The Birth of Jesus Christ

2 In those days ^(A)a decree went out from ^(B)Caesar Augustus that all the world should be ^(C)registered. ² This was the first ^(D)registration when^[a] Quirinius ^(E)was governor of Syria. ³ And all went to be registered, each to his own town. ⁴ And Joseph also went up ^(F)from Galilee, from the town of ^(G)Nazareth, to Judea, to ^(H)the city of David, which is called ^(I)Bethlehem, ^(J)because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,^[b] who was with child. ⁶ And ^(K)while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and ^(L)wrapped him in swaddling cloths and ^(M)laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in ^(N)the inn.^[c]

¹⁴ And ^(A)the Word ^(B)became flesh and ^(C)dwelt among us, ^(D)and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son^[a] from the Father, full of ^(E)grace and ^(F)truth.

The Preeminence of Christ

^15 (A)He is the image of ^(B)the invisible God, ^(C)the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For by^[a] him all things were created, ^(D)in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether ^(E)thrones or ^(F)dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created ^(G)through him and for him. ¹⁷ And ^(H)he is before all things, and in him all things ^(I)hold together. ¹⁸ And ^(J)he is the head of the body, the church. He is ^(K)the beginning, ^(L)the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹ For ^(M)in him all the ^(N)fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and ^(O)through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, ^(P)making peace ^(Q)by the blood of his cross.