Warning Against Neglecting Salvation

¹Therefore 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 ¹²saying,

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.