Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

1 Long ago, God talked to our fathers through the prophets. He talked many times and in many ways.

² In these last days, he talked to us through his Son. God chose him to be the one to whom he would give all things. God also made the world by this Son.

³ He shines as bright as God. He is just like God himself. He holds up the world by the power of his word. He made people clean from their wrong ways. Then he sat down beside God in heaven.

⁴ He is much greater than the angels because God has given him a much better name than theirs.

⁵ Did God ever say to any of the angels, `You are my Son, and I am your Father today'? Did God ever say to an angel, `I will be your Father and you will be my Son'?

⁶ When God brings his first-born Son into the world, he says, `All of God's angels must worship him.'

⁷ Here is what he says about the angels: `God makes his angels to be like the winds. He makes his helpers to be like flames of fire.'

⁸ But here is what God says about his Son: `O God, you will sit and rule for ever. You will rule in the right way.

⁹ You have loved what is good and you have hated what is wrong. That is why God has poured out happiness on you, more than on those who are with you.'

¹⁰ He also said, `Lord, you made the world in the beginning. The sky was made by your hands.

¹¹ These things will come to an end, but you will live on. They will all wear out like clothes.

¹² You will fold up the world and the sky as if they were a blanket. They will not stay as they are now. But you will always be as you are now. The years of your life will never end.'

¹³ But did God ever say to any of the angels, `Sit down beside me until I put your enemies under you'?

¹⁴ Are not all the angels spirits that help? They are sent out to help the people who will be saved.

2 That is why we must listen very carefully to the things we have heard. We must never forget them.

² What the angels said proved to be true. Every one who broke the law, and who did not obey it, was punished as he should be punished.

³ If that is so, then we will not get away without being punished. We will be punished if we forget or throw away this wonderful way to be saved. It was the Lord who first told people how to be saved. Then those who heard him told us the true way.

⁴ God also proved that it was the true way. He gave signs. He did things that surprised people. He did many things by his power. He gave the gifts of the Holy Spirit to people just as he wanted to.

⁵ God did not put the next world under angels for them to rule over. That is the world we are talking about.

⁶ In one place the holy writings say, `What is man and why do you think about him? What is the Son of a Man and why do you care about him?

⁷ You made him lower than angels for a little while. But then you made him very great and high.

⁸ You put everything under him for him to rule over.' When God gave him the right to rule over everything, nothing was left out which he did not have the right to rule. But we do not yet see him ruling over everything.

⁹ But we do see Jesus! For a short time he was lower than the angels. Because he died, we see him made great and high. He did this so that he could die for every person. God is so good!

¹⁰ Everything was made for God and by God. It seemed good to him that Jesus' life should be made complete, by going through the hard things that happened to him. This was because Jesus leads many people to heaven as God's children. And he is the one who saves them.

¹¹ Jesus, who makes people holy, and those who are made holy, all have one Father in heaven. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers.

¹² He said, `I will tell my brothers about you. I will sing praise about you among those who gather together for worship.'

¹³ He also said, `I will trust God.' And again, `Here am I and the children God has given to me.'

¹⁴ God's children all have a body. That is why Jesus himself had the same. But because Jesus also had a body, he was able to die and stop the devil. The devil has power to make people die. But Jesus, by his own death, was able to stop the power of death.

¹⁵ People were afraid to die. All their lives they were like slaves. When Jesus died, he was able to set them free from their fear.

¹⁶ Jesus did not come to help angels. He came to help people who were born in Abraham's family.

¹⁷ So he had to be made like his brothers in every way. Then he could be a high priest to make a way to God for them, a priest who was kind and true. He could make it possible for God to forgive people for the wrong things they had done.

¹⁸ He had a very hard time when he was tested. But because he was tested, he is able to help people who are tested.