1 SINCE ALL this is true, we ought to pay much closer attention than ever to the truths that we have heard, lest in any way we drift past them and slip away.
2 For if the message given through angels the Law spoken by them to Moses was authentic and proved sure, and every violation and disobedience received an appropriate (just and adequate) penalty,
3 How shall we escape appropriate retribution if we neglect and refuse to pay attention to such a great salvation as is now offered to us, letting it drift past us forever? For it was declared at first by the Lord Himself, and it was confirmed to us and proved to be real and genuine by those who personally heard Him speak.
4 Besides this evidence it was also established and plainly endorsed by God, Who showed His approval of it by signs and wonders and various miraculous manifestations of His power and by imparting the gifts of the Holy Spirit to the believers according to His own will.
5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the habitable world of the future, of which we are speaking.
6 It has been solemnly and earnestly said in a certain place, What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You graciously and helpfully care for and visit and look after him?
7 For some little time You have ranked him lower than and inferior to the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor and set him over the works of Your hands, Ps. 8:4-6.
8 For You have put everything in subjection under his feet. Now in putting everything in subjection to man, He left nothing outside of man's control. But at present we do not yet see all things subjected to him man.
9 But we are able to see Jesus, Who was ranked lower than the angels for a little while, crowned with glory and honor because of His having suffered death, in order that by the grace (unmerited favor) of God to us sinners He might experience death for every individual person.
10 For it was an act worthy of God and fitting to the divine nature that He, for Whose sake and by Whom all things have their existence, in bringing many sons into glory, should make the Pioneer of their salvation perfect should bring to maturity the human experience necessary to be perfectly equipped for His office as High Priest through suffering.
11 For both He Who sanctifies making men holy and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren;
12 For He says, I will declare Your the Father's name to My brethren; in the midst of the worshiping congregation I will sing hymns of praise to You. Ps. 22:22.
13 And again He says, My trust and assured reliance and confident hope shall be fixed in Him. And yet again, Here I am, I and the children whom God has given Me. Isa. 8:17, 18.
14 Since, therefore, these His children share in flesh and blood in the physical nature of human beings, He Himself in a similar manner partook of the same nature, that by going through death He might bring to nought and make of no effect him who had the power of death--that is, the devil--
15 And also that He might deliver and completely set free all those who through the haunting fear of death were held in bondage throughout the whole course of their lives.
16 For, as we all know, He Christ did not take hold of angels the fallen angels, to give them a helping and delivering hand, but He did take hold of the fallen descendants of Abraham to reach out to them a helping and delivering hand. Isa. 41:8, 9.
17 So it is evident that it was essential that He be made like His brethren in every respect, in order that He might become a merciful (sympathetic) and faithful High Priest in the things related to God, to make atonement and propitiation for the people's sins.
18 For because He Himself in His humanity has suffered in being tempted (tested and tried), He is able immediately to run to the cry of (assist, relieve) those who are being tempted and tested and tried and who therefore are being exposed to suffering.