A Warning to Pay Attention
1So we must pay the most careful attention to what we have heard. Then we will not drift away from it. 2Even the message God spoke through angels had to be obeyed. Every time people broke the Law, they were punished. Every time they didn’t obey, they were punished. 3Then how will we escape if we don’t pay attention to God’s great salvation? The Lord first announced this salvation. Those who heard him gave us the message about it. 4God showed that this message is true by signs and wonders. He showed that it’s true by different kinds of miracles. God also showed that this message is true by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. God gave them out as it pleased him.
Jesus Was Made Fully Human
5God has not put angels in charge of the world that is going to come. We are talking about that world. 6There is a place where someone has spoken about this. He said,
“What are human beings that you think about them?
What is a son of man that you take care of him?
7You made them a little lower than the angels.
You placed on them a crown of glory and honor.
8You have put everything under their control.” (Psalm 8:4–6)
So God has put everything under his Son. Everything is under his control. We do not now see everything under his control. 9But we do see Jesus already given a crown of glory and honor. He was made lower than the angels for a little while. He suffered death. By the grace of God, he tasted death for everyone. That is why he was given his crown.
10God has made everything. He is now bringing his many sons and daughters to share in his glory. It is only right that Jesus is the one to lead them into their salvation. That’s because God made him perfect by his sufferings. 11And Jesus, who makes people holy, and the people he makes holy belong to the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 12He says,
“I will announce your name to my brothers and sisters.
I will sing your praises among those who worship you.” (Psalm 22:22)
13Again he says,
“I will put my trust in him.” (Isaiah 8:17)
And again he says,
“Here I am. Here are the children God has given me.” (Isaiah 8:18)
14Those children have bodies made out of flesh and blood. So Jesus became human like them in order to die for them. By doing this, he could break the power of the devil. The devil is the one who rules over the kingdom of death. 15Jesus could set people free who were afraid of death. All their lives they were held as slaves by that fear. 16It is certainly Abraham’s children that he helps. He doesn’t help angels. 17So he had to be made like people, fully human in every way. Then he could serve God as a kind and faithful high priest. And then he could pay for the sins of the people by dying for them. 18He himself suffered when he was tempted. Now he is able to help others who are being tempted.
Advertencia a prestar atención
1Por eso es necesario que prestemos más atención a lo que hemos oído, no sea que perdamos el rumbo. 2Porque, si el mensaje anunciado por los ángeles tuvo validez, y toda transgresión y desobediencia recibió su justo castigo, 3¿cómo escaparemos nosotros si descuidamos una salvación tan grande? Esta salvación fue anunciada primeramente por el Señor, y los que la oyeron nos la confirmaron. 4A la vez, Dios ratificó su testimonio acerca de ella con señales, prodigios, diversos milagros y dones distribuidos por el Espíritu Santo según su voluntad.
Jesús, hecho igual a sus hermanos
5Dios no puso bajo el dominio de los ángeles el mundo venidero del que estamos hablando. 6Como alguien ha atestiguado en algún lugar:
«¿Qué es el hombre, para que en él pienses?
¿Qué es el ser humano,2:6 ser humano. Lit. hijo de hombre. para que lo tomes en cuenta?
7Lo hiciste un poco2:7 un poco. Alt. por un poco de tiempo; también en v. 9. menor que los ángeles,
y lo coronaste de gloria y de honra;
8¡todo lo sometiste a su dominio!»2:8 Sal 8:4-6
Si Dios puso bajo él todas las cosas, entonces no hay nada que no le esté sujeto. Ahora bien, es cierto que todavía no vemos que todo le esté sujeto. 9Sin embargo, vemos a Jesús, que fue hecho un poco inferior a los ángeles, coronado de gloria y honra por haber padecido la muerte. Así, por la gracia de Dios, la muerte que él sufrió resulta en beneficio de todos.
10En efecto, a fin de llevar a muchos hijos a la gloria, convenía que Dios, para quien y por medio de quien todo existe, perfeccionara mediante el sufrimiento al autor de la salvación de ellos. 11Tanto el que santifica como los que son santificados tienen un mismo origen, por lo cual Jesús no se avergüenza de llamarlos hermanos, 12cuando dice:
«Proclamaré tu nombre a mis hermanos;
en medio de la congregación te alabaré».2:12 Sal 22:22
13En otra parte dice:
«Yo confiaré en él».2:13 Is 8:17
Y añade:
«Aquí me tenéis, con los hijos que Dios me ha dado».2:13 Is 8:18
14Por tanto, ya que ellos son de carne y hueso,2:14 carne y hueso. Lit. sangre y carne. él también compartió esa naturaleza humana para anular, mediante la muerte, al que tiene el dominio de la muerte —es decir, al diablo—, 15y librar a todos los que por temor a la muerte estaban sometidos a esclavitud durante toda la vida. 16Pues, ciertamente, no vino en auxilio de los ángeles, sino de los descendientes de Abraham. 17Por eso era preciso que en todo se asemejara a sus hermanos, para ser un sumo sacerdote fiel y misericordioso al servicio de Dios, a fin de expiar2:17 expiar. Lit. hacer propiciación por. los pecados del pueblo. 18Por haber sufrido él mismo la tentación, puede socorrer a los que son tentados.
