Luke 2
Legacy Standard Bible
Jesus Is Born in Bethlehem
2 Now it happened that in those days a decree went out from (A)Caesar Augustus for a census to be taken of (B)all [a]the inhabited earth. 2 [b]This was the first census taken while [c]Quirinius was governor of (C)Syria. 3 And everyone was going to be registered for the census, each to his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because (D)he was of the house and family of David, 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was betrothed to him, and was with child. 6 Now it happened that while they were there, the days were fulfilled for her to give birth. 7 And she (E)gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a [d]manger, because there was no place for them in the [e]guest room.
8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And (F)an angel of the [f]Lord (G)stood before them, and the glory of the [g]Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “(H)Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. 11 For today in the city of David there has been born for you a (I)Savior, who is [h](J)Christ (K)the Lord. 12 (L)And this will be the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a [i]manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
15 And it happened that when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the [k]manger. 17 And when they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it marveled at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary (O)was treasuring all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds went back, (P)glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as was told them.
Jesus Presented at the Temple
21 And when (Q)eight days were fulfilled so that they could circumcise Him, (R)His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.
22 (S)And when the days for their cleansing according to the Law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the [l]Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the [m]Lord, “(T)Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the [n]Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the [o]Lord, “(U)A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was (V)righteous and devout, (W)waiting for the [p](X)comfort of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And (Y)it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not (Z)see death before he had seen the [q]Lord’s [r]Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus [s](AA)to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, 28 then he took Him into his arms and blessed God, and said,
29 “Now Master, You are releasing Your slave in peace,
(AB)According to Your word.
30 For my eyes have (AC)seen Your salvation,
31 Which You prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 (AD)A Light for revelation to the Gentiles,
And for the glory of Your people Israel.”
33 And His father and (AE)mother were marveling at the things which were being said about Him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary (AF)His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for (AG)the fall and [t]rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— 35 and a sword will pierce through your own soul as well—that the thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
36 And there was a (AH)prophetess, [u]Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of (AI)the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in [v]years (AJ)having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with (AK)fastings and prayers. 38 And at that very [w]moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were (AL)waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
The Return to Nazareth
39 And when they had finished everything according to the Law of the [x]Lord, they returned to Galilee, to (AM)their own city of Nazareth. 40 (AN)Now the Child continued to grow and become strong, being filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
The Boy Jesus in the Temple
41 And His parents would go to Jerusalem every year at (AO)the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He became twelve years old, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; 43 and as they were returning, after finishing the (AP)days of the Feast, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents did not know. 44 But supposing Him to be in the caravan, they went a day’s journey, and they began searching for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem searching for Him. 46 And it happened that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him (AQ)were astounded at His understanding and His answers. 48 When they saw Him, they were astonished, and (AR)His mother said to Him, “Child, why have You treated us this way? Behold, (AS)Your father and I [y]have been anxiously searching for You.” 49 And He said to them, “Why is it that you were searching for Me? Did you not know that (AT)I had to be in My Father’s [z]house?” 50 But (AU)they did not understand the statement which He had spoken to them. 51 And He went down with them and came to (AV)Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them, and (AW)His mother (AX)was treasuring all these [aa]things in her heart.
52 And Jesus was advancing in wisdom and [ab]stature, and in (AY)favor with God and men.
Footnotes
- Luke 2:1 The Roman empire
- Luke 2:2 Or This took place as a first census
- Luke 2:2 Gr Kyrenios
- Luke 2:7 Or feeding trough
- Luke 2:7 Gr kataluma, cf. 22:11; some versions inn
- Luke 2:9 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Ex 40:34; 2 Kin 1:3
- Luke 2:9 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Ex 40:34; 2 Kin 1:3
- Luke 2:11 Messiah
- Luke 2:12 Or feeding trough
- Luke 2:14 Or of good will; lit of good pleasure
- Luke 2:16 Or feeding trough
- Luke 2:22 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Lev 14:11
- Luke 2:23 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Ps 19:7; Ex 13:2
- Luke 2:23 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Ps 19:7; Ex 13:2
- Luke 2:24 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Ps 19:7
- Luke 2:25 Or consolation
- Luke 2:26 In OT, Yahweh, cf. 1 Sam 2:10
- Luke 2:26 Messiah
- Luke 2:27 Lit to do for Him according to
- Luke 2:34 Or resurrection
- Luke 2:36 Or Hannah
- Luke 2:36 Lit days
- Luke 2:38 Lit hour
- Luke 2:39 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Ps 19:7
- Luke 2:48 Lit are anxiously looking
- Luke 2:49 Or affairs; lit in the things of My Father
- Luke 2:51 Lit words
- Luke 2:52 Or age
Luke 2
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Birth of Jesus
2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus[a](A) that the whole empire[b] should be registered. 2 This first registration took place while[c] Quirinius was governing Syria.(B) 3 So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.
4 And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David,(C) 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him[d] and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough—because there was no room for them at the lodging place.
The Shepherds and the Angels
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord(D) stood before[e] them,(E) and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.[f] 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid,(F) for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:[g] 11 Today a Savior,(G) who is Messiah(H) the Lord,(I) was born for you in the city of David. 12 This will be the sign for you:(J) You will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.”
13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:
15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough. 17 After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary was treasuring up all these things[j] in her heart(N) and meditating on them. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God(O) for all they had seen and heard, just as they had been told.
The Circumcision and Presentation of Jesus
21 When the eight days were completed for His circumcision,(P) He was named Jesus(Q)—the name given by the angel before He was conceived.[k] 22 And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were finished,(R) they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (just as it is written in the law of the Lord: Every firstborn male[l] will be dedicated[m] to the Lord(S)[n]) 24 and to offer a sacrifice (according to what is stated in the law of the Lord: a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons(T)[o]).
Simeon’s Prophetic Praise
25 There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout,(U) looking forward to Israel’s consolation,[p](V) and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit(W) that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah.(X) 27 Guided by the Spirit, he entered[q] the temple complex. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for Him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took Him up in his arms, praised God, and said:
29 Now, Master,
You can dismiss Your slave in peace,
as You promised.
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation.(Y)
31 You have prepared it
in the presence of all peoples—
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles[r](Z)
and glory to Your people Israel.(AA)
33 His father and mother[s] were amazed at what was being said about Him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and told His mother Mary: “Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel(AB) and to be a sign that will be opposed[t]— 35 and a sword will pierce your own soul—that the thoughts[u] of many hearts may be revealed.”
Anna’s Testimony
36 There was also a prophetess,(AC) Anna, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.(AD) She was well along in years,[v] having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,[w](AE) 37 and was a widow for 84 years.[x] She did not leave the temple complex, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers.(AF) 38 At that very moment,[y] she came up and began to thank God and to speak about Him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.[z](AG)
The Family’s Return to Nazareth
39 When they had completed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.(AH) 40 The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was on Him.(AI)
In His Father’s House
41 Every year His parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival.(AJ) 42 When He was 12 years old, they went up according to the custom of the festival.(AK) 43 After those days were over,(AL) as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but His parents[aa] did not know it. 44 Assuming He was in the traveling party, they went a day’s journey. Then they began looking for Him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for Him. 46 After three days, they found Him in the temple complex sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all those who heard Him were astounded at His understanding and His answers. 48 When His parents saw Him, they were astonished, and His mother said to Him,(AM) “Son, why have You treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for You.”(AN)
49 “Why were you searching for Me?” He asked them. “Didn’t you know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”[ab] 50 But they did not understand what He said to them.(AO)
In Favor with God and with People
51 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother kept all these things in her heart.(AP) 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.(AQ)
Footnotes
- Luke 2:1 Emperor who ruled the Roman Empire 27 b.c.–a.d. 14; also known as Octavian, he established the peaceful era known as the Pax Romana; Caesar was a title of Roman emperors.
- Luke 2:1 Or the whole inhabited world
- Luke 2:2 Or This registration was the first while, or This registration was before
- Luke 2:5 Other mss read was his engaged wife
- Luke 2:9 Or Lord appeared to
- Luke 2:9 Lit they feared a great fear
- Luke 2:10 Or the whole nation
- Luke 2:14 Other mss read earth good will to people
- Luke 2:14 Or earth to men of good will
- Luke 2:19 Lit these words
- Luke 2:21 Or conceived in the womb
- Luke 2:23 Lit “Every male that opens a womb
- Luke 2:23 Lit be called holy
- Luke 2:23 Ex 13:2,12
- Luke 2:24 Lv 5:11; 12:8
- Luke 2:25 The coming of the Messiah with His salvation for the nation; Is 40:1; 61:2; Lk 2:26,30
- Luke 2:27 Lit And in the Spirit, he came into
- Luke 2:32 Or the nations
- Luke 2:33 Other mss read But Joseph and His mother
- Luke 2:34 Or spoken against
- Luke 2:35 Or schemes
- Luke 2:36 Lit in many days
- Luke 2:36 Lit years from her virginity
- Luke 2:37 Or she was a widow until the age of 84
- Luke 2:38 Lit very hour
- Luke 2:38 Other mss read in Jerusalem
- Luke 2:43 Other mss read but Joseph and His mother
- Luke 2:49 Or be involved in My Father’s interests (or things), or be among My Father’s people
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.