in the subjecting to him the all things, nothing did He leave to him unsubjected, and now not yet do we see the all things subjected to him,

and him who was made some little less than messengers we see -- Jesus -- because of the suffering of the death, with glory and honour having been crowned, that by the grace of God for every one he might taste of death.

10 For it was becoming to Him, because of whom [are] the all things, and through whom [are] the all things, many sons to glory bringing, the author of their salvation through sufferings to make perfect,

11 for both he who is sanctifying and those sanctified [are] all of one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

12 saying, `I will declare Thy name to my brethren, in the midst of an assembly I will sing praise to Thee;' and again, `I will be trusting on Him;'

13 and again, `Behold I and the children that God did give to me.'

14 Seeing, then, the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself also in like manner did take part of the same, that through death he might destroy him having the power of death -- that is, the devil --

15 and might deliver those, whoever, with fear of death, throughout all their life, were subjects of bondage,

16 for, doubtless, of messengers it doth not lay hold, but of seed of Abraham it layeth hold,

17 wherefore it did behove him in all things to be made like to the brethren, that he might become a kind and stedfast chief-priest in the things with God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people,

18 for in that he suffered, himself being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

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]?(A)

Or again,

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

And again, when God brings his firstborn(C) into the world,(D) he says,

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

In speaking of the angels he says,

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

But about the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;(G)
    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(H)
    by anointing you with the oil(I) of joy.”[e](J)

10 He also says,

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

13 To which of the angels did God ever say,

“Sit at my right hand(O)
    until I make your enemies
    a footstool(P) for your feet”[g]?(Q)

14 Are not all angels ministering spirits(R) sent to serve those who will inherit(S) salvation?(T)

Warning to Pay Attention

We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.(U) For since the message spoken(V) through angels(W) was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment,(X) how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?(Y) This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord,(Z) was confirmed to us by those who heard him.(AA) God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles,(AB) and by gifts of the Holy Spirit(AC) distributed according to his will.(AD)

Jesus Made Fully Human

It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone(AE) has testified:

“What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    a son of man that you care for him?(AF)
You made them a little[h] lower than the angels;
    you crowned them with glory and honor
    and put everything under their feet.”[i][j](AG)

In putting everything under them,[k] God left nothing that is not subject to them.[l] Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them.[m] But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor(AH) because he suffered death,(AI) so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.(AJ)

10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists,(AK) should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.(AL) 11 Both the one who makes people holy(AM) and those who are made holy(AN) are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.[n](AO) 12 He says,

“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
    in the assembly I will sing your praises.”[o](AP)

13 And again,

“I will put my trust in him.”[p](AQ)

And again he says,

“Here am I, and the children God has given me.”[q](AR)

14 Since the children have flesh and blood,(AS) he too shared in their humanity(AT) so that by his death he might break the power(AU) of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil(AV) 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear(AW) of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.(AX) 17 For this reason he had to be made like them,[r](AY) fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful(AZ) and faithful high priest(BA) in service to God,(BB) and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.(BC) 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.(BD)

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)
  4. Hebrews 1:7 Psalm 104:4
  5. Hebrews 1:9 Psalm 45:6,7
  6. Hebrews 1:12 Psalm 102:25-27
  7. Hebrews 1:13 Psalm 110:1
  8. Hebrews 2:7 Or them for a little while
  9. Hebrews 2:8 Psalm 8:4-6
  10. Hebrews 2:8 Or You made him a little lower than the angels;/ you crowned him with glory and honor/ and put everything under his feet.”
  11. Hebrews 2:8 Or him
  12. Hebrews 2:8 Or him
  13. Hebrews 2:8 Or him
  14. Hebrews 2:11 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 12; and in 3:1, 12; 10:19; 13:22.
  15. Hebrews 2:12 Psalm 22:22
  16. Hebrews 2:13 Isaiah 8:17
  17. Hebrews 2:13 Isaiah 8:18
  18. Hebrews 2:17 Or like his brothers