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. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid,^(D) Mary; you have found favor with God.^{(E) 31} You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.^{(F) 32} He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.^(G) The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,^{(H) 33} and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom^(I) will never end.”^(J)

³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you,^(K) and the power of the Most High^(L) will overshadow you. So the holy one^(M) to be born will be called^[a] the Son of God.^{(N) 36} Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child^(O) in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. ³⁷ For no word from God will ever fail.”^(P)

³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹ At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,^{(Q) 40} where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.^{(R) 42} In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women,^(S) and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³ But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord^(T) should come to me? ⁴⁴ As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Mary’s Song^(U)

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

⁵⁶ Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

Various Laws

19 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel^(A) and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God,^(B) am holy.^(C)

³ “‘Each of you must respect your mother and father,^(D) and you must observe my Sabbaths.^(E) I am the Lord your God.^(F)

⁴ “‘Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves.^(G) I am the Lord your God.^(H)

⁵ “‘When you sacrifice a fellowship offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. ⁶ It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it or on the next day; anything left over until the third day must be burned up.^{(I) 7} If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is impure and will not be accepted.^{(J) 8} Whoever eats it will be held responsible^(K) because they have desecrated what is holy^(L) to the Lord; they must be cut off from their people.^(M)

⁹ “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges^(N) of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.^{(O) 10} Do not go over your vineyard a second time^(P) or pick up the grapes that have fallen.^(Q) Leave them for the poor and the foreigner.^(R) I am the Lord your God.

¹¹ “‘Do not steal.^(S)

“‘Do not lie.^(T)

“‘Do not deceive one another.^(U)

¹² “‘Do not swear falsely^(V) by my name^(W) and so profane^(X) the name of your God. I am the Lord.

¹³ “‘Do not defraud or rob^(Y) your neighbor.^(Z)

“‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker^(AA) overnight.^(AB)

¹⁴ “‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind,^(AC) but fear your God.^(AD) I am the Lord.

¹⁵ “‘Do not pervert justice;^(AE) do not show partiality^(AF) to the poor or favoritism to the great,^(AG) but judge your neighbor fairly.^(AH)

¹⁶ “‘Do not go about spreading slander^(AI) among your people.

“‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life.^(AJ) I am the Lord.

¹⁷ “‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart.^(AK) Rebuke your neighbor frankly^(AL) so you will not share in their guilt.

¹⁸ “‘Do not seek revenge^(AM) or bear a grudge^(AN) against anyone among your people,^(AO) but love your neighbor^(AP) as yourself.^(AQ) I am the Lord.

¹⁹ “‘Keep my decrees.^(AR)

“‘Do not mate different kinds of animals.

“‘Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.^(AS)

“‘Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.^(AT)

²⁰ “‘If a man sleeps with a female slave who is promised to another man^(AU) but who has not been ransomed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment.^[a] Yet they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed. ²¹ The man, however, must bring a ram to the entrance to the tent of meeting for a guilt offering to the Lord.^{(AV) 22} With the ram of the guilt offering the priest is to make atonement for him before the Lord for the sin he has committed, and his sin will be forgiven.^(AW)

²³ “‘When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden.^[b] For three years you are to consider it forbidden^[c]; it must not be eaten. ²⁴ In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy,^(AX) an offering of praise to the Lord. ²⁵ But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the Lord your God.

²⁶ “‘Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it.^(AY)

“‘Do not practice divination^(AZ) or seek omens.^(BA)

²⁷ “‘Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.^(BB)

²⁸ “‘Do not cut^(BC) your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.

²⁹ “‘Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute,^(BD) or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness.^(BE)

³⁰ “‘Observe my Sabbaths^(BF) and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the Lord.^(BG)

³¹ “‘Do not turn to mediums^(BH) or seek out spiritists,^(BI) for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.

³² “‘Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect^(BJ) for the elderly^(BK) and revere your God.^(BL) I am the Lord.^(BM)

³³ “‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. ³⁴ The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born.^(BN) Love them as yourself,^(BO) for you were foreigners^(BP) in Egypt.^(BQ) I am the Lord your God.

³⁵ “‘Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity.^{(BR) 36} Use honest scales^(BS) and honest weights, an honest ephah^[d](BT) and an honest hin.^[e](BU) I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.^(BV)

³⁷ “‘Keep all my decrees^(BW) and all my laws^(BX) and follow them. I am the Lord.’”

Punishments for Sin

20 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death.^(BY) The members of the community are to stone him.^{(BZ) 3} I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people;^(CA) for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled^(CB) my sanctuary^(CC) and profaned my holy name.^{(CD) 4} If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death,^{(CE) 5} I myself will set my face against him and his family and will cut them off from their people together with all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molek.

⁶ “‘I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.^(CF)

⁷ “‘Consecrate yourselves^(CG) and be holy,^(CH) because I am the Lord your God.^{(CI) 8} Keep my decrees^(CJ) and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.^(CK)

⁹ “‘Anyone who curses their father^(CL) or mother^(CM) is to be put to death.^(CN) Because they have cursed their father or mother, their blood will be on their own head.^(CO)

¹⁰ “‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife^(CP)—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.^(CQ)

¹¹ “‘If a man has sexual relations with his father’s wife, he has dishonored his father.^(CR) Both the man and the woman are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.^(CS)

¹² “‘If a man has sexual relations with his daughter-in-law,^(CT) both of them are to be put to death. What they have done is a perversion; their blood will be on their own heads.

¹³ “‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable.^(CU) They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

¹⁴ “‘If a man marries both a woman and her mother,^(CV) it is wicked. Both he and they must be burned in the fire,^(CW) so that no wickedness will be among you.^(CX)

¹⁵ “‘If a man has sexual relations with an animal,^(CY) he is to be put to death,^(CZ) and you must kill the animal.

¹⁶ “‘If a woman approaches an animal to have sexual relations with it, kill both the woman and the animal. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

¹⁷ “‘If a man marries his sister^(DA), the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They are to be publicly removed^(DB) from their people. He has dishonored his sister and will be held responsible.^(DC)

¹⁸ “‘If a man has sexual relations with a woman during her monthly period,^(DD) he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has also uncovered it. Both of them are to be cut off from their people.^(DE)

¹⁹ “‘Do not have sexual relations with the sister of either your mother or your father,^(DF) for that would dishonor a close relative; both of you would be held responsible.

²⁰ “‘If a man has sexual relations with his aunt,^(DG) he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible; they will die childless.^(DH)

²¹ “‘If a man marries his brother’s wife,^(DI) it is an act of impurity; he has dishonored his brother. They will be childless.^(DJ)

²² “‘Keep all my decrees and laws^(DK) and follow them, so that the land^(DL) where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. ²³ You must not live according to the customs of the nations^(DM) I am going to drive out before you.^(DN) Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.^{(DO) 24} But I said to you, “You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.”^(DP) I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nations.^(DQ)

²⁵ “‘You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals and between unclean and clean birds.^(DR) Do not defile yourselves by any animal or bird or anything that moves along the ground—those that I have set apart as unclean for you. ²⁶ You are to be holy to me^(DS) because I, the Lord, am holy,^(DT) and I have set you apart from the nations^(DU) to be my own.

²⁷ “‘A man or woman who is a medium^(DV) or spiritist among you must be put to death.^(DW) You are to stone them;^(DX) their blood will be on their own heads.’”