Add parallel Print Page Options

God, that spake sometime by prophets in many manners to our fathers,[a]

at the last in these days he hath spoken to us by the Son; whom he hath ordained heir of all things, and by whom he made the worlds.

Which when also he is the brightness of glory, and [the] figure of his substance, and beareth all things [and bearing all things] by word of his virtue, he maketh purgation of sins, and sitteth on the right half of the majesty in heavens [sitteth on the right half of majesty in high things];

and so much is made better than angels, by how much he hath inherited a more diverse name [a more different, or excellent, name] before them.

For to which of the angels said God any time, Thou art my Son, I have engendered thee to day [I have to day gendered thee]? And again, I shall be to him into a Father, and he shall be to me into a Son?

And when again he bringeth in the first begotten Son into the world [And when again he bringeth in the first begotten into the roundness of the earth], he saith, And all the angels of God worship him.

But he saith to angels [And soothly to angels he saith], He that maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers flame of fire.

But to the Son he saith, God, thy throne is into the world of world [into the world of worlds]; a rod of equity is the rod of thy realm;

thou hast loved rightwiseness, and hatedest wickedness; therefore the God, thy God, anointed thee with oil of joy [therefore God, thy God, anointed thee with oil of gladness, or joy], more than thy fellows.

10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning foundedest the earth, and heavens be works of thine hands;

11 they shall perish, but thou shalt perfectly dwell; and all shall wax old as a cloak [as a cloth],

12 and thou shalt change them as a cloak [as a cloth], and they shall be changed. But thou art the same thyself, and thy years shall not fail.

13 But to which of the angels said God at any time, Sit thou on my right half, till I put thine enemies a stool of thy feet?

14 Whether they all be not serving spirits, sent to serve for them [sent into ministry for them] that take the heritage of health?

Therefore more plenteously it behooveth us to keep those things [Therefore it behooveth us to keep more plenteously those things], that we have heard, lest peradventure we float away.

For if that word that was said by angels, was made firm, and each breaking of the law and unobedience [and each trespassing, or breaking of the law, and unobedience] took just retribution of meed,

how shall we escape, if we despise so great an health? Which, when it had taken beginning to be told out by the Lord, of them that heard is confirmed into us.

For God witnessed together by miracles, and wonders, and great marvels, and diverse works of power, and partings of the Holy Ghost, by his will. [God together witnessing by signs, and wonders, and great marvels, and diverse virtues, and distributions of the Holy Ghost, after his will.]

But not to angels God subjected the world that is to coming [Forsooth not to angels God subjected the roundness of the earth to come], of which we speak.

But some man witnessed in a place, and said [Soothly some man witnessed in some place, saying], What thing is man, that thou art mindful of him, or man's son, for thou visitest him?

Thou hast made him a little less than angels [Thou madest him a little less from angels]; thou hast crowned him with glory and honour; and thou hast ordained him on [upon] the works of thine hands.

Thou hast made all things subject under his feet. And in that that he subjected all things to him, he left nothing unsubject to him [he left nothing unsubjected to him]. But now we see not yet all things subject to him;

but we see him that was made a little less than angels, Jesus, for the passion of death crowned with glory and honour, that he through [the] grace of God should taste death for all men.

10 For it beseemed him, for whom all things, and by whom all things were made, which had brought many sons into glory, and was author of the health of them, that he had an end by passion.[b]

11 For he that halloweth, and they that be hallowed, be all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

12 saying, I shall tell thy name to my brethren; in the middle of the church I shall praise thee.

13 And again, I shall be trusting into him; and again, Lo! I and my children, which God gave to me.

14 Therefore for children communed to flesh and blood, and he also took part of the same, that by death he should destroy him that had lordship of death, that is to say, the devil,

15 and that he should deliver them that by dread of death [and should deliver them that by dread of death], by all life were bound to servage.

16 And he took [to] never angels, but he took [to] the seed of Abraham.

17 Wherefore he ought to be likened to brethren by all things, that he should be made merciful and a faithful bishop to God, that he should be merciful to the trespasses of the people.

18 For in that thing in which he suffered, and was tempted, he is mighty to help also them that be tempted.

Therefore [Wherefore], holy brethren, and partners of heavenly calling, behold ye the apostle and the bishop of our confession, Jesus,

which is true to him that made him, as also Moses in all the house of him.

But this bishop [Forsooth this bishop] is had worthy of more glory than Moses, by as much as he hath more honour of the house, that made the house.

For each house is made of some man; [forsooth] he that made all things of nought is God.

And [soothly] Moses was true in all his house, as a servant, into witnessing of those things that were to be said;

but Christ as a son in his house. Which house we be, if we hold firm trust and glory of hope into [unto] the end.

Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, To day, if ye have heard his voice,

do not ye harden your hearts, as in wrathing, like the day of temptation in desert [after the day of temptation in desert];

where your fathers tempted me, and proved, and saw my works forty years. [where your fathers tempted me, proved, and saw my works.]

10 Wherefore I was wroth [Wherefore I was offended, or wroth,] to this generation, and I said, Evermore they err in heart, for they knew not my ways;

11 to which I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest. [to whom I swore in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest.]

12 Brethren, see ye, lest peradventure in any of you be an evil heart of unbelief, to depart from the living God.

13 But admonish yourselves by all days, the while to day is named, that none of you be hardened by fallacy of sin [that none of you be hardened by falseness of sin].

14 For we be made partners of Christ, if nevertheless we hold the beginning of his substance firm into the end.

15 While it is said, to day, if ye have heard the voice of him, do not ye harden your hearts, as in that wrathing.

16 For some men hearing wrathed [Soothly some hearing wrathed], but not all they that went out of Egypt by Moses.

17 But to whom was he wrathed forty years? Whether not to them that sinned, whose carrions were cast down in desert [into desert]?

18 And to whom swore he, that they should not enter into the rest of him[c], no but to them that were unbelieveful?

19 And we see, that they might not enter into the rest of him for unbelief.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 1:1 Manifold and in many manners sometime God speaking to fathers by prophets,
  2. Hebrews 2:10 Forsooth it became him, for whom all things, and by all things, the which had led together many sons into glory, the maker of the health of them, to end, either make perfect, by passions.
  3. Hebrews 3:18 To whom he swore soothly, to not enter into his rest

God’s Final Word: His Son

In the past God spoke(A) to our ancestors through the prophets(B) at many times and in various ways,(C) but in these last days(D) he has spoken to us by his Son,(E) whom he appointed heir(F) of all things, and through whom(G) also he made the universe.(H) The Son is the radiance of God’s glory(I) and the exact representation of his being,(J) sustaining all things(K) by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins,(L) he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.(M) So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.(N)

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]?(O)

Or again,

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

And again, when God brings his firstborn(Q) into the world,(R) he says,

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

In speaking of the angels he says,

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

But about the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;(U)
    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(V)
    by anointing you with the oil(W) of joy.”[e](X)

10 He also says,

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

13 To which of the angels did God ever say,

“Sit at my right hand(AC)
    until I make your enemies
    a footstool(AD) for your feet”[g]?(AE)

14 Are not all angels ministering spirits(AF) sent to serve those who will inherit(AG) salvation?(AH)

Warning to Pay Attention

We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.(AI) For since the message spoken(AJ) through angels(AK) was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment,(AL) how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?(AM) This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord,(AN) was confirmed to us by those who heard him.(AO) God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles,(AP) and by gifts of the Holy Spirit(AQ) distributed according to his will.(AR)

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(AS) has testified:

“What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    a son of man that you care for him?(AT)
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](AU)

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(AV) because he suffered death,(AW) so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.(AX)

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

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

13 And again,

“I will put my trust in him.”[p](BE)

And again he says,

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

14 Since the children have flesh and blood,(BG) he too shared in their humanity(BH) so that by his death he might break the power(BI) of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil(BJ) 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear(BK) of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.(BL) 17 For this reason he had to be made like them,[r](BM) fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful(BN) and faithful high priest(BO) in service to God,(BP) and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.(BQ) 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.(BR)

Jesus Greater Than Moses

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters,(BS) who share in the heavenly calling,(BT) fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge(BU) as our apostle and high priest.(BV) He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house.(BW) Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses,(BX) just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.(BY) “Moses was faithful as a servant(BZ) in all God’s house,”[s](CA) bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. But Christ is faithful as the Son(CB) over God’s house. And we are his house,(CC) if indeed we hold firmly(CD) to our confidence and the hope(CE) in which we glory.

Warning Against Unbelief

So, as the Holy Spirit says:(CF)

“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts(CG)
as you did in the rebellion,
    during the time of testing in the wilderness,
where your ancestors tested and tried me,
    though for forty years they saw what I did.(CH)
10 That is why I was angry with that generation;
    I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray,
    and they have not known my ways.’
11 So I declared on oath in my anger,(CI)
    ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ (CJ)[t](CK)

12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.(CL) 13 But encourage one another daily,(CM) as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.(CN) 14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold(CO) our original conviction firmly to the very end.(CP) 15 As has just been said:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts
    as you did in the rebellion.”[u](CQ)

16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?(CR) 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness?(CS) 18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest(CT) if not to those who disobeyed?(CU) 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.(CV)

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
  19. Hebrews 3:5 Num. 12:7
  20. Hebrews 3:11 Psalm 95:7-11
  21. Hebrews 3:15 Psalm 95:7,8