Hebrews 2

Because {God did say those things to his Son}, we need to focus most of all on {the good news} that we learned. That way, we do not stop believing it. \*

{This is important} because, when the spiritual beings gave the law {to the people of Israel}, what they said was reliable. Further, God justly punished anyone who did not listen to this law or broke it.

{Since that is true}, God will certainly punish any one of us who ignores the message about how God has acted powerfully to save us. It was the Lord {Jesus} who first spoke this message, and those who listened to him told us the same message reliably.

God also has confirmed to us that this message is true by empowering believers to do powerful and amazing things. Further, he gave the Holy Spirit to believers, to each as God chose. \*

Now God has not put the spiritual beings in charge of the heavenly world that he will bring to earth. It is that world about which I am talking.

Someone confirmed {what I have said} when he wrote in the Scriptures, “No humans are worthy enough for you to think about them{, God}! No human beings are important enough for you to take care of them! \* 7 {Despite that,} you created humans to be only slightly less powerful than the spiritual beings, and you have greatly honored and empowered them. 8 You have put them in charge of everything {that you created}.” When he wrote, “put them in charge of everything,” that means that there is nothing over which they are not in charge. However, at this present time, we do not observe that humans are in charge of everything. \*

However, we do observe Jesus. He is the one who was less powerful than the spiritual beings for a short time, and God has {now} greatly honored and empowered him. God did this because Jesus died. In this way, God graciously had him die for all people {who believe in him}.

{Working in that way} was appropriate for God, who created and directs everything {that exists}. When Jesus began to make glorious everyone who believes in him, who are {like} his own siblings, God used how Jesus suffered to make him able to save them. \*

Jesus, who sets his people apart for God, and those same people whom he set apart for God, all come from God himself. So, Jesus does not hesitate to refer to them as his own siblings.

{Jesus calls them his siblings} when he says, “I will declare to my siblings what you are like{, God}; I will praise you when people gather together {to worship you}.” \*

{Jesus says} further: “I will rely on him.” And {Jesus says} further, “Look at me and God’s children whom he has entrusted to me.”

So, because God’s children are human beings, Jesus also became a human being just like them. {He did that} so that he, by dying, could defeat Satan, who uses the fact that people die to control them.

{When he did that,} he got rid of the way that dying makes us afraid while we live. \*

{Jesus became a human being,} because he came to help those who belong to Abraham{, the ancestor of the Israelites}, not to help spiritual beings, as you know.

Because that {is why he came}, Jesus needed to be exactly like us, who are his siblings. That way, he can be the ruling priest who serves God in a compassionate and trustworthy way, so that God forgives what his people did wrong.

{Jesus can be that kind of priest} because he endured painful things and experienced how doing what is wrong seems to be good. So, he can aid everyone who also experiences how doing what is wrong seems to be good. \*