The Birth of Jesus

In those days Caesar Augustus(A) issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.(B) (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.)(C) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem(D) the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him(E) and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 2:2 Or This census took place before

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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He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering,(A) and familiar with pain.(B)
Like one from whom people hide(C) their faces
    he was despised,(D) and we held him in low esteem.

Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,(E)
yet we considered him punished by God,(F)
    stricken by him, and afflicted.(G)
But he was pierced(H) for our transgressions,(I)
    he was crushed(J) for our iniquities;
the punishment(K) that brought us peace(L) was on him,
    and by his wounds(M) we are healed.(N)
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,(O)
    each of us has turned to our own way;(P)
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity(Q) of us all.

He was oppressed(R) and afflicted,
    yet he did not open his mouth;(S)
he was led like a lamb(T) to the slaughter,(U)
    and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression[a] and judgment(V) he was taken away.
    Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;(W)
    for the transgression(X) of my people he was punished.[b]
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,(Y)
    and with the rich(Z) in his death,
though he had done no violence,(AA)
    nor was any deceit in his mouth.(AB)

10 Yet it was the Lord’s will(AC) to crush(AD) him and cause him to suffer,(AE)
    and though the Lord makes[c] his life an offering for sin,(AF)
he will see his offspring(AG) and prolong his days,
    and the will of the Lord will prosper(AH) in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,(AI)
    he will see the light(AJ) of life[d] and be satisfied[e];
by his knowledge[f] my righteous servant(AK) will justify(AL) many,
    and he will bear their iniquities.(AM)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 53:8 Or From arrest
  2. Isaiah 53:8 Or generation considered / that he was cut off from the land of the living, / that he was punished for the transgression of my people?
  3. Isaiah 53:10 Hebrew though you make
  4. Isaiah 53:11 Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text does not have the light of life.
  5. Isaiah 53:11 Or (with Masoretic Text) 11 He will see the fruit of his suffering / and will be satisfied
  6. Isaiah 53:11 Or by knowledge of him

The Throne in Heaven

After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open(A) in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet(B) said, “Come up here,(C) and I will show you what must take place after this.”(D) At once I was in the Spirit,(E) and there before me was a throne in heaven(F) with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper(G) and ruby.(H) A rainbow(I) that shone like an emerald(J) encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders.(K) They were dressed in white(L) and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder.(M) In front of the throne, seven lamps(N) were blazing. These are the seven spirits[a](O) of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass,(P) clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures,(Q) and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.(R) The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.(S) Each of the four living creatures(T) had six wings(U) and was covered with eyes all around,(V) even under its wings. Day and night(W) they never stop saying:

“‘Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,’[b](X)

who was, and is, and is to come.”(Y)

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne(Z) and who lives for ever and ever,(AA) 10 the twenty-four elders(AB) fall down before him(AC) who sits on the throne(AD) and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,(AE)
for you created all things,
    and by your will they were created
    and have their being.”(AF)

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 4:5 That is, the sevenfold Spirit
  2. Revelation 4:8 Isaiah 6:3

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