Luke 2

New International Version

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days Caesar Augustus^(A) issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.^(B) ²(This was the first census that took place while^[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.)^(C) ³And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴So 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. ⁵He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him^(E) and was expecting a child. ⁶While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷and 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.

⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel^(F) of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.^(G) I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior^(H) has been born to you; he is the Messiah,^(I) the Lord.^(J) ¹²This will be a sign^(K) to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace^(L) to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.^(M) ¹⁷When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.^(N) ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God^(O) for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

²¹On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child,^(P) he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.^(Q)

Jesus Presented in the Temple

²²When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses,^(R) Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”^[b]),^(S) ²⁴and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”^[c]^(T)

²⁵Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout.^(U) He was waiting for the consolation of Israel,^(V) and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,^(W) ²⁸Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

²⁹“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,^(X)
    you may now dismiss^[d] your servant in peace.^(Y)
³⁰For my eyes have seen your salvation,^(Z)
³¹    which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
³²a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.”^(AA)

³³The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother:^(AB) “This child is destined to cause the falling^(AC) and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

³⁶There was also a prophet,^(AD) Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[e]^(AE) She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.^(AF) ³⁸Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.^(AG)

³⁹When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.^(AH) ⁴⁰And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.^(AI)

The Boy Jesus at the Temple

⁴¹Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover.^(AJ) ⁴²When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. ⁴³After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. ⁴⁴Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. ⁴⁶After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷Everyone who heard him was amazed^(AK) at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother^(AL) said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father^(AM) and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

⁴⁹“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”^[f]^(AN) ⁵⁰But they did not understand what he was saying to them.^(AO)

⁵¹Then he went down to Nazareth with them^(AP) and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.^(AQ) ⁵²And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.^(AR)

Footnotes

Luke 2:2 Or This census took place before
Luke 2:23 Exodus 13:2,12
Luke 2:24 Lev. 12:8
Luke 2:29 Or promised, / now dismiss
Luke 2:37 Or then had been a widow for eighty-four years.
Luke 2:49 Or be about my Father’s business

Hosea 2-3

New International Version

2 ^[a]“Say of your brothers, ‘My people,’ and of your sisters, ‘My loved one.’^(A)

Israel Punished and Restored

²“Rebuke your mother,^(B) rebuke her,
    for she is not my wife,
    and I am not her husband.
Let her remove the adulterous^(C) look from her face
    and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts.
³Otherwise I will strip^(D) her naked
    and make her as bare as on the day she was born;^(E)
I will make her like a desert,^(F)
    turn her into a parched land,
    and slay her with thirst.
⁴I will not show my love to her children,^(G)
    because they are the children of adultery.^(H)
⁵Their mother has been unfaithful
    and has conceived them in disgrace.
She said, ‘I will go after my lovers,^(I)
    who give me my food and my water,
    my wool and my linen, my olive oil and my drink.’^(J)
⁶Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes;
    I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way.^(K)
⁷She will chase after her lovers but not catch them;
    she will look for them but not find them.^(L)
Then she will say,
    ‘I will go back to my husband^(M) as at first,^(N)
    for then I was better off^(O) than now.’
⁸She has not acknowledged^(P) that I was the one
    who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil,^(Q)
who lavished on her the silver and gold^(R)—
    which they used for Baal.^(S)

⁹“Therefore I will take away my grain^(T) when it ripens,
    and my new wine^(U) when it is ready.
I will take back my wool and my linen,
    intended to cover her naked body.
¹⁰So now I will expose^(V) her lewdness
    before the eyes of her lovers;^(W)
    no one will take her out of my hands.^(X)
¹¹I will stop^(Y) all her celebrations:^(Z)
    her yearly festivals, her New Moons,
    her Sabbath days—all her appointed festivals.^(AA)
¹²I will ruin her vines^(AB) and her fig trees,^(AC)
    which she said were her pay from her lovers;^(AD)
I will make them a thicket,^(AE)
    and wild animals will devour them.^(AF)
¹³I will punish her for the days
    she burned incense^(AG) to the Baals;^(AH)
she decked herself with rings and jewelry,^(AI)
    and went after her lovers,^(AJ)
    but me she forgot,^(AK)”
declares the Lord.^(AL)

¹⁴“Therefore I am now going to allure her;
    I will lead her into the wilderness^(AM)
    and speak tenderly to her.
¹⁵There I will give her back her vineyards,
    and will make the Valley of Achor^[b]^(AN) a door of hope.
There she will respond^[c]^(AO) as in the days of her youth,^(AP)
    as in the day she came up out of Egypt.^(AQ)

¹⁶“In that day,” declares the Lord,
    “you will call me ‘my husband’;^(AR)
    you will no longer call me ‘my master.^[d]’
¹⁷I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips;^(AS)
    no longer will their names be invoked.^(AT)
¹⁸In that day I will make a covenant for them
    with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky
    and the creatures that move along the ground.^(AU)
Bow and sword and battle
    I will abolish^(AV) from the land,
    so that all may lie down in safety.^(AW)
¹⁹I will betroth^(AX) you to me forever;
    I will betroth you in^[e] righteousness and justice,^(AY)
    in^[f] love and compassion.^(AZ)
²⁰I will betroth you in^[g] faithfulness,
    and you will acknowledge^(BA) the Lord.^(BB)

²¹“In that day I will respond,”
    declares the Lord—
“I will respond^(BC) to the skies,
    and they will respond to the earth;
²²and the earth will respond to the grain,
    the new wine and the olive oil,^(BD)
    and they will respond to Jezreel.^[h]^(BE)
²³I will plant^(BF) her for myself in the land;
    I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.^[i]^(BG)’
I will say to those called ‘Not my people,^[j]’ ‘You are my people’;^(BH)
    and they will say, ‘You are my God.^(BI)’”

Hosea’s Reconciliation With His Wife

3 The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress.^(BJ) Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.^(BK)”

²So I bought her for fifteen shekels^[k] of silver and about a homer and a lethek^[l] of barley. ³Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.”

⁴For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince,^(BL) without sacrifice^(BM) or sacred stones,^(BN) without ephod^(BO) or household gods.^(BP) ⁵Afterward the Israelites will return and seek^(BQ) the Lord their God and David their king.^(BR) They will come trembling^(BS) to the Lord and to his blessings in the last days.^(BT)

Footnotes

Hosea 2:1 In Hebrew texts 2:1-23 is numbered 2:3-25.
Hosea 2:15 Achor means trouble.
Hosea 2:15 Or sing
Hosea 2:16 Hebrew baal
Hosea 2:19 Or with
Hosea 2:19 Or with
Hosea 2:20 Or with
Hosea 2:22 Jezreel means God plants.
Hosea 2:23 Hebrew Lo-Ruhamah (see 1:6)
Hosea 2:23 Hebrew Lo-Ammi (see 1:9)
Hosea 3:2 That is, about 6 ounces or about 170 grams
Hosea 3:2 A homer and a lethek possibly weighed about 430 pounds or about 195 kilograms.

Job 34

New International Version

34 Then Elihu said:

²“Hear my words, you wise men;
    listen to me,^(A) you men of learning.
³For the ear tests words
    as the tongue tastes food.^(B)
⁴Let us discern for ourselves what is right;^(C)
    let us learn together what is good.^(D)

⁵“Job says, ‘I am innocent,^(E)
    but God denies me justice.^(F)
⁶Although I am right,
    I am considered a liar;^(G)
although I am guiltless,^(H)
    his arrow inflicts an incurable wound.’^(I)
⁷Is there anyone like Job,
    who drinks scorn like water?^(J)
⁸He keeps company with evildoers;
    he associates with the wicked.^(K)
⁹For he says, ‘There is no profit
    in trying to please God.’^(L)

¹⁰“So listen to me,^(M) you men of understanding.^(N)
    Far be it from God to do evil,^(O)
    from the Almighty to do wrong.^(P)
¹¹He repays everyone for what they have done;^(Q)
    he brings on them what their conduct deserves.^(R)
¹²It is unthinkable that God would do wrong,^(S)
    that the Almighty would pervert justice.^(T)
¹³Who appointed^(U) him over the earth?
    Who put him in charge of the whole world?^(V)
¹⁴If it were his intention
    and he withdrew his spirit^[a]^(W) and breath,^(X)
¹⁵all humanity would perish^(Y) together
    and mankind would return to the dust.^(Z)

¹⁶“If you have understanding,^(AA) hear this;
    listen to what I say.^(AB)
¹⁷Can someone who hates justice govern?^(AC)
    Will you condemn the just and mighty One?^(AD)
¹⁸Is he not the One who says to kings, ‘You are worthless,’
    and to nobles,^(AE) ‘You are wicked,’^(AF)
¹⁹who shows no partiality^(AG) to princes
    and does not favor the rich over the poor,^(AH)
    for they are all the work of his hands?^(AI)
²⁰They die in an instant, in the middle of the night;^(AJ)
    the people are shaken and they pass away;
    the mighty are removed without human hand.^(AK)

²¹“His eyes are on the ways of mortals;^(AL)
    he sees their every step.^(AM)
²²There is no deep shadow,^(AN) no utter darkness,^(AO)
    where evildoers can hide.^(AP)
²³God has no need to examine people further,^(AQ)
    that they should come before him for judgment.^(AR)
²⁴Without inquiry he shatters^(AS) the mighty^(AT)
    and sets up others in their place.^(AU)
²⁵Because he takes note of their deeds,^(AV)
    he overthrows them in the night^(AW) and they are crushed.^(AX)
²⁶He punishes them for their wickedness^(AY)
    where everyone can see them,
²⁷because they turned from following him^(AZ)
    and had no regard for any of his ways.^(BA)
²⁸They caused the cry of the poor to come before him,
    so that he heard the cry of the needy.^(BB)
²⁹But if he remains silent,^(BC) who can condemn him?^(BD)
    If he hides his face,^(BE) who can see him?
Yet he is over individual and nation alike,^(BF)
³⁰    to keep the godless^(BG) from ruling,^(BH)
    from laying snares for the people.^(BI)

³¹“Suppose someone says to God,
    ‘I am guilty^(BJ) but will offend no more.
³²Teach me what I cannot see;^(BK)
    if I have done wrong, I will not do so again.’^(BL)
³³Should God then reward you on your terms,
    when you refuse to repent?^(BM)
You must decide, not I;
    so tell me what you know.

³⁴“Men of understanding declare,
    wise men who hear me say to me,
³⁵‘Job speaks without knowledge;^(BN)
    his words lack insight.’^(BO)
³⁶Oh, that Job might be tested to the utmost
    for answering like a wicked man!^(BP)
³⁷To his sin he adds rebellion;
    scornfully he claps his hands^(BQ) among us
    and multiplies his words^(BR) against God.”^(BS)