The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ All went to their own towns to be registered. ⁴ Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.^{(A) 5} He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.^[a]

The Shepherds and the Angels

⁸ Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:^{(B) 11} to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,^[b] the Lord.^{(C) 12} This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”^{(D) 13} And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,^[c] praising God and saying,^(E)

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, ¹⁹ and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.^{(G) 20} The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.^(H)

Psalm 107

Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Many Troubles

Bitter Water Made Sweet

²² Then Moses ordered Israel to set out from the Red Sea,^[a] and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water.^{(A) 23} When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter. That is why it was called Marah.^{[b](B) 24} And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”^{(C) 25} He cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood; he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the Lord^[c] made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he put them to the test.^{(D) 26} He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you.”^(E)

²⁷ Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there by the water.^(F)

Moses a Servant, Christ a Son

3 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, partners in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,^{(A) 2} who was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses also “was faithful in all^[a] God’s^[b] house.” ³ Yet Jesus^[c] is worthy of more glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.^{(B) 4} (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)^{(C) 5} Now Moses was faithful in all God’s^[d] house as a servant, to testify to the things that would be spoken later.^{(D) 6} Christ, however, was faithful over God’s^[e] house as a son, and we are his house if we hold firm^[f] the boldness and the pride inspired by hope.^(E)