Luke 2
EasyEnglish Bible
Jesus is born
2 At that time, Caesar Augustus made a law. He told his men to count everyone who lived in the countries that he ruled.[a] 2 This was the first time that the Romans had made a list of everyone's names. Quirinius was the Roman ruler of Syria when it happened.
3 Everyone went to his own home town for the Romans to count them. 4 So Joseph went to his home town, Bethlehem. He was living in the town of Nazareth, in Galilee. Bethlehem was in Judea. King David had been born there, so Bethlehem was called the town of David. Joseph belonged to the family of David. That is why he went to Bethlehem.
5 Joseph took Mary with him so that the Romans could count them. She went because she had promised to marry him. She was pregnant.
6 While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 This was her first baby, and it was a boy. She put cloths around him. Then she put him in an animal's food box. She did this because the rooms for visitors were full of people.[b]
Some shepherds leave their sheep to go and see Jesus
8 That night some shepherds were living out in the fields near Bethlehem. They were keeping their sheep safe. 9 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to them. A bright light from God shone all around them. That frightened them very much. 10 The angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Listen! I bring you good news. This news will make everyone very happy. 11 Something happened today in the town of David. Someone special was born. He is the one who will save you. He is the Messiah. He is the Lord. 12 I will tell you how you will know this baby. You will find him with cloths around him. He is lying in an animal's food box.’
13 At that moment, a great crowd of angels appeared. They were praising God. They said:
14 ‘God is great! He lives in the highest place above.
He will bless the people on earth who please him.
They will have peace in their minds.’
15 After that, the angels went away and returned to heaven. Then the shepherds said to each other, ‘We should leave the sheep and go to Bethlehem immediately! The Lord God has sent his angels to tell us what has happened. We want to see this baby.’
16 So they went quickly to Bethlehem. When they got there, they found Mary and Joseph with the baby. The baby really was lying in a food box. 17 After they had seen the baby, they told everybody about him. They told them what the angel had said to them about him. 18 Many people heard what the shepherds said. They were very surprised. 19 Mary remembered everything that the shepherds had said. She thought about it all for a long time. 20 The shepherds then went back to their sheep. As they went they praised God. ‘How great you are!’ they said to him. ‘How good you are! Everything that the angel told us was true! We have heard good news. We have seen very special things!’
Mary and Joseph take Jesus to the temple
21 When the baby was eight days old, it was time for the priest to circumcise him. His parents gave him the name ‘Jesus’. The angel had told Mary that they must give him that name. He told her that before she had the baby inside her.
22 Long ago, God gave Moses rules for his people to obey. One rule told people how to become clean after a baby was born. The time came for Mary and Joseph to do this. So they took the baby Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to show him to the Lord.
23 This is the rule which the Lord gave to his people: ‘The first male baby born to a woman belongs to me. So you must bring him to me. 24 When you do this, also bring two special birds for the priest to kill.’ So that is what Mary and Joseph did.[c]
25 At this time, a man called Simeon was living in Jerusalem. He was a good man and he obeyed God. He had waited a long time to see the special person who would save Israel's people. The Holy Spirit was with him. 26 The Holy Spirit had told him, ‘You will not die yet. You know that the Lord God has promised to send his Messiah. You will see him before you die.’ 27 Now the day had come. The Holy Spirit told Simeon that he should go to the temple. Mary and Joseph were bringing the baby Jesus to do what God's rule said. 28 Simeon went to them. He took Jesus and he held him in his arms. Then he thanked God. He said:
29 ‘Master, I am your servant.
You have done what you promised to me.
Now I can die with no trouble in my mind.
30 I really have seen the person that you have sent to save your people.
31 You have sent him to the world and people everywhere will know about him.
32 He will bring light to people so that they can know you.
He will show you to those people who are not Jews.
He will also show that your people of Israel are very special.’
33 That is what Simeon said about Jesus. His message surprised Mary and Joseph very much.
34 Then Simeon asked God to be good and kind to Mary and to Joseph. After that, he spoke to Mary, the mother of Jesus. He said to her, ‘God has chosen this baby. Many people in Israel will become worse because of him. And many of them will become better again because of him. He will be like a sign that points to God. But many people will speak against him. 35 This will show their secret thoughts about God. This will make you very sad, too. It will seem like a sharp knife is cutting into you. That is how sad you will be’.
36 A very old woman called Anna was also there in the temple. She spoke messages that the Holy Spirit gave to her. She was the daughter of Phanuel, who belonged to the tribe of Asher.[d] She had lived with her husband for seven years and then he had died.
37 After that, she had lived alone until she was 84 years old. Now she never left the temple. She stayed there day and night to worship God. She fasted and she prayed.
38 At that moment, Anna came to where Mary and Joseph were standing in the temple. When she saw the baby, she thanked God for him. Then she began to speak about him to other people there. Many people were waiting for God to make Jerusalem free. These were the people that she spoke to about the child, Jesus.
39 When Mary and Joseph had done everything that God's rules said, they returned home. That was in the town of Nazareth in Galilee. 40 There the child grew up. God was good and kind to him and he became strong. He learned many things and he could understand them well.
Jesus visits the temple as a young boy
41 Every year, Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival.[e]
42 When Jesus was 12 years old, his parents took him with them to Jerusalem. They went as usual for the festival. 43 When the week finished, Mary and Joseph left Jerusalem to return home. But Jesus stayed behind and his parents did not know this. 44 They thought that he was with their group on the way home. They travelled for a whole day. Then they began to look for him among their family and friends.
45 They could not find him, so they went back to Jerusalem. They looked for him there. 46 After three days, they found him in the temple. He was sitting there among the teachers. He was listening to what they were saying. He was also asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard Jesus was very surprised. He understood so many things and he could answer difficult questions. 48 When his parents saw him there, they were also very surprised. His mother said to him, ‘My son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have looked everywhere for you. We have had a lot of troubles in our mind.’
49 Jesus answered them, ‘You should not have needed to look for me. I must be doing what my Father wants me to do. You should have known that.’ 50 But his parents did not understand what he was saying to them.
51 Then Jesus returned to Nazareth with them. He did what they wanted. His mother, Mary, was careful to remember all the special things that had happened. She thought about them a lot. 52 Jesus grew up into a man. He became strong and he could understand more and more things. God was pleased with him, and people were pleased with him too.
Footnotes
- 2:1 ‘Caesar’ was the most important Roman ruler. He lived in Rome, the capital city. Many countries in the world came under Rome's authority.
- 2:7 The many people that had come to Bethlehem filled the rooms for visitors.
- 2:24 The Jews had to obey this rule 40 days after a boy was born. The mother had to go to the temple. If she was poor, she gave two special birds to God. See Leviticus 12:2-8.
- 2:36 Asher was one of the sons of Jacob. We can read about the 12 sons of Jacob in Genesis 35:23-26. They were the ancestors of Israel's 12 tribes.
- 2:41 Passover week is a very special time for the Jews. A long time ago, the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. God rescued them from there. Every year, the Jews remember this. We can read about the first Passover in Exodus 12.
Luke 2
Living Bible
2 About this time Caesar Augustus, the Roman emperor, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the nation. 2 (This census was taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
3 Everyone was required to return to his ancestral home for this registration. 4 And because Joseph was a member of the royal line, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, King David’s ancient home—journeying there from the Galilean village of Nazareth. 5 He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was obviously pregnant by this time.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born; 7 and she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in a blanket[a] and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.
8 That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly an angel appeared among them, and the landscape shone bright with the glory of the Lord. They were badly frightened, 10 but the angel reassured them.
“Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everyone! 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem![b] 12 How will you recognize him? You will find a baby wrapped in a blanket,[c] lying in a manger!”
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God:
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,” they sang,[d] “and peace on earth for all those pleasing him.”
15 When this great army of angels had returned again to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Come on! Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 They ran to the village and found their way to Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 The shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story expressed astonishment, 19 but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and often thought about them.
20 Then the shepherds went back again to their fields and flocks, praising God for the visit of the angels, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had told them.
21 Eight days later, at the baby’s circumcision ceremony, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was even conceived.
22 When the time came for Mary’s purification offering at the Temple, as required by the laws of Moses after the birth of a child, his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord; 23 for in these laws God had said, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he shall be dedicated to the Lord.”
24 At that time Jesus’ parents also offered their sacrifice for purification—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons” was the legal requirement. 25 That day a man named Simeon, a Jerusalem resident, was in the Temple. He was a good man, very devout, filled with the Holy Spirit and constantly expecting the Messiah[e] to come soon. 26 For the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen him—God’s anointed King. 27 The Holy Spirit had impelled him to go to the Temple that day; and so, when Mary and Joseph arrived to present the baby Jesus to the Lord in obedience to the law, 28 Simeon was there and took the child in his arms, praising God.
29-31 “Lord,” he said, “now I can die content! For I have seen him as you promised me I would. I have seen the Savior you have given to the world. 32 He is the Light that will shine upon the nations, and he will be the glory of your people Israel!”
33 Joseph and Mary just stood there, marveling at what was being said about Jesus.
34-35 Simeon blessed them but then said to Mary, “A sword shall pierce your soul, for this child shall be rejected by many in Israel, and this to their undoing. But he will be the greatest joy of many others. And the deepest thoughts of many hearts shall be revealed.”
36-37 Anna, a prophetess, was also there in the Temple that day. She was the daughter of Phanuel, of the Jewish tribe of Asher, and was very old, for she had been a widow for eighty-four years following seven years of marriage. She never left the Temple but stayed there night and day, worshiping God by praying and often fasting.
38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she also began thanking God and telling everyone in Jerusalem who had been awaiting the coming of the Savior[f] that the Messiah had finally arrived.
39 When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the Law of God, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. 40 There the child became a strong, robust lad, and was known for wisdom beyond his years; and God poured out his blessings on him.
41-42 When Jesus was twelve years old, he accompanied his parents to Jerusalem for the annual Passover Festival, which they attended each year. 43 After the celebration was over they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him the first day, 44 for they assumed he was with friends among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started to look for him among their relatives and friends; 45 and when they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there.
46-47 Three days later they finally discovered him. He was in the Temple, sitting among the teachers of Law, discussing deep questions with them and amazing everyone with his understanding and answers.
48 His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son!” his mother said to him. “Why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”
49 “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you realize that I would be here at the Temple, in my Father’s House?” 50 But they didn’t understand what he meant.
51 Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them; and his mother stored away all these things in her heart. 52 So Jesus grew both tall and wise, and was loved by God and man.
Footnotes
- Luke 2:7 a blanket, literally, “swaddling clothes.”
- Luke 2:11 in Bethlehem, literally, “in the city of David.”
- Luke 2:12 a blanket, literally, “swaddling clothes.”
- Luke 2:14 sang, literally, “said.”
- Luke 2:25 the Messiah, literally, “the Consolation of Israel.”
- Luke 2:38 awaiting the coming of the Savior, literally, “looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
路 加 福 音 2
Chinese Union Version (Simplified)
2 当 那 些 日 子 ， 该 撒 亚 古 士 督 有 旨 意 下 来 ， 叫 天 下 人 民 都 报 名 上 册 。
2 这 是 居 里 扭 作 叙 利 亚 巡 抚 的 时 候 ， 头 一 次 行 报 名 上 册 的 事 。
3 众 人 各 归 各 城 ， 报 名 上 册 。
4 约 瑟 也 从 加 利 利 的 拿 撒 勒 城 上 犹 太 去 ， 到 了 大 卫 的 城 ， 名 叫 伯 利 恒 ， 因 他 本 是 大 卫 一 族 一 家 的 人 ，
5 要 和 他 所 聘 之 妻 马 利 亚 一 同 报 名 上 册 。 那 时 马 利 亚 的 身 孕 已 经 重 了 。
6 他 们 在 那 里 的 时 候 ， 马 利 亚 的 产 期 到 了 ，
7 就 生 了 头 胎 的 儿 子 ， 用 布 包 起 来 ， 放 在 马 槽 里 ， 因 为 客 店 里 没 有 地 方 。
8 在 伯 利 恒 之 野 地 里 有 牧 羊 的 人 ， 夜 间 按 着 更 次 看 守 羊 群 。
9 有 主 的 使 者 站 在 他 们 旁 边 ， 主 的 荣 光 四 面 照 着 他 们 ； 牧 羊 的 人 就 甚 惧 怕 。
10 那 天 使 对 他 们 说 ： 不 要 惧 怕 ！ 我 报 给 你 们 大 喜 的 信 息 ， 是 关 乎 万 民 的 ；
11 因 今 天 在 大 卫 的 城 里 ， 为 你 们 生 了 救 主 ， 就 是 主 基 督 。
12 你 们 要 看 见 一 个 婴 孩 ， 包 着 布 ， 卧 在 马 槽 里 ， 那 就 是 记 号 了 。
13 忽 然 ， 有 一 大 队 天 兵 同 那 天 使 赞 美 神 说 ：
14 在 至 高 之 处 荣 耀 归 与 神 ！ 在 地 上 平 安 归 与 他 所 喜 悦 的 人 （ 有 古 卷 作 ： 喜 悦 归 与 人 ） ！
15 众 天 使 离 开 他 们 ， 升 天 去 了 。 牧 羊 的 人 彼 此 说 ： 我 们 往 伯 利 恒 去 ， 看 看 所 成 的 事 ， 就 是 主 所 指 示 我 们 的 。
16 他 们 急 忙 去 了 ， 就 寻 见 马 利 亚 和 约 瑟 ， 又 有 那 婴 孩 卧 在 马 槽 里 ；
17 既 然 看 见 ， 就 把 天 使 论 这 孩 子 的 话 传 开 了 。
18 凡 听 见 的 ， 就 诧 异 牧 羊 之 人 对 他 们 所 说 的 话 。
19 马 利 亚 却 把 这 一 切 的 事 存 在 心 里 ， 反 复 思 想 。
20 牧 羊 的 人 回 去 了 ， 因 所 听 见 所 看 见 的 一 切 事 ， 正 如 天 使 向 他 们 所 说 的 ， 就 归 荣 耀 与 神 ， 赞 美 他 。
21 满 了 八 天 ， 就 给 孩 子 行 割 礼 ， 与 他 起 名 叫 耶 稣 ； 这 就 是 没 有 成 胎 以 前 ， 天 使 所 起 的 名 。
22 按 摩 西 律 法 满 了 洁 净 的 日 子 ， 他 们 带 着 孩 子 上 耶 路 撒 冷 去 ， 要 把 他 献 与 主 。
23 （ 正 如 主 的 律 法 上 所 记 ： 凡 头 生 的 男 子 必 称 圣 归 主 ； ）
24 又 要 照 主 的 律 法 上 所 说 ， 或 用 一 对 班 鸠 ， 或 用 两 只 雏 鸽 献 祭 。
25 在 耶 路 撒 冷 有 一 个 人 ， 名 叫 西 面 ； 这 人 又 公 义 又 虔 诚 ， 素 常 盼 望 以 色 列 的 安 慰 者 来 到 ， 又 有 圣 灵 在 他 身 上 。
26 他 得 了 圣 灵 的 启 示 ， 知 道 自 己 未 死 以 前 ， 必 看 见 主 所 立 的 基 督 。
27 他 受 了 圣 灵 的 感 动 ， 进 入 圣 殿 ， 正 遇 见 耶 稣 的 父 母 抱 着 孩 子 进 来 ， 要 照 律 法 的 规 矩 办 理 。
28 西 面 就 用 手 接 过 他 来 ， 称 颂 神 说 ：
29 主 阿 ！ 如 今 可 以 照 你 的 话 ， 释 放 仆 人 安 然 去 世 ；
30 因 为 我 的 眼 睛 已 经 看 见 你 的 救 恩 ─
31 就 是 你 在 万 民 面 前 所 预 备 的 ：
32 是 照 亮 外 邦 人 的 光 ， 又 是 你 民 以 色 列 的 荣 耀 。
33 孩 子 的 父 母 因 这 论 耶 稣 的 话 就 希 奇 。
34 西 面 给 他 们 祝 福 ， 又 对 孩 子 的 母 亲 马 利 亚 说 ： 这 孩 子 被 立 ， 是 要 叫 以 色 列 中 许 多 人 跌 倒 ， 许 多 人 兴 起 ； 又 要 作 毁 谤 的 话 柄 ， 叫 许 多 人 心 里 的 意 念 显 露 出 来 ； 你 自 己 的 心 也 要 被 刀 刺 透 。
35 a
36 又 有 女 先 知 ， 名 叫 亚 拿 ， 是 亚 设 支 派 法 内 力 的 女 儿 ， 年 纪 已 经 老 迈 ， 从 作 童 女 出 嫁 的 时 候 ， 同 丈 夫 住 了 七 年 就 寡 居 了 ，
37 现 在 已 经 八 十 四 岁 （ 或 作 ： 就 寡 居 了 八 十 四 年 ） ， 并 不 离 开 圣 殿 ， 禁 食 祈 求 ， 昼 夜 事 奉 神 。
38 正 当 那 时 ， 他 进 前 来 称 谢 神 ， 将 孩 子 的 事 对 一 切 盼 望 耶 路 撒 冷 得 救 赎 的 人 讲 说 。
39 约 瑟 和 马 利 亚 照 主 的 律 法 办 完 了 一 切 的 事 ， 就 回 加 利 利 ， 到 自 己 的 城 拿 撒 勒 去 了 。
40 孩 子 渐 渐 长 大 ， 强 健 起 来 ， 充 满 智 慧 ， 又 有 神 的 恩 在 他 身 上 。
41 每 年 到 逾 越 节 ， 他 父 母 就 上 耶 路 撒 冷 去 。
42 当 他 十 二 岁 的 时 候 ， 他 们 按 着 节 期 的 规 矩 上 去 。
43 守 满 了 节 期 ， 他 们 回 去 ， 孩 童 耶 稣 仍 旧 在 耶 路 撒 冷 。 他 的 父 母 并 不 知 道 ，
44 以 为 他 在 同 行 的 人 中 间 ， 走 了 一 天 的 路 程 ， 就 在 亲 族 和 熟 识 的 人 中 找 他 ，
45 既 找 不 着 ， 就 回 耶 路 撒 冷 去 找 他 。
46 过 了 三 天 ， 就 遇 见 他 在 殿 里 ， 坐 在 教 师 中 间 ， 一 面 听 ， 一 面 问 。
47 凡 听 见 他 的 ， 都 希 奇 他 的 聪 明 和 他 的 应 对 。
48 他 父 母 看 见 就 很 希 奇 。 他 母 亲 对 他 说 ： 我 儿 ！ 为 甚 麽 向 我 们 这 样 行 呢 ？ 看 哪 ！ 你 父 亲 和 我 伤 心 来 找 你 ！
49 耶 稣 说 ： 为 甚 麽 找 我 呢 ？ 岂 不 知 我 应 当 以 我 父 的 事 为 念 麽 （ 或 作 ： 岂 不 知 我 应 当 在 我 父 的 家 里 麽 ） ？
50 他 所 说 的 这 话 ， 他 们 不 明 白 。
51 他 就 同 他 们 下 去 ， 回 到 拿 撒 勒 ， 并 且 顺 从 他 们 。 他 母 亲 把 这 一 切 的 事 都 存 在 心 里 。
52 耶 稣 的 智 慧 和 身 量 （ 或 作 ： 年 纪 ） ， 并 神 和 人 喜 爱 他 的 心 ， 都 一 齐 增 长 。
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