Hebrews 1–2

The Supremacy of God’s Son

1Long ago, at many times and ^ain many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ²but ^bin these last days ^che has spoken to us by ^dhis Son, whom he appointed ^ethe heir of all things, ^fthrough whom also he created ^gthe world. ³He is the radiance of the glory of God and ^hthe exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. ⁱAfter making purification for sins, ^jhe sat down ^kat the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴having become as much superior to angels as the name ^lhe has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

⁵For to which of the angels did God ever say,

^m“You are my Son,

today I have begotten you”?

Or again,

ⁿ“I will be to him a father,

and he shall be to me a son”?

⁶And again, when he brings ^othe firstborn into the world, he says,

^p“Let all God’s angels worship him.”

⁷Of the angels he says,

^q“He makes his angels winds,

and his ministers a flame of fire.”

⁸But of the Son he says,

^r“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,

the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

⁹You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

therefore God, your God, ^shas anointed you

with ^tthe oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

¹⁰And,

^u“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,

and the heavens are the work of your hands;

¹¹they will perish, but you remain;

they will all wear out like a garment,

¹²like a robe you will roll them up,

like a garment they will be changed.¹

But you are ^vthe same,

and your years will have no end.”

¹³And to which of the angels has he ever said,

^w“Sit at my right hand

^xuntil I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?

¹⁴Are they not all ministering spirits ^ysent out to serve for the sake of those who are to ^zinherit salvation?

Warning Against Neglecting Salvation

2Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. ²For since ^athe message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and ^bevery transgression or disobedience received a just ^cretribution, ^3dhow shall we escape if we ^eneglect such a great salvation? It was ^fdeclared at first by the Lord, and it was ^gattested to us ^hby those who heard, ^4gwhile God also bore witness ⁱby signs and wonders and various miracles and by ^jgifts of the Holy Spirit ^kdistributed according to his will.

The Founder of Salvation

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

^m“What is man, that you are mindful of him,

or the son of man, that you care for him?

⁷You made him for a little while lower than the angels;

you have crowned him with glory and honor,¹

⁸putting everything in subjection under his feet.”

Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, ⁿwe do not yet see everything in subjection to him. ⁹But we see him ^owho for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, ^pcrowned with glory and honor ^qbecause of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might ^rtaste death ^sfor everyone.

¹⁰For it ^twas fitting that he, ^ufor whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons ^vto glory, should make the ^wfounder of their salvation ^xperfect through suffering. ¹¹For ^yhe who sanctifies and ^zthose who are sanctified ^aall have one source.² That is why he is not ashamed to call them ^bbrothers,^{3 12}saying,

^c“I will tell of your name to my brothers;

in the midst of the ^dcongregation I will sing your praise.”

¹³And again,

^e“I will put my trust in him.”

And again,

^f“Behold, I and the children ^gGod has given me.”

¹⁴Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise ^hpartook of the same things, that ⁱthrough death he might ^jdestroy ^kthe one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵and deliver all those who ^lthrough fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. ¹⁶For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he ^mhelps the offspring of Abraham. ¹⁷Therefore he had ⁿto be made like his brothers in every respect, ^oso that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest ^pin the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. ¹⁸For because he himself has suffered ^qwhen tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.