This Great Way of Being Saved
1 We must give our full attention to what we were told, so we won't drift away. 2 The message spoken by angels proved to be true, and all who disobeyed or rejected it were punished as they deserved. 3 So if we refuse this great way of being saved, how can we hope to escape? The Lord himself was the first to tell about it, and people who heard the message proved to us that it was true. 4 God himself showed that his message was true by working all kinds of powerful miracles and wonders. He also gave his Holy Spirit to anyone he chose to.
The One Who Leads Us To Be Saved
5 We know that God did not put the future world under the power of angels. 6 Somewhere in the Scriptures someone says to God,
“What makes you care
about us humans?
Why are you concerned
for weaklings such as we?
7 You made us lower
than the angels
for a while.
Yet you have crowned us
with glory and honor.
8 And you have put everything
under our power!”
God has put everything under our power and has not left anything out of our power. But we still don't see it all under our control. 9 What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels. Because of God's gift of undeserved grace, Jesus died for everyone. And now that Jesus has suffered and died, he is crowned with glory and honor!
10 Everything belongs to God, and all things were created by his power. So God did the right thing when he made Jesus perfect by suffering, as Jesus led many of God's children to be saved and to share in his glory. 11 Jesus and the people he makes holy all belong to the same family. This is why he isn't ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 12 He even said to God,
“I will tell them your name
and sing your praises
when they come together
to worship.”
13 He also said,
“I will trust God.”
Then he said,
“Here I am with the children
God has given me.”
14 We are people of flesh and blood. This is why Jesus became one of us. He died to destroy the devil, who had power over death. 15 But he also died to rescue all of us who live each day in fear of dying. 16 Jesus clearly did not come to help angels, but he did come to help Abraham's descendants. 17 He had to be one of us, so he could serve God as our merciful and faithful high priest and sacrifice himself for the forgiveness of our sins. 18 And now that Jesus has suffered and was tempted, he can help anyone else who is tempted.
Dārgā pestīšana
1 Mums tādēļ jābūt īpaši vērīgiem pret dzirdēto, lai kāda straume mūs neaiznestu sānis. 2 Pat ja caur eņģeļiem runātais vārds ir droši piepildījies un katrs pārkāpums vai nepaklausība ir saņēmusi taisnīgu atmaksu, 3 kā gan mēs no tās izbēgsim, ja būsim nevērīgi pret tik lielu pestīšanu? To sludināja mūsu Kungs, un tie, kas to dzirdējuši, pie mums to ir apstiprinājuši, 4 un Dievs to ir apliecinājis ar zīmēm, brīnumiem un dažādiem spēkiem un izdalot Svētā Gara dāvanas pēc savas gribas.
Jēzus visās lietās kļuvis brāļiem līdzīgs
5 Ne jau eņģeļu varai viņš pakļāvis nākamo pasauli, kuru mēs sludinām. 6 Rakstos kāds ir liecinājis, sacīdams:
kas gan ir cilvēks, ka tu to piemini,
kas ir Cilvēka Dēls, ka tu to uzlūko.
7 Tu viņu uz īsu brīdi biji nolicis zemāk par eņģeļiem,
tu esi viņu vainagojis ar godu un slavu,
8 visu tu esi licis zem viņa kājām. – Visu pakļaudams viņa varai, Dievs neko nav atstājis nepakļautu. To, ka viss viņa varai pakļauts, mēs tagad vēl neredzam, 9 toties mēs redzam Jēzu, kas uz īsu brīdi nolikts zemāk par eņģeļiem, nāves ciešanu dēļ vainagots ar godu un slavu, lai Dieva žēlastībā izciestu nāvi par visiem. 10 Jo Dievam, kura dēļ ir viss un caur kuru ir viss, labpatikās, ka, ievedot godībā daudzus dēlus, viņš viņu pestīšanas vadoni caur ciešanām darīja pilnīgu. 11 Tāpat kā tas, kas svētī, arī tie, kurus svētī, visi ir no viena; un tādēļ viņš arī nekaunas saukt tos par brāļiem, 12 sacīdams:
es pasludināšu tavu vārdu savu brāļu vidū,
es dziedāšu tev slavu draudzē.
13 Un vēl viņš saka:
es paļaušos uz viņu.
Un vēl:
redzi, es un bērni, ko Dievs man devis.
14 Tādēļ ka šiem bērniem ir miesa un asinis, arī viņš tāpat ir pieņēmis miesu un asinis, lai caur nāvi iznīcinātu to, kam ir nāves vara, tas ir, velnu, 15 un lai atbrīvotu tos, kas nāves baiļu dēļ visu savu mūžu bija pakļauti verdzībā. 16 Viņam rūp nevis eņģeļi, bet gan Ābrahāma pēcnācēji. 17 Tādēļ viņam visās lietās bija jātop līdzīgam brāļiem, lai kā žēlsirdīgs un uzticams augstais priesteris, kas darbojas Dieva lietās, nolīdzinātu tautas grēkus. 18 Un, tādēļ ka viņš cietis, būdams kārdināts, viņš var palīdzēt tiem, kas tiek kārdināti.
