Hebrews 1–8

God’s Full and Final Revelation in the Son

1Although^* God spoke long ago in many parts^a and in many ways to the fathers by the prophets, ²in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the world,^{b 3}who is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, sustaining all things by the word of power.^c When he^* had made purification for sins through him, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴having become by so much better than the angels, by as much as he has inherited a more excellent name than theirs.

The Son Superior to the Angels

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

“You are my son,

today I have begotten you,”^d

and again,

“I will be his father^e,

and he will be my son^f”?^g

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

“And let all the angels of God worship him.”^h

⁷And concerning the angels he says,

“The one who makes his angels winds,

and his servants a flame of fire,”ⁱ

⁸but concerning the Son,

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

and the scepter of righteous is the scepter of your kingdom.

⁹You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;

because of this God, your God, has anointed you

with the olive oil of joy more than your companions.^k

¹⁰And,

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

and the heavens are the works of your hands;

¹¹they will perish, but you continue,

and they will all become old like a garment,

¹²and like a robe you will roll them up,

and like a garment they will be changed;

but you are the same, and your years will not run out.”^l

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

“Sit down at my right hand,

until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”^m

¹⁴Are they not all spirits engaged in special service, sent on assignment for the sake of those who are going to inherit salvation?

Warning Not to Neglect Salvation

2Because of this, it is all the more necessary that we pay attention to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. ²For if the word spoken through angels was binding and every transgression and act of disobedience received a just penalty, ³how will we escape if we^* neglect so great a salvation which had its beginning when it^* was spoken through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard, ⁴while^* God was testifying at the same time by signs and wonders and various miracles and distributions of the Holy Spirit according to his will.

The Son’s Humiliation and Suffering

⁵For he did not subject to angels the world to come, about which we are speaking. ⁶But someone testified somewhere, saying,

“What is man, that you remember him,

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

⁷You made him for a short time lower than the angels;

you crowned him with glory and honor;^a

⁸you subjected all things under his feet.^b

For in subjecting all things,^c he left nothing that was not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him, ⁹but we see Jesus, for a short time made lower than the angels, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that apart from God^d he might taste death on behalf of everyone. ¹⁰For it was fitting for him for whom are all things and through whom are all things in bringing many sons to glory to perfect the originator of their salvation through sufferings. ¹¹For both the one who sanctifies and the ones who are sanctified are all from one, for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brothers, ¹²saying,

“I will proclaim your name to my brothers;

in the midst of the assembly I will sing in praise of you.”^e

¹³And again,

“I will trust in him.”^f

And again,

“Behold, I and the children God has given me.”^g

¹⁴Therefore, since the children share in blood and flesh, he also in like manner shared in these same things, in order that through death he could destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵and could set free these who through fear of death were subject to slavery throughout all their lives. ¹⁶For surely he is not concerned with angels, but he is concerned with the descendants of Abraham. ¹⁷Therefore he was obligated to be made like his brothers in all respects, in order that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in the things relating to God, in order to make atonement for the sins of the people. ¹⁸For in that which he himself suffered when he^* was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

The Superiority of Jesus to Moses

3Therefore, holy brothers, sharers in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, ²who was faithful to the one who appointed him, as Moses also was in his household.^{a 3}For this one is considered worthy of greater glory than Moses, inasmuch as the one who builds it has greater honor than the house. ⁴For every house is built by someone, but the one who built all things is God. ⁵And Moses was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony to the things that would be spoken, ⁶but Christ was faithful^* as a son over his house, whose house we are, if^b we hold fast to our confidence and the hope we can be proud of.

A Serious Warning Against Unbelief

⁷Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says,

“Today, if you hear his voice,

⁸do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,

in the day of testing in the wilderness,

⁹where your fathers tested me by trial

and saw my works ¹⁰for forty years.

Therefore I was angry with this generation,

and I said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,

and they do not know my ways.’

¹¹As I swore in my anger,

‘They will never enter^c into my rest.’ ”^d

¹²Watch out, brothers, lest there be in some of you an evil, unbelieving heart, with the result that you fall away^* from the living God. ¹³But encourage one another day by day^e, as long as it is called “today,” so that none of you become hardened^f by the deception of sin. ¹⁴For we have become partners of Christ, if indeed we hold fast the beginning of our commitment steadfast until the end, ¹⁵while it is said^g,

“Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”^h

¹⁶For who, when they^* heard it, were disobedient? Surely it was not all who went out from Egypt through Moses? ¹⁷And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness? ¹⁸And to whom did he swear they would not enter into his rest, except those who were disobedient? ¹⁹And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

The Rest that Remains for the People of God

4Therefore let us fear, while there^* remains a promise of entering into his rest, that none of you appear to fall short of it. ²For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us^a, just as those also did, but the message they heard^b did not benefit them, because they^* were not united with those who heard it in faith. ³For we who have believed enter into rest,^c just as he has said,

“As I swore in my anger,

‘They will never enter^d into my rest.’ ”^e

And yet these works have been accomplished from the foundation of the world. ⁴For he has spoken somewhere about the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works,”^{f 5}and in this passage again, ‘They will never enter^g into my rest.’ ”^{h 6}Since therefore it remains for some to enter into it, and the ones to whom the good news was proclaimed previously did not enter because of disobedience, ⁷again he ordains a certain day, today, speaking by David after so long a time, just as had been said before,

“Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts.”ⁱ

⁸For if Joshua had caused them to rest, he would not have spoken about another day after these things. ⁹Consequently a sabbath rest remains for the people of God. ¹⁰For the one who has entered into his rest has also himself rested from his works, just as God did from his own works.

¹¹Therefore, let us make every effort to enter into that rest, in order that no one may fall in the same pattern of disobedience. ¹²For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, both joints and marrow, and able to judge the reflections and thoughts of the heart. ¹³And no creature is hidden in the sight of him, but all things are naked and laid bare to the eyes of him to whom we must give our account^j.

Jesus Our Great High Priest

¹⁴Therefore, because we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is not able to sympathize with our weaknesses, but who has been tempted in all things in the same way, without sin. ¹⁶Therefore let us approach with confidence to the throne of grace, in order that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

A High Priest Like Melchizedek

5For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of people in the things relating to God, in order that he can offer both gifts and sacrifices on behalf of sins, ²being able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and led astray, since he himself also is surrounded by weakness, ³and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins for himself also, as well as for the people^a. ⁴And someone does not take for himself the honor, but is called by God, just as Aaron also was. ⁵Thus also Christ did not glorify himself to become high priest, but the one who said to him,

“You are my Son, today I have begotten you,”^b

⁶just as also in another place he says,

“You are a priest forever^c according to the order of Melchizedek,”^d

⁷who in the days of his flesh offered up both prayers and supplications, with loud crying and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard as a result of his reverence. ⁸Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered, ⁹and being perfected, he became the…