Luke 2-3

Luke 2

¹And it came to pass in those days, there went forth a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world be enrolled --

²this enrollment first came to pass when Cyrenius was governor of Syria --

³and all were going to be enrolled, each to his proper city,

⁴and Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, that is called Bethlehem, because of his being of the house and family of David,

⁵to enroll himself with Mary his betrothed wife, being with child.

⁶And it came to pass, in their being there, the days were fulfilled for her bringing forth,

⁷and she brought forth her son -- the first-born, and wrapped him up, and laid him down in the manger, because there was not for them a place in the guest-chamber.

⁸And there were shepherds in the same region, lodging in the field, and keeping the night-watches over their flock,

⁹and lo, a messenger of the Lord stood over them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they feared a great fear.

¹⁰And the messenger said to them, ‘Fear not, for lo, I bring you good news of great joy, that shall be to all the people --

¹¹because there was born to you to-day a Saviour -- who is Christ the Lord -- in the city of David,

¹²and this is to you the sign: Ye shall find a babe wrapped up, lying in the manger.'

¹³And suddenly there came with the messenger a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying,

¹⁴‘Glory in the highest to God, and upon earth peace, among men -- good will.'

¹⁵And it came to pass, when the messengers were gone away from them to the heavens, that the men, the shepherds, said unto one another, ‘We may go over indeed unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that hath come to pass, that the Lord did make known to us.'

¹⁶And they came, having hasted, and found both Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger,

¹⁷and having seen, they made known abroad concerning the saying spoken to them concerning the child.

¹⁸And all who heard, did wonder concerning the things spoken by the shepherds unto them;

¹⁹and Mary was preserving all these things, pondering in her heart;

²⁰and the shepherds turned back, glorifying and praising God, for all those things they heard and saw, as it was spoken unto them.

²¹And when eight days were fulfilled to circumcise the child, then was his name called Jesus, having been so called by the messenger before his being conceived in the womb.

²²And when the days of their purification were fulfilled, according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present to the Lord,

²³as it hath been written in the Law of the Lord, -- ‘Every male opening a womb shall be called holy to the Lord,'

²⁴and to give a sacrifice, according to that said in the Law of the Lord, ‘A pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons.'

²⁵And lo, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name is Simeon, and this man is righteous and devout, looking for the comforting of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him,

²⁶and it hath been divinely told him by the Holy Spirit -- not to see death before he may see the Christ of the Lord.

²⁷And he came in the Spirit to the temple, and in the parents bringing in the child Jesus, for their doing according to the custom of the law regarding him,

²⁸then he took him in his arms, and blessed God, and he said,

²⁹‘Now Thou dost send away Thy servant, Lord, according to Thy word, in peace,

³⁰because mine eyes did see Thy salvation,

³¹which Thou didst prepare before the face of all the peoples,

³²a light to the uncovering of nations, and the glory of Thy people Israel.'

³³And Joseph and his mother were wondering at the things spoken concerning him,

³⁴and Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, ‘Lo, this one is set for the falling and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign spoken against --

³⁵(and also thine own soul shall a sword pass through) -- that the reasonings of many hearts may be revealed.'

³⁶And there was Anna, a prophetess, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, she was much advanced in days, having lived with an husband seven years from her virginity,

³⁷and she is a widow of about eighty-four years, who did depart not from the temple, with fasts and supplications serving, night and day,

³⁸and she, at that hour, having come in, was confessing, likewise, to the Lord, and was speaking concerning him, to all those looking for redemption in Jerusalem.

³⁹And when they finished all things, according to the Law of the Lord, they turned back to Galilee, to their city Nazareth;

⁴⁰and the child grew and was strengthened in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

⁴¹And his parents were going yearly to Jerusalem, at the feast of the passover,

⁴²and when he became twelve years old, they having gone up to Jerusalem, according to the custom of the feast,

⁴³and having finished the days, in their returning the child Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, and Joseph and his mother did not know,

⁴⁴and, having supposed him to be in the company, they went a day's journey, and were seeking him among the kindred and among the acquaintances,

⁴⁵and not having found him, they turned back to Jerusalem seeking him.

⁴⁶And it came to pass, after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both hearing them and questioning them,

⁴⁷and all those hearing him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

⁴⁸And, having seen him, they were amazed, and his mother said unto him, ‘Child, why didst thou thus to us? lo, thy father and I, sorrowing, were seeking thee.'

⁴⁹And he said unto them, ‘Why is it that ye were seeking me? did ye not know that in the things of my Father it behoveth me to be?'

⁵⁰and they did not understand the saying that he spake to them,

⁵¹and he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and he was subject to them, and his mother was keeping all these sayings in her heart,

⁵²and Jesus was advancing in wisdom, and in stature, and in favour with God and men.

Luke 3

¹And in the fifteenth year of the government of Tiberius Caesar -- Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother, tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene --

²Annas and Caiaphas being chief priests -- there came a word of God unto John the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness,

³and he came to all the region round the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of reformation -- to remission of sins,

⁴as it hath been written in the scroll of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, ‘A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, straight make ye His paths;

⁵every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straightness, and the rough become smooth ways;

⁶and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'

⁷Then said he to the multitudes coming forth to be baptised by him, ‘Brood of vipers! who did prompt you to flee from the coming wrath?

⁸make, therefore, fruits worthy of the reformation, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have a father -- Abraham; for I say to you, that God is able out of these stones to raise children to Abraham;

⁹and already also the axe unto the root of the trees is laid, every tree, therefore, not making good fruit is cut down, and to fire it is cast.'

¹⁰And the multitudes were questioning him, saying, ‘What, then, shall we do?'

¹¹and he answering saith to them, ‘He having two coats -- let him impart to him having none, and he having victuals -- in like manner let him do.'

¹²And there came also tax-gatherers to be baptised, and they said unto him, ‘Teacher, what shall we do?'

¹³and he said unto them, ‘Exact no more than that directed you.'

¹⁴And questioning him also were those warring, saying, ‘And we, what shall we do?' and he said unto them, ‘Do violence to no one, nor accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.'

¹⁵And the people are looking forward, and all are reasoning in their hearts concerning John, whether or not he may be the Christ;

¹⁶John answered, saying to all, ‘I indeed with water do baptise you, but he cometh who is mightier than I, of whom I am not worthy to loose the latchet of his sandals -- he shall baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire;

¹⁷whose winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor, and will gather the wheat to his storehouse, and the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.'

¹⁸And, therefore, indeed with many other things, exhorting, he was proclaiming good news to the people,

¹⁹and Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him concerning Herodias the wife of Philip his brother, and concerning all the evils that Herod did,

²⁰added also this to all, that he shut up John in the prison.

²¹And it came to pass, in all the people being baptised, Jesus also being baptised, and praying, the heaven was opened,

²²and the Holy Spirit came down in a bodily appearance, as if a dove, upon him, and a voice came out of heaven, saying, ‘Thou art My Son -- the Beloved, in thee I did delight.'

²³And Jesus himself was beginning to be about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, son of Joseph,

²⁴the son of Eli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph,

²⁵the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Naum, the son of Esli,

²⁶the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Juda,

²⁷the son of Joanna, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,

²⁸the son of Neri, the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er,

²⁹the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat,

³⁰the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Juda, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim,

³¹the son of Melea, the son of Mainan, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan,

³²the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Booz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,

³³the son of Amminadab, the son of Aram, the son of Esrom, the son of Pharez,

³⁴the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

³⁵the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber,

³⁶the son of Salah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

³⁷the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel,

³⁸the son of Cainan, the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.