Passage

Hebrews 2.1

Book: Hebrews · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

1. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that were heard, lest haply we drift away from them.

For if the word spoken through angels proved stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; 3. how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? which having at the first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard; (Hebrews 2:1-3, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

1. Therefore we ought to pay greater attention to the things that were heard, lest perhaps we drift away.

For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense; 3. how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first having been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard; (Hebrews 2:1-3, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

1. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. ^{let: Gr. run out as leaking vessels}

For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:1-3, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

1. Because of this it behoveth [us] more abundantly to take heed to the things heard, lest we may glide aside,

for if the word being spoken through messengers did become stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience did receive a just recompense, 3. how shall we escape, having neglected so great salvation? which a beginning receiving, to be spoken through the Lord, by those having heard was confirmed to us, (Hebrews 2:1-3, YLT)

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Setting

Speaker: unknown author (traditionally Paul; modern scholarship: possibly Apollos, Barnabas, Priscilla, or unknown)
Audience: Jewish-Christian community tempted to revert to Judaism
Location: composition unknown
Time period: composed c. AD 60-69 (before the AD 70 temple destruction, given the present-tense temple-language)

Theological reading

Key words

No Strong's-tagged lexicon matches found in this passage. (Lexicon coverage is curated, ~159 of the most apologetically-loaded Greek/Hebrew terms.)

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.