Luke 2

Jesus’ Birth in Bethlehem

1NowG1161 in thoseG1565 daysG2250 a decreeG1378 wentG1831 outG1831 from 1CaesarG2541 AugustusG828, that a censusG583 beG583 takenG583 of 2allG3956 3the inhabitedG3625 earthG3625. 24ThisG3778 was the firstG4413 censusG582 takenG1096 while 5QuiriniusG2958 wasG2230 governorG2230 of 6SyriaG4947. 3And allG3956 the people wereG4198 onG4198 their wayG4198 to registerG583 forG583 theG583 censusG583, eachG1538 to his ownG1438 cityG4172. 4NowG1161 JosephG2501 alsoG2532 wentG305 upG305 from GalileeG1056, from the cityG4172 of NazarethG3478, to JudeaG2449, to the cityG4172 of DavidG1160 whichG3748 is calledG2564 BethlehemG965, becauseG1223 7he was of the houseG3624 and familyG3965 of DavidG1160, 5in order to registerG583 alongG4862 with MaryG3137, who was 8betrothedG3423 to him, and was pregnantG1471. 6WhileG1722 they were thereG1563, the 9timeG2250 cameG4092 for her to giveG5088 birthG5088. 7And she 10gaveG5088 birthG5088 to her firstbornG4416 sonG5207; and she wrappedG4683 Him inG4683 clothsG4683, and laidG347 Him in a 11mangerG5336, becauseG1360 there was noG3756 12roomG5117 for them in the innG2646.

8In the sameG846 regionG5561 there were some shepherdsG4166 stayingG63 outG63 inG63 theG63 fieldsG63 and keepingG5442 watchG5438 overG1909 their flockG4167 at nightG3571. 9And 13an angelG32 of the LordG2962 suddenly 14stoodG2186 nearG2186 them, and the gloryG1391 of the LordG2962 shoneG4034 aroundG4034 them; and they wereG5399 terriblyG5401G3173 frightenedG5399. 10And so the angelG32 saidG3004 to them, “15Do not beG5399 afraidG5399; for beholdG2400, I bringG2097 you goodG2097 newsG2097 of greatG3173 joyG5479 whichG3748 will be for allG3956 the peopleG2992; 11for todayG4594 in the cityG4172 of DavidG1160 there has been bornG5088 for you a 16SaviorG4990, whoG3739 is 1718ChristG5547 19the LordG2962. 12And 20thisG3778 will be a signG4592 for you: you will findG2147 a babyG1025 wrappedG4683 inG4683 clothsG4683 and lyingG2749 in a 21mangerG5336.” 13And suddenlyG1810 there appearedG1096 with the angelG32 a multitudeG4128 of the heavenlyG3770 22armyG4756 of angels praisingG134 GodG2316 and sayingG3004,14“23GloryG1391 to GodG2316 in the highestG5310, And on earthG1093 peaceG1515 amongG1722 peopleG444 2425with whom He is pleasedG2107.”

15WhenG5613 the angelsG32 had departedG565 from them into heavenG3772, the shepherdsG4166 began sayingG2980 to oneG240 anotherG240, “Let’s goG1330 straightG1330 to BethlehemG965, thenG1211, and seeG3708 thisG3778 thingG4487 that has happenedG1096, whichG3739 the LordG2962 has madeG1107 knownG1107 to us.” 16And they cameG2064 in a hurryG4692 and foundG429 their wayG429 toG429 MaryG3137 and JosephG2501, and the babyG1025 as He layG2749 in the 26mangerG5336. 17When they had seenG3708 Him, they madeG1107 knownG1107 the statementG4487 which had been toldG2980 them aboutG4012 thisG3778 ChildG3813. 18And allG3956 who heardG191 it wereG2296 amazedG2296 aboutG4012 the things which were toldG2980 them by the shepherdsG4166. 19But MaryG3137 27treasuredG4933 allG3956 theseG3778 thingsG4487, ponderingG4820 them in her heartG2588. 20And the shepherdsG4166 wentG5290 backG5290, 28glorifyingG1392 and praisingG134 GodG2316 for allG3956 that they had heardG191 and seenG3708, justG2531 asG2531 had been toldG2980 them.

Jesus Presented at the Temple

21And whenG3753 29eightG3638 daysG2250 were completedG4092 30so that it was time for His circumcisionG4059, 31He was alsoG2532 namedG2564G3686 JesusG2424, the name givenG2564 by the angelG32 beforeG4253 He was conceivedG4815 in the wombG2836.

2232And whenG3753 the daysG2250 for 33their purificationG2512 accordingG2596 to the LawG3551 of MosesG3475 were completedG4092, they broughtG321 Him upG321 to JerusalemG2414 to presentG3936 Him to the LordG2962 23(as it is writtenG1125 in the LawG3551 of the LordG2962: “34EveryG3956 firstborn maleG733 that opensG1272 the wombG3388 shall be calledG2564 holyG40 to the LordG2962”), 24and to offerG1325 a sacrificeG2378 accordingG2596 to what has been statedG3004 in the LawG3551 of the LordG2962: “35A pairG2201 of turtledovesG5167 orG2228 twoG1417 youngG3556 dovesG4058.”

25And there was a manG444 in JerusalemG2419 whoseG3739 nameG3686 was SimeonG4826; and thisG3778 manG444 was 36righteousG1342 and devoutG2126, 37lookingG4327 forwardG4327 toG4327 the consolationG3874 of IsraelG2474; and the HolyG40 SpiritG4151 was upon him. 26And 38it had beenG1510 revealedG5537 to him by the HolyG40 SpiritG4151 that he would not 39seeG3708 deathG2288 beforeG4250 he had seenG3708 the Lord’sG2962 40ChristG5547. 27And he cameG2064 41by the SpiritG4151 into the templeG2413; and whenG1722 the parentsG1118 broughtG1521 inG1521 the childG3813 JesusG2424, 4243to carryG4160 outG4160 for Him the customG1480 of the LawG3551, 28thenG2532 he tookG1209 Him in his armsG43, and blessedG2127 GodG2316, and saidG3004,29“NowG3568, LordG1203, You are lettingG630 Your bond-servantG1401 departG630 in peaceG1515, 44AccordingG2596 to Your wordG4487;30For my eyesG3788 have 45seenG3708 Your salvationG4992,31WhichG3739 You have preparedG2090 in the presenceG4383 of allG3956 the peoplesG2992:3246A lightG5457 for revelationG602 47for the GentilesG1484, And the gloryG1391 of Your peopleG2992 IsraelG2474.”

33And His fatherG3962 and 48motherG3384 wereG2296 amazedG2296 at the things which were being saidG2980 aboutG4012 Him. 34And SimeonG4826 blessedG2127 them and saidG3004 to 49His motherG3384 MaryG3137, “BeholdG2400, thisG3778 Child is appointedG2749 for 50the fallG4431 and 51riseG386 of manyG4183 in IsraelG2474, and as a signG4592 to be 52opposedG483-- 35and a swordG4501 will pierceG1330 your ownG846 soulG5590--toG3704 theG3704 endG3704 thatG3704 thoughtsG1261 from manyG4183 heartsG2588 may be revealedG601.”

36And there was a 53prophetessG4398, 54AnnaG451, the daughterG2364 of PhanuelG5323, of 55the tribeG5443 of AsherG768. She was advancedG4260 in 56yearsG2250 57and had livedG2198 with her husbandG435 for sevenG2033 yearsG2250 afterG575 her 58marriageG3932, 37and then as a widowG5503 to the ageG2094 of eighty-fourG3589G5064. She did not leaveG868 the templeG2413 grounds, servingG3000 nightG3571 and dayG2250 with 59fastsG3521 and prayersG1162. 38And at that veryG846 60momentG5610 she cameG2186 upG2186 and began givingG437 thanksG437 to GodG2316, and continued to speakG2980 aboutG4012 Him to allG3956 thoseG3588 who were 61lookingG4327 forwardG4327 toG4327 the redemptionG3085 of JerusalemG2419.

Return to Nazareth

39And whenG5613 His parents had completedG5055 everythingG3956 inG2596 accordanceG2596 withG2596 the LawG3551 of the LordG2962, they returnedG1994 to GalileeG1056, to 62their ownG1438 cityG4172 of NazarethG3478. 4063NowG1161 the ChildG3813 continued to growG837 and to becomeG2901 strongG2901, 64increasingG4137 in wisdomG4678; and the favorG5485 of GodG2316 was upon Him.

Visit to Jerusalem

41His parentsG1118 wentG4198 to JerusalemG2419 everyG2596 yearG2094 at 65the FeastG1859 of the PassoverG3957. 42And whenG3753 He wasG1096 twelveG1427 yearsG2094 old, they wentG305 upG305 there accordingG2596 to the customG1485 of the feastG1859; 43and as they were returningG5290, after spendingG5048 theG5048 66fullG5048 numberG5048 of daysG2250 required, the boyG3816 JesusG2424 stayedG5278 behindG5278 in JerusalemG2419, but His parentsG1118 were unawareG3756G1097 of it. 44InsteadG1161, they thoughtG3543 that He was somewhere in the caravanG4923, and they wentG2064 a day’sG2250 journeyG3598; and then they began lookingG327 for Him amongG1722 their relativesG4773 and acquaintancesG1110. 45And when they did not findG2147 Him, they returnedG5290 to JerusalemG2419, lookingG327 for Him. 46ThenG2532, afterG3326 threeG5140 daysG2250 they foundG2147 Him in the templeG2413, sittingG2516 in the midstG3319 of the teachersG1320, bothG2532 listeningG191 to them and askingG1905 them questionsG1905. 47And allG3956 who heardG191 Him 67were amazedG1839 at His understandingG4907 and His answersG612. 48When Joseph and Mary sawG3708 Him, they were bewilderedG1605; and 68His motherG3384 saidG3004 to Him, “SonG5043, whyG5101 have You treatedG4160 us thisG3779 wayG3779? BeholdG2400, 69Your fatherG3962 and I have been anxiouslyG3600 lookingG2212 forG2212 You!” 49And He saidG3004 to them, “WhyG5101 is it that you were lookingG2212 forG2212 Me? Did you not knowG3609 that 70I hadG1163 to be in My Father’sG3962 71house?” 50And yet 72they on their partG846 did not understandG4920 the statementG4487 whichG3739 He had 73madeG2980 to them. 51And He wentG2597 downG2597 with them and cameG2064 to 74NazarethG3478, and He continuedG1510 to beG5293 subjectG5293 to them; and 75His motherG3384 76treasuredG1301 allG3956 these 77thingsG4487 in her heartG2588.

52And JesusG2424 kept increasingG4298 in wisdomG4678 and 78statureG2244, and in 79favorG5485 with GodG2316 and peopleG444.