Luke 2

(Matthew 1:18–25)

1NowG1161 inG1722 thoseG1565 daysG2250 a decreeG1378 went outG1831 fromG3844 CaesarG2541 AugustusG828 that a census should be takenG583 of theG3588 wholeG3956 empireG3625.1 2ThisG3778 was the firstG4413 censusG582 to take placeG1096 while2 QuiriniusG2958 was governorG2230 ofG3588 SyriaG4947. 3AndG2532 everyoneG3956 wentG4198 toG1519 his ownG1438 townG4172 to registerG583.

4So JosephG2501 alsoG2532 went upG305 fromG575 NazarethG3478 in GalileeG1056 toG1519 JudeaG2449, toG1519 the cityG4172 of DavidG1138 calledG2564 BethlehemG965, sinceG1223 heG846 wasG1510 fromG1537 the houseG3624 andG2532 lineG3965 of DavidG1138. 5He went there to registerG583 withG4862 MaryG3137, who wasG3588 pledged to him in marriageG3423G846 and was expectingG1510 a childG1471.

6

WhileG1096G1722G846G3588 they wereG1510 thereG1563, theG3588 timeG2250 cameG4130 forG3588 herG846 Child to be bornG5088. 7AndG2532 she gave birth toG5088 herG846 firstbornG4416, a SonG5207. She wrapped Him in swaddling clothsG4683 andG2532 laidG347 HimG846 inG1722 a mangerG5336, becauseG1360 there wasG1510 noG3756 roomG5117 for themG846 inG1722 theG3588 innG2646.

The Shepherds and the Angels

8AndG2532 there wereG1510 shepherdsG4166 residing in the fieldsG63 nearbyG1722G3588G846G5561, keepingG5442 watchG5438 overG1909 theirG846 flocksG4167 by nightG3571. 9Just thenG2532 an angelG32 of the LordG2962 stood beforeG2186 themG846, andG2532 the gloryG1391 of the LordG2962 shone aroundG4034 themG846, andG2532 they were terrifiedG3173G5401G5399. 10ButG2532 theG3588 angelG32 saidG2036 to themG846, “Do notG3361 be afraidG5399! ForG1063 beholdG2400, I bring you good newsG2097G4771 of greatG3173 joyG5479 thatG3748 will beG1510 for allG3956 theG3588 peopleG2992: 11TodayG4594 inG1722 the cityG4172 of DavidG1138 a SaviorG4990 has been bornG5088 to youG4771. HeG3739 isG1510 ChristG5547 the LordG2962! 12AndG2532 thisG3778 will be aG3588 signG4592 to youG4771: You will findG2147 a babyG1025 wrapped in swaddling clothsG4683 andG2532 lyingG2749 inG1722 a mangerG5336.”

13AndG2532 suddenlyG1810 there appearedG1096 withG4862 theG3588 angelG32 a great multitudeG4128 of the heavenlyG3770 hostG4756, praisingG134 GodG2316 andG2532 sayingG3004:

15

WhenG1096G5613 theG3588 angelsG32 had leftG565G575 themG846 and gone intoG1519 heavenG3772, theG3588 shepherdsG4166 saidG2980 toG4314 one anotherG240, “Let us goG1330 toG2193 BethlehemG965 andG2532 seeG3708 thisG3778 thing thatG3588 has happenedG1096, whichG3739 theG3588 LordG2962 has made knownG1107 to usG1473.”

16SoG2532 they hurried offG2064G4692 andG2532 foundG429 MaryG3137 andG2532 JosephG2501 andG2532 theG3588 BabyG1025, who was lyingG2749 inG1722 theG3588 mangerG5336. 17After they had seenG3708 the Child, they spreadG1107 theG3588 messageG4487 they had receivedG2980G846 aboutG4012 Him. 18AndG2532 allG3956 whoG3588 heardG191 it were amazedG2296 atG4012 whatG3588 theG3588 shepherdsG4166 saidG2980 toG4314 themG846. 19ButG1161 MaryG3137 treasured upG4933 allG3956 theseG3778 thingsG4487 and ponderedG4820 them inG1722 herG846 heartG2588.

20

TheG3588 shepherdsG4166 returnedG5290, glorifyingG1392 andG2532 praisingG134 GodG2316 forG1909 allG3956 they had heardG191 andG2532 seenG3708, which was just asG2531 the angel had toldG2980 themG846.

21

Jesus Presented at the Temple

WhenG3753 the eightG3638 daysG2250 beforeG3588 HisG846 circumcisionG4059 had passedG4130, He was namedG2564 JesusG2424, theG3588 nameG3686 theG3588 angelG32 had givenG2564 Him beforeG4253 HeG846 was conceivedG4815G1722G3588G2836.

22AndG2532 whenG3753 theG3588 timeG2250 ofG3588 purificationG2512 according toG2596 theG3588 LawG3551 of MosesG3475 was completeG4130, His parents broughtG321 HimG846 toG1519 JerusalemG2414 to presentG3936 Him to theG3588 LordG2962 23(asG2531 it is writtenG1125 inG1722 the LawG3551 of the LordG2962: “EveryG3956 firstbornG1272G3388 maleG730 shall be consecratedG2564G40 to theG3588 LordG2962”3), 24andG2532 to offerG1325 the sacrificeG2378 specifiedG2596G3588G2046 inG1722 theG3588 LawG3551 of the LordG2962: “A pairG2201 of turtledovesG5167 orG2228 twoG1417 youngG3502 pigeonsG4058.”4

The Prophecy of Simeon

25NowG2532G2400 there wasG1510 a manG444 inG1722 JerusalemG2419 namedG3686 SimeonG4826, who was righteousG1342 andG2532 devoutG2126. He was waiting forG4327 the consolationG3874 of IsraelG2474, andG2532 the HolyG40 SpiritG4151 wasG1510 uponG1909 himG846. 26TheG3588 HolyG40 SpiritG4151 hadG1510 revealedG5537 to himG846 that he would notG3361 seeG3708 deathG2288 beforeG4250G2228G302 he had seenG3708 theG3588 Lord’sG2962 ChristG5547. 27Led by theG3588 SpiritG4151, he wentG2064 intoG1519 theG3588 templeG2411 courts.5 AndG2532 whenG1722G3588 theG3588 parentsG1118 brought inG1521 theG3588 childG3813 JesusG2424 to doG846G4160 forG4012 HimG846 what was customaryG2596G3588G1480 under theG3588 LawG3551, 28Simeon tookG1209 HimG846 inG1519 his armsG43 andG2532 blessedG2127 GodG2316, sayingG2036:

33

The Child’s fatherG3962 andG2532 motherG3384 wereG1510 amazedG2296 atG1909 whatG3588 was spokenG2980 aboutG4012 HimG846. 34ThenG2532 SimeonG4826 blessedG2127 themG846 andG2532 saidG2036 toG4314 HisG846 motherG3384 MaryG3137:

The Prophecy of Anna

36There wasG1510 alsoG2532 a prophetessG4398 named AnnaG451, the daughterG2364 of PhanuelG5323, ofG1537 the tribeG5443 of AsherG768, who was well alongG4260G4183 inG1722 yearsG2250. She had been marriedG2198G3326G435G575G846G3588G3932 for sevenG2033 yearsG2094, 37and thenG2532 was a widowG5503 to the age of eighty-fourG3589G5064G2094.6 She never leftG3756G868 theG3588 templeG2411, but worshipedG3000 nightG3571 andG2532 dayG2250, fastingG3521 andG2532 prayingG1162.

38

Coming forwardG2186 at thatG3588 momentG5610, sheG846 gave thanksG437 to GodG2316 andG2532 spokeG2980 aboutG4012 the Child to allG3956 whoG3588 were waiting forG4327 the redemptionG3085 of JerusalemG2419.

39

The Return to Nazareth

(Matthew 2:19–23)

WhenG5613 Jesus’ parents had doneG5055 everythingG3956 required byG2596 theG3588 LawG3551 of the LordG2962, they returnedG1994 toG1519 GalileeG1056, toG1519 theirG1438 own townG4172 of NazarethG3478.

40AndG1161 theG3588 ChildG3813 grewG837 andG2532 became strongG2901.7 He was filledG4137 with wisdomG4678, andG2532 the graceG5485 of GodG2316 wasG1510 uponG1909 HimG846.

41

The Boy Jesus at the Temple

EveryG2596 yearG2094 HisG846 parentsG1118 wentG4198 toG1519 JerusalemG2419 for theG3588 FeastG1859 of theG3588 PassoverG3957. 42AndG2532 whenG3753 He wasG1096 twelveG1427 yearsG2094 old, theyG846 went upG305 according toG2596 theG3588 customG1485 of theG3588 FeastG1859.

43When thoseG3588 daysG2250 were overG5048 and theyG846 were returningG5290 home, theG3588 boyG3816 JesusG2424 remained behindG5278 inG1722 JerusalemG2419, butG2532 HisG846 parentsG1118 were unawareG3756G1097 He had stayed. 44AssumingG3543 HeG846 wasG1510 inG1722 theirG3588 companyG4923, they traveled onG2064G3598 for a dayG2250 before they began to lookG327 for HimG846 amongG1722 their relativesG4773 andG2532 friendsG1110.

45WhenG2532 they could not findG3361G2147 Him, they returnedG5290 toG1519 JerusalemG2419 to search forG327 HimG846. 46FinallyG2532G1096, afterG3326 threeG5140 daysG2250 they foundG2147 HimG846 inG1722 theG3588 templeG2411 courts, sittingG2516 amongG1722G3319 theG3588 teachersG1320, listening toG191 themG846 andG2532 asking them questionsG1905G846. 47AndG1161 allG3956 whoG3588 heardG191 HimG846 were astoundedG1839 atG1909 HisG846 understandingG4907 andG2532 His answersG612.

48WhenG2532 His parents sawG3708 HimG846, they were astonishedG1605. “ChildG5043, whyG5101 have You doneG4160 thisG3779 to usG1473?” HisG846 motherG3384 askedG2036G4314G846. “YourG4771 fatherG3962 and IG2504 have been anxiously searchingG2212G3600 for YouG4771.”

49“WhyG5101 were you looking forG2212 MeG1473?” He askedG2036G4314G846. “Did you not knowG3756G1492 thatG3754 IG1473 hadG1163 to beG1510 inG1722 MyG1473 Father’sG3962 house8?” 50ButG2532 theyG846 did not understandG3756G4920 theG3588 statementG4487 He was makingG2980 to themG846.

51ThenG2532 He went downG2597 toG1519 NazarethG3478 withG3326 themG846 andG2532 wasG1510 obedientG5293 to themG846. ButG2532 HisG846 motherG3384 treasured upG1301 allG3956 theseG3778 thingsG4487 inG1722 herG846 heartG2588.

52AndG2532 JesusG2424 grewG4298 inG1722 wisdomG4678 andG2532 statureG2244, andG2532 in favorG5485 withG3844 GodG2316 andG2532 manG444.