2 But it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census should be made of all the habitable world.

² The census itself first took place when Cyrenius had the government of Syria.

³ And all went to be inscribed in the census roll, each to his own city:

⁴ and Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city Nazareth to Judaea, to David's city, the which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,

⁵ to be inscribed in the census roll with Mary who was betrothed to him [as his] wife, she being great with child.

⁶ And it came to pass, while they were there, the days of her giving birth [to her child] were fulfilled,

⁷ and she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him up in swaddling-clothes and laid him in the manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁸ And there were shepherds in that country abiding without, and keeping watch by night over their flock.

⁹ And lo, an angel of [the] Lord was there by them, and [the] glory of [the] Lord shone around them, and they feared [with] great fear.

¹⁰ And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I announce to you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all the people;

¹¹ for to-day a Saviour has been born to you in David's city, who is Christ [the] Lord.

¹² And this is the sign to you: ye shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling-clothes, and lying in a manger.

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

¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good pleasure in men.

¹⁵ And it came to pass, as the angels departed from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, Let us make our way then now as far as Bethlehem, and let us see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.

¹⁶ And they came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger;

¹⁷ and having seen [it] they made known about the country the thing which had been said to them concerning this child.

¹⁸ And all who heard [it] wondered at the things said to them by the shepherds.

¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things [in her mind], pondering [them] in her heart.

²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all things which they had heard and seen, as it had been said to them.

²¹ And when eight days were fulfilled for circumcising him, his name was called Jesus, which was the name given by the angel before he had been conceived in the womb.

²² And when the days were fulfilled for their purifying according to the law of Moses, they brought him to Jerusalem to present [him] to the Lord

²³ (as it is written in the law of [the] Lord: Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord),

²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of [the] Lord: A pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons.