19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable,(A) and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light(B) shining in a dark place, until the day dawns(C) and the morning star(D) rises in your hearts.(E) 20 Above all, you must understand(F) that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God(G) as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.(H)

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19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

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19 “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe(A) that I am who I am.(B)

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19 Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.

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29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.(A)

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29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

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21 Declare what is to be, present it—
    let them take counsel together.
Who foretold(A) this long ago,
    who declared it from the distant past?(B)
Was it not I, the Lord?
    And there is no God apart from me,(C)
a righteous God(D) and a Savior;(E)
    there is none but me.

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21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.

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Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing
    without revealing his plan(A)
    to his servants the prophets.(B)

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Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

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16 All Scripture is God-breathed(A) and is useful for teaching,(B) rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,(C)

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16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

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32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon,(A) Barak,(B) Samson(C) and Jephthah,(D) about David(E) and Samuel(F) and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms,(G) administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,(H) 34 quenched the fury of the flames,(I) and escaped the edge of the sword;(J) whose weakness was turned to strength;(K) and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.(L) 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again.(M) There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging,(N) and even chains and imprisonment.(O) 37 They were put to death by stoning;[a](P) they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword.(Q) They went about in sheepskins and goatskins,(R) destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves(S) and in holes in the ground.

39 These were all commended(T) for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,(U) 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us(V) would they be made perfect.(W)

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 11:37 Some early manuscripts stoning; they were put to the test;

32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:

33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.

34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

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10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke(A) of the grace that was to come to you,(B) searched intently and with the greatest care,(C) 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ(D) in them was pointing when he predicted(E) the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you,(F) when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you(G) by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.(H) Even angels long to look into these things.

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10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

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14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you[a] a sign:(A) The virgin[b](B) will conceive and give birth to a son,(C) and[c] will call him Immanuel.[d](D)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 7:14 The Hebrew is plural.
  2. Isaiah 7:14 Or young woman
  3. Isaiah 7:14 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls son, and he or son, and they
  4. Isaiah 7:14 Immanuel means God with us.

14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

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For to us a child is born,(A)
    to us a son is given,(B)
    and the government(C) will be on his shoulders.(D)
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor,(E) Mighty God,(F)
    Everlasting(G) Father,(H) Prince of Peace.(I)
Of the greatness of his government(J) and peace(K)
    there will be no end.(L)
He will reign(M) on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice(N) and righteousness(O)
    from that time on and forever.(P)
The zeal(Q) of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.

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For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

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The Birth of Jesus Foretold

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel(A) to Nazareth,(B) a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph,(C) a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

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26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

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“But you, Bethlehem(A) Ephrathah,(B)
    though you are small among the clans[a] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler(C) over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,(D)
    from ancient times.”(E)

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 5:2 Or rulers

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

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The Magi Visit the Messiah

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea,(A) during the time of King Herod,(B) Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?(C) We saw his star(D) when it rose and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem(E) in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’[b](F)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 2:1 Traditionally wise men
  2. Matthew 2:6 Micah 5:2,4

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

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