Luke 2:1-20

1At that time, Caesar Augustus made a law. He told his men to count everyone who lived in the countries that he ruled.

2This was the first time that the Romans had made a list of everyone's names. Quirinius was the Roman ruler of Syria when it happened.

3Everyone went to his own home town for the Romans to count them.

4So Joseph went to his home town, Bethlehem. He was living in the town of Nazareth, in Galilee. Bethlehem was in Judea. King David had been born there, so Bethlehem was called the town of David. Joseph belonged to the family of David. That is why he went to Bethlehem.

5Joseph took Mary with him so that the Romans could count them. She went because she had promised to marry him. She was pregnant.

6While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her baby to be born.

7This was her first baby, and it was a boy. She put cloths around him. Then she put him in an animal's food box. She did this because the rooms for visitors were full of people.

8That night some shepherds were living out in the fields near Bethlehem. They were keeping their sheep safe.

9Then an angel of the Lord appeared to them. A bright light from God shone all around them. That frightened them very much.

10The angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Listen! I bring you good news. This news will make everyone very happy.

11Something happened today in the town of David. Someone special was born. He is the one who will save you. He is the Messiah. He is the Lord.

12I will tell you how you will know this baby. You will find him with cloths around him. He is lying in an animal's food box.’

13At that moment, a great crowd of angels appeared. They were praising God. They said:

14‘God is great! He lives in the highest place above. He will bless the people on earth who please him. They will have peace in their minds.’

15After that, the angels went away and returned to heaven. Then the shepherds said to each other, ‘We should leave the sheep and go to Bethlehem immediately! The Lord God has sent his angels to tell us what has happened. We want to see this baby.’

16So they went quickly to Bethlehem. When they got there, they found Mary and Joseph with the baby. The baby really was lying in a food box.

17After they had seen the baby, they told everybody about him. They told them what the angel had said to them about him.

18Many people heard what the shepherds said. They were very surprised.

19Mary remembered everything that the shepherds had said. She thought about it all for a long time.

20The shepherds then went back to their sheep. As they went they praised God. ‘How great you are!’ they said to him. ‘How good you are! Everything that the angel told us was true! We have heard good news. We have seen very special things!’