The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days Caesar Augustus^(A) issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.^{(B) 2} (This was the first census that took place while^[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.)^{(C) 3} And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem^(D) the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him^(E) and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel^(F) of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.^(G) I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior^(H) has been born to you; he is the Messiah,^(I) the Lord.^{(J) 12} This will be a sign^(K) to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.^{(M) 17} When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.^{(N) 20} The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God^(O) for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

²¹ On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child,^(P) he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.^(Q)

Jesus Presented in the Temple

²² When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses,^(R) Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”^[b]),^{(S) 24} and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”^[c](T)

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout.^(U) He was waiting for the consolation of Israel,^(V) and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,^{(W) 28} Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

³³ The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother:^(AB) “This child is destined to cause the falling^(AC) and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

³⁶ There was also a prophet,^(AD) Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷ and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[e](AE) She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.^{(AF) 38} Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.^(AG)

³⁹ When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.^{(AH) 40} And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.^(AI)

The Boy Jesus at the Temple

⁴¹ Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover.^{(AJ) 42} When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. ⁴³ After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. ⁴⁴ Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ Everyone who heard him was amazed^(AK) at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother^(AL) said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father^(AM) and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

⁴⁹ “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”^{[f](AN) 50} But they did not understand what he was saying to them.^(AO)

⁵¹ Then he went down to Nazareth with them^(AP) and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.^{(AQ) 52} And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.^(AR)

List of Defeated Kings

12 These are the kings of the land whom the Israelites had defeated and whose territory they took^(A) over east of the Jordan,^(B) from the Arnon^(C) Gorge to Mount Hermon,^(D) including all the eastern side of the Arabah:^(E)

⁶ Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the Israelites conquered them.^(W) And Moses the servant of the Lord gave their land to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh to be their possession.^(X)

⁷ Here is a list of the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon^(Y) to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir. Joshua gave their lands as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel according to their tribal divisions. ⁸ The lands included the hill country, the western foothills, the Arabah, the mountain slopes, the wilderness and the Negev.^(Z) These were the lands of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. These were the kings:^(AA)

Land Still to Be Taken

13 When Joshua had grown old,^(BC) the Lord said to him, “You are now very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.

⁶ “As for all the inhabitants of the mountain regions from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim,^(BR) that is, all the Sidonians, I myself will drive them out^(BS) before the Israelites. Be sure to allocate this land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have instructed you,^{(BT) 7} and divide it as an inheritance^(BU) among the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh.”

Division of the Land East of the Jordan

⁸ The other half of Manasseh,^[b] the Reubenites and the Gadites had received the inheritance that Moses had given them east of the Jordan, as he, the servant of the Lord, had assigned^(BV) it to them.^(BW)

¹⁴ But to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance, since the food offerings presented to the Lord, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as he promised them.^(CM)

¹⁵ This is what Moses had given to the tribe of Reuben, according to its clans:

²⁴ This is what Moses had given to the tribe of Gad, according to its clans:

²⁹ This is what Moses had given to the half-tribe of Manasseh, that is, to half the family of the descendants of Manasseh, according to its clans:

³² This is the inheritance Moses had given when he was in the plains of Moab^(DX) across the Jordan east of Jericho.^{(DY) 33} But to the tribe of Levi, Moses had given no inheritance;^(DZ) the Lord, the God of Israel, is their inheritance,^(EA) as he promised them.^(EB)

Division of the Land West of the Jordan

14 Now these are the areas the Israelites received as an inheritance^(EC) in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar^(ED) the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel^(EE) allotted^(EF) to them.^{(EG) 2} Their inheritances were assigned by lot^(EH) to the nine and a half tribes,^(EI) as the Lord had commanded through Moses. ³ Moses had granted the two and a half tribes their inheritance east of the Jordan^(EJ) but had not granted the Levites an inheritance among the rest,^{(EK) 4} for Joseph’s descendants had become two tribes—Manasseh and Ephraim.^(EL) The Levites received no share of the land but only towns to live in, with pasturelands for their flocks and herds.^{(EM) 5} So the Israelites divided the land, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.^(EN)

Allotment for Caleb

⁶ Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal,^(EO) and Caleb son of Jephunneh^(EP) the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God^(EQ) at Kadesh Barnea^(ER) about you and me.^{(ES) 7} I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea^(ET) to explore the land.^(EU) And I brought him back a report according to my convictions,^{(EV) 8} but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear.^(EW) I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.^{(EX) 9} So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance^(EY) and that of your children^(EZ) forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.’^[d]

¹⁰ “Now then, just as the Lord promised,^(FA) he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved^(FB) about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old!^{(FC) 11} I am still as strong^(FD) today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous^(FE) to go out to battle now as I was then. ¹² Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day.^(FF) You yourself heard then that the Anakites^(FG) were there and their cities were large and fortified,^(FH) but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

¹³ Then Joshua blessed^(FI) Caleb son of Jephunneh^(FJ) and gave him Hebron^(FK) as his inheritance.^{(FL) 14} So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly.^{(FM) 15} (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba^(FN) after Arba,^(FO) who was the greatest man among the Anakites.)

Then the land had rest^(FP) from war.