Luke 2
2
The Birth of Jesus
1At that time, Augustus Caesar sent an order that all people in the countries under Roman rule must list their names in a register. 2This was the first registration; it was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3And all went to their own towns to be registered.
4So Joseph left Nazareth, a town in Galilee, and went to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, known as the town of David. Joseph went there because he was from the family of David. 5Joseph registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was now pregnant. 6While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to have the baby, 7and she gave birth to her first son. Because there were no rooms left in the inn, she wrapped the baby with pieces of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough.
Shepherds Hear About Jesus
8That night, some shepherds were in the fields nearby watching their sheep. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them. The glory of the Lord was shining around them, and they became very frightened. 10The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I am bringing you good news that will be a great joy to all the people. 11Today your Savior was born in the town of David. He is Christ, the Lord. 12This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.”
13Then a very large group of angels from heaven joined the first angel, praising God and saying:
14“Give glory to God in heaven,
and on earth let there be peace among the people who please God.”
15When the angels left them and went back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem. Let’s see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about.”
16So the shepherds went quickly and found Mary and Joseph and the baby, who was lying in a feeding trough. 17When they had seen him, they told what the angels had said about this child. 18Everyone was amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured these things and continued to think about them. 20Then the shepherds went back to their sheep, praising God and thanking him for everything they had seen and heard. It had been just as the angel had told them.
21When the baby was eight days old, he was circumcised and was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before the baby began to grow inside Mary.
Jesus Is Presented in the Temple
22When the time came for Mary and Joseph to do what the law of Moses taught about being made pure, they took Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23(It is written in the law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male shall be given to the Lord.”) 24Mary and Joseph also went to offer a sacrifice, as the law of the Lord says: “You must sacrifice two doves or two young pigeons.”
Simeon Sees Jesus
25In Jerusalem lived a man named Simeon who was a good man and godly. He was waiting for the time when God would take away Israel’s sorrow, and the Holy Spirit was in him. 26Simeon had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he saw the Christ promised by the Lord. 27The Spirit led Simeon to the Temple. When Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the Temple to do what the law said they must do, 28Simeon took the baby in his arms and thanked God:
29“Now, Lord, you can let me, your servant,
die in peace as you said.
30With my own eyes I have seen your salvation,
31which you prepared before all people.
32It is a light for the non-Jewish people to see
and an honor for your people, the Israelites.”
33Jesus’ father and mother were amazed at what Simeon had said about him. 34Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, “God has chosen this child to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel. He will be a sign from God that many people will not accept 35so that the thoughts of many will be made known. And the things that will happen will make your heart sad, too.”
Anna Sees Jesus
36There was a prophetess, Anna, from the family of Phanuel in the tribe of Asher. Anna was very old. She had once been married for seven years. 37Then her husband died, and she was a widow for eighty-four years. Anna never left the Temple but worshiped God, going without food and praying day and night. 38Standing there at that time, she thanked God and spoke about Jesus to all who were waiting for God to free Jerusalem.
Joseph and Mary Return Home
39When Joseph and Mary had done everything the law of the Lord commanded, they went home to Nazareth, their own town in Galilee. 40The little child grew and became strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s goodness was upon him.
Jesus As a Boy
41Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. 42When he was twelve years old, they went to the feast as they always did. 43After the feast days were over, they started home. The boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44Thinking that Jesus was with them in the group, they traveled for a whole day. Then they began to look for him among their family and friends. 45When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him there. 46After three days they found Jesus sitting in the Temple with the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and answers. 48When Jesus’ parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why did you do this to us? Your father and I were very worried about you and have been looking for you.”
49Jesus said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50But they did not understand the meaning of what he said.
51Jesus went with them to Nazareth and was obedient to them. But his mother kept in her mind all that had happened. 52Jesus became wiser and grew physically. People liked him, and he pleased God.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Luke (Luk) 2
2
1Around this time, Emperor Augustus issued an order for a census to be taken throughout the Empire. 2This registration, the first of its kind, took place when Quirinius was governing in Syria. 3Everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. 4So Yosef, because he was a descendant of David, went up from the town of Natzeret in the Galil to the town of David, called Beit-Lechem, in Y’hudah, 5to be registered, with Miryam, to whom he was engaged, and who was pregnant. 6While they were there, the time came for her to give birth; 7and she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in cloth and laid him down in a feeding trough, because there was no space for them in the living-quarters.
8In the countryside nearby were some shepherds spending the night in the fields, guarding their flocks, 9when an angel of Adonai appeared to them, and the Sh’khinah of Adonai shone around them. They were terrified; 10but the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, because I am here announcing to you Good News that will bring great joy to all the people. 11This very day, in the town of David, there was born for you a Deliverer who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12Here is how you will know: you will find a baby wrapped in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.” 13Suddenly, along with the angel was a vast army from heaven praising God:
14“In the highest heaven, glory to God!
And on earth, peace among people of good will!”
15No sooner had the angels left them and gone back into heaven than the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go over to Beit-Lechem and see this thing that has happened, that Adonai has told us about.” 16Hurrying off, they came and found Miryam and Yosef, and the baby lying in the feeding trough. 17Upon seeing this, they made known what they had been told about this child; 18and all who heard were amazed by what the shepherds said to them. 19Miryam treasured all these things and kept mulling them over in her heart. 20Meanwhile, the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen; it had been just as they had been told.
21On the eighth day, when it was time for his b’rit-milah, he was given the name Yeshua, which is what the angel had called him before his conception.
22When the time came for their purification according to the Torah of Moshe, they took him up to Yerushalayim to present him to Adonai 23(as it is written in the Torah of Adonai, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to Adonai”) 24and also to offer a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons, as required by the Torah of Adonai.
25There was in Yerushalayim a man named Shim‘on. This man was a tzaddik, he was devout, he waited eagerly for God to comfort Isra’el, and the Ruach HaKodesh was upon him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Ruach HaKodesh that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah of Adonai. 27Prompted by the Spirit, he went into the Temple courts; and when the parents brought in the child Yeshua to do for him what the Torah required, 28Shim‘on took him in his arms, made a b’rakhah to God, and said,
29“Now, Adonai, according to your word,
your servant is at peace as you let him go;
30for I have seen with my own eyes your yeshu‘ah,
31which you prepared in the presence of all peoples —
32a light that will bring revelation to the Goyim
and glory to your people Isra’el.”
33Yeshua’s father and mother were marvelling at the things Shim‘on was saying about him. 34Shim‘on blessed them and said to the child’s mother, Miryam,
“This child will cause many in Isra’el to fall and to rise,
he will become a sign whom people will speak against;
35moreover, a sword will pierce your own heart too.
All this will happen in order to reveal many people’s inmost thoughts.”
36There was also a prophet named Hannah Bat-P’nu’el, of the tribe of Asher. She was a very old woman — she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage 37and had remained a widow ever since; now she was eighty-four. She never left the Temple grounds but worshipped there night and day, fasting and praying. 38She came by at that moment and began thanking God and speaking about the child to everyone who was waiting for Yerushalayim to be liberated.
39When Yosef and Miryam had finished doing everything required by the Torah of Adonai, they returned to the Galil, to their town Natzeret.
40The child grew and became strong and filled with wisdom — God’s favor was upon him.
41Every year Yeshua’s parents went to Yerushalayim for the festival of Pesach. 42When he was twelve years old, they went up for the festival, as custom required. 43But after the festival was over, when his parents returned, Yeshua remained in Yerushalayim. They didn’t realize this; 44supposing that he was somewhere in the caravan, they spent a whole day on the road before they began searching for him among their relatives and friends. 45Failing to find him, they returned to Yerushalayim to look for him. 46On the third day they found him — he was sitting in the Temple court among the rabbis, not only listening to them but questioning what they said; 47and everyone who heard him was astonished at his insight and his responses. 48When his parents saw him, they were shocked; and his mother said to him, “Son! Why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried looking for you!” 49He said to them, “Why did you have to look for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be concerning myself with my Father’s affairs?” 50But they didn’t understand what he meant.
51So he went with them to Natzeret and was obedient to them. But his mother stored up all these things in her heart.
52And Yeshua grew both in wisdom and in stature, gaining favor both with other people and with God.
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