2:1 Now 1 in those days a decree 2 went out from Caesar 3 Augustus 4 to register 5 all the empire 6 for taxes. 2:2 This was the first registration, taken when Quirinius was governor 7 of Syria. 2:3 Everyone 8 went to his own town 9 to be registered. 2:4 So 10 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth 11 in Galilee to Judea, to the city 12 of David called Bethlehem, 13 because he was of the house 14 and family line 15 of David. 2:5 He went 16 to be registered with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him, 17 and who was expecting a child. 2:6 While 18 they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 19 2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in strips of cloth 20 and laid him in a manger, 21 because there was no place for them in the inn. 22
2:8 Now 23 there were shepherds 24 nearby 25 living out in the field, keeping guard 26 over their flock at night. 2:9 An 27 angel of the Lord 28 appeared to 29 them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were absolutely terrified. 30 2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, 31 for I proclaim to you good news 32 that brings great joy to all the people: 2:11 Today 33 your Savior is born in the city 34 of David. 35 He is Christ 36 the Lord. 2:12 This 37 will be a sign 38 for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” 39 2:13 Suddenly 40 a vast, heavenly army 41 appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
2:14 “Glory 42 to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among people 43 with whom he is pleased!” 44
2:15 When 45 the angels left them and went back to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem 46 and see this thing that has taken place, that the Lord 47 has made known to us.” 2:16 So they hurried off and located Mary and Joseph, and found the baby lying in a manger. 48 2:17 When 49 they saw him, 50 they related what they had been told 51 about this child, 2:18 and all who heard it were astonished 52 at what the shepherds said. 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering in her heart what they might mean. 53 2:20 So 54 the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising 55 God for all they had heard and seen; everything was just as they had been told. 56
2:21 At 57 the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given by the angel 58 before he was conceived in the womb.
2:22 Now 59 when the time came for their 60 purification according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary 61 brought Jesus 62 up to Jerusalem 63 to present him to the Lord 2:23 (just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male 64 will be set apart to the Lord” 65 ), 2:24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is specified in the law of the Lord, a pair of doves 66 or two young pigeons. 67
2:25 Now 68 there was a man in Jerusalem 69 named Simeon who was righteous 70 and devout, looking for the restoration 71 of Israel, and the Holy Spirit 72 was upon him. 2:26 It 73 had been revealed 74 to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die 75 before 76 he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 77 2:27 So 78 Simeon, 79 directed by the Spirit, 80 came into the temple courts, 81 and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary according to the law, 82 2:28 Simeon 83 took him in his arms and blessed God, saying, 84
2:29 “Now, according to your word, 85 Sovereign Lord, 86 permit 87 your servant 88 to depart 89 in peace.
2:30 For my eyes have seen your salvation 90
2:31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples: 91
2:32 a light, 92
for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory 93 to your people Israel.”
2:33 So 94 the child’s 95 father 96 and mother were amazed 97 at what was said about him. 2:34 Then 98 Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “Listen carefully: 99 This child 100 is destined to be the cause of the falling and rising 101 of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be rejected. 102 2:35 Indeed, as a result of him the thoughts 103 of many hearts will be revealed 104 – and a sword 105 will pierce your own soul as well!” 106
2:36 There was also a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old, 107 having been married to her husband for seven years until his death. 2:37 She had lived as a widow since then for eighty-four years. 108 She never left the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 109 2:38 At that moment, 110 she came up to them 111 and began to give thanks to God and to speak 112 about the child 113 to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. 114
2:39 So 115 when Joseph and Mary 116 had performed 117 everything according to the law of the Lord, 118 they returned to Galilee, to their own town 119 of Nazareth. 120 2:40 And the child grew and became strong, 121 filled with wisdom, 122 and the favor 123 of God 124 was upon him.
2:41 Now 125 Jesus’ 126 parents went to Jerusalem 127 every 128 year for the feast of the Passover. 129 2:42 When 130 he was twelve years old, 131 they went up 132 according to custom. 2:43 But 133 when the feast was over, 134 as they were returning home, 135 the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His 136 parents 137 did not know it, 2:44 but (because they assumed that he was in their group of travelers) 138 they went a day’s journey. Then 139 they began to look for him among their relatives and acquaintances. 140 2:45 When 141 they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem 142 to look for him. 2:46 After 143 three days 144 they found him in the temple courts, 145 sitting among the teachers, 146 listening to them and asking them questions. 2:47 And all who heard Jesus 147 were astonished 148 at his understanding and his answers. 2:48 When 149 his parents 150 saw him, they were overwhelmed. His 151 mother said to him, “Child, 152 why have you treated 153 us like this? Look, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” 154 2:49 But 155 he replied, 156 “Why were you looking for me? 157 Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 158 2:50 Yet 159 his parents 160 did not understand 161 the remark 162 he made 163 to them. 2:51 Then 164 he went down with them and came to Nazareth, 165 and was obedient 166 to them. But 167 his mother kept all these things 168 in her heart. 169
2:52 And Jesus increased 170 in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and with people.
3:1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, 171 when Pontius Pilate 172 was governor of Judea, and Herod 173 was tetrarch 174 of Galilee, and his brother Philip 175 was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias 176 was tetrarch of Abilene, 3:2 during the high priesthood 177 of Annas and Caiaphas, the word 178 of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 179 3:3 He 180 went into all the region around the Jordan River, 181 preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 182
3:4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
“The voice 183 of one shouting in the wilderness: 184
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make 185 his paths straight.
3:5 Every valley will be filled, 186
and every mountain and hill will be brought low,
and the crooked will be made straight,
and the rough ways will be made smooth,
3:6 and all humanity 187 will see the salvation of God.’” 188
3:7 So John 189 said to the crowds 190 that came out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers! 191 Who warned you to flee 192 from the coming wrath? 3:8 Therefore produce 193 fruit 194 that proves your repentance, and don’t begin to say 195 to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ 196 For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! 197 3:9 Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, 198 and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be 199 cut down and thrown into the fire.”
3:10 So 200 the crowds were asking 201 him, “What then should we do?” 3:11 John 202 answered them, 203 “The person who has two tunics 204 must share with the person who has none, and the person who has food must do likewise.” 3:12 Tax collectors 205 also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 3:13 He told them, “Collect no more 206 than you are required to.” 207 3:14 Then some soldiers 208 also asked him, “And as for us – what should we do?” 209 He told them, “Take money from no one by violence 210 or by false accusation, 211 and be content with your pay.”
3:15 While the people were filled with anticipation 212 and they all wondered 213 whether perhaps John 214 could be the Christ, 215 3:16 John answered them all, 216 “I baptize you with water, 217 but one more powerful than I am is coming – I am not worthy 218 to untie the strap 219 of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 220 3:17 His winnowing fork 221 is in his hand to clean out his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his storehouse, 222 but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire.” 223
3:18 And in this way, 224 with many other exhortations, John 225 proclaimed good news to the people. 3:19 But when John rebuked Herod 226 the tetrarch 227 because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, 228 and because of all the evil deeds 229 that he had done, 3:20 Herod added this to them all: He locked up John in prison.
3:21 Now when 230 all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. And while he was praying, 231 the heavens 232 opened, 3:22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. 233 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my one dear Son; 234 in you I take great delight.” 235
3:23 So 236 Jesus, when he began his ministry, 237 was about thirty years old. He was 238 the son (as was supposed) 239 of Joseph, the son 240 of Heli, 3:24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 3:25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 3:26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 3:27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, 241 the son of Shealtiel, 242 the son of Neri, 243 3:28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 3:29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 3:30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 3:31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, 244 the son of David, 245 3:32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, 246 the son of Nahshon, 3:33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, 247 the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 3:34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, 248 the son of Nahor, 3:35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 3:36 the son of Cainan, 249 the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 3:37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, 250 the son of Kenan, 251 3:38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. 252