Add parallel Print Page Options

There were in the same country shepherds staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to 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 behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people: 11 Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you. He is Christ[a] the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude from the heavenly army, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind.”[b]

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Now let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they told others the message they had been told about this child. 18 And all who heard it were amazed by what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Luke 2:11 Christ is the Greek word for Anointed One. The Hebrew/Aramaic word is Messiah.
  2. Luke 2:14 A few witnesses to the text read among people of his goodwill.

The Shepherds and the Angels

And there were shepherds in the same region, living out of doors and keeping watch, guarding over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terribly frightened.[a] 10 And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring good news to you of great joy which will be for all the people: 11 that today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. 12 And this will be the sign for you: you will find the baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace
    among people with whom he is pleased!”[b]

15 And it happened that when the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began to say[c] to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has revealed to us!” 16 And they went hurrying and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. 17 And when they[d] saw it,[e] they made known the statement that had been told to them about this child. 18 And all who heard it[f] were astonished concerning what had been said to them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering them[g] in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Luke 2:9 Literally “they were afraid with great fear”
  2. Luke 2:14 Literally “of good pleasure”
  3. Luke 2:15 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to say”)
  4. Luke 2:17 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
  5. Luke 2:17 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  6. Luke 2:18 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  7. Luke 2:19 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation