Luke 1:26-2:52
International Standard Version
The Birth of Jesus is Foretold
26 Now in the sixth month of her pregnancy,[a] the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant[b] of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel[c] came to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!”[d] 29 Startled by his statement, she tried to figure out what his greeting meant.
30 Then the angel told her, “Stop being afraid, Mary, because you have found favor with God. 31 Listen! You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.”
34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this happen, since I have not had relations with[e] a man?”
35 The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come over you, and the power of the Most High will surround you. Therefore, the child will be holy and will be called the Son of God. 36 And listen! Elizabeth, your relative, has herself conceived a son in her old age, this woman who was rumored to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 Nothing is impossible with respect to any of God’s promises.”
38 Then Mary said, “Truly I am the Lord’s servant. Let everything you have said happen to me.” Then the angel left her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 Later on,[f] Mary set out for a Judean city in the hill country. 40 She went into Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby jumped in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and she loudly exclaimed, “How blessed are you among women, and how blessed is the infant in[g] your womb! 43 Why should this happen to me, to have the mother of my Lord visit me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45 How blessed is this woman who believed that what the Lord told her would be fulfilled!”
Mary’s Song of Praise
46 Then Mary said,
“My soul praises the greatness of the Lord!
47 My spirit exults in God, my Savior,
48 because he has looked favorably on his humble servant.
From now on, all generations will call me blessed,
49 because the Almighty has done great things for me.
His name is holy.
50 His mercy lasts from generation to generation
for those who fear him.
51 He displayed his mighty power with his arm.
He scattered people who were proud in mind and heart.[h]
52 He pulled powerful rulers from their thrones
and lifted up humble people.
53 He filled hungry people with good things
and sent rich people away with nothing.
54 He helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful,
55 according to the promise he made[i] to our ancestors—
to Abraham and his descendants forever.”
56 Now Mary stayed with Elizabeth[j] about three months and then went back home.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 On the eighth day they went to circumcise the child. They were going to name him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother said, “Absolutely not! He must be named John.”
61 Their friends[k] told her, “None of your relatives has that name.”
62 So they motioned to the baby’s[l] father to see what he wanted to name him. 63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And everyone was amazed.
64 Suddenly, Zechariah could open his mouth,[m] his tongue was set free, and he began to speak and to praise God. 65 Fear came over all their neighbors, and throughout the hill country of Judea all these things were being discussed. 66 Everyone who heard about it kept thinking what had happened and asked, “What will this child become?” because it was obvious that the hand of the Lord was with him.
The Prophecy of Zechariah
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel!
He has taken care of his people and has set them free.
69 He has raised up a mighty Savior[n] for us
from the family of his servant David,
70 just as he promised long ago
through the mouth of his holy prophets
71 that he would save us from our enemies
and from the grip of all who hate us.
72 He has shown mercy to our ancestors
and remembered his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham.
He granted us 74 deliverance from our enemies’ grip
so that we could serve him without fear
75 and be holy and righteous before him all of our days.
76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High,
because you will go ahead of the Lord to prepare his way
77 and to give his people knowledge of salvation
through forgiveness of their sins.
78 Because of the tender mercy of our God,
his light[o] from on high has visited us,
79 to shine on those who sit in darkness and in death’s shadow,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 Now the child continued to grow and to become spiritually strong.[p] He lived in the wilderness until the day he appeared in Israel.
The Birth of Jesus(A)
2 Now in those days an order was published by Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 So all the people went to their hometowns to be registered.
4 Joseph, too, went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the City of David (called Bethlehem), because he was a descendant[q] of the household and family of David. 5 He went there[r] to be registered with Mary, who had been promised to him in marriage and was pregnant.
6 While they were there, the time came for her to have her baby, 7 and she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no place for them in the guest quarters.
The Shepherds Visit Jesus
8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, watching their flock during the night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 Then the angel told them, “Stop being afraid! Listen! I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people. 11 Today your Savior, the Lord Messiah,[s] was born in the City of David. 12 And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a feeding trough.”
13 Suddenly, a multitude of the Heavenly Army appeared with the angel, praising God by saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to people who enjoy his favor!”[t]
15 When the angels had left them and gone back to heaven, the shepherds told one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see what has taken place that the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they went quickly and found Mary and Joseph with the baby, who was lying in the feeding trough. 17 When they saw this, they repeated what they had been told about this child. 18 All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 However, Mary continued to treasure all these things in her heart and to ponder them. 20 Then the shepherds returned to their flock,[u] glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.
Jesus is Circumcised
21 After eight days had passed, the infant[v] was circumcised and named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Jesus is Presented in the Temple
22 When the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary[w] took Jesus[x] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, 23 as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn son is to be designated as holy to the Lord.”[y] 24 They also offered a sacrifice according to what is specified in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”[z]
25 Now a man named Simeon was in Jerusalem. This man was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the one who would comfort Israel,[aa] and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die[ab] until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.[ac]
27 Led[ad] by the Spirit, he went into the Temple. When the parents brought the child Jesus to do for him what was customary under the Law, 28 Simeon[ae] took the infant[af] in his arms and praised God, saying,
29 “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace
according to your promise,
30 because my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you prepared for all people to see—
32 a light that will reveal salvation[ag] to unbelievers[ah]
and bring glory to your people Israel.”
33 Jesus’[ai] father and mother kept wondering at the things being said about him. 34 Then Simeon[aj] blessed them and told Mary, his mother, “This infant is destined to cause many in Israel to fall and rise. Also, he will be a sign that will be opposed. 35 Indeed, a sword will pierce your own soul, too, so that the inner thoughts of many people might be revealed.”
36 Now Anna, a prophetess, was also there. She was a descendant of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was very old, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, 37 and then as a widow for 84 years. She never left the Temple, but continued to worship there night and day with times of fasting and prayer. 38 Just then she came forward and began to thank God and to speak about Jesus[ak] to everyone who was waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
The Return to Nazareth
39 After doing everything required by the Law of the Lord, Joseph and Mary[al] returned to their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee. 40 Meanwhile, the child continued to grow and to become strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor rested upon him.
Jesus Visits the Temple
41 Every year Jesus’[am] parents would go to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. 42 When Jesus[an] was twelve years old, they went up to the festival as usual. 43 When the days of the festival[ao] were over, they left for home. The young man Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 They thought that he was in their group of travelers. After traveling for a day, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching desperately for him. 46 Three days later, they found him in the Temple sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and posing questions to them. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his intelligence and his answers. 48 When Jesus’ parents[ap] saw him, they were shocked. His mother asked him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been worried sick looking for you!”
49 He asked them, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house?”[aq] 50 But they did not understand what he told them. 51 Then he went back with them, returning to Nazareth and remaining in submission to them. His mother continued to treasure all these things in her heart. 52 Meanwhile, Jesus kept on growing wiser and more mature, and in favor with God and his fellow man.
Footnotes
- Luke 1:26 The Gk. lacks of her pregnancy
- Luke 1:27 Lit. of the house
- Luke 1:28 Lit. He
- Luke 1:28 Other mss. read is with you! How blessed are you among women!
- Luke 1:34 Lit. I have not known
- Luke 1:39 Lit. In those days
- Luke 1:42 Lit. the fruit of
- Luke 1:51 Lit. in the mind of their heart
- Luke 1:55 Lit. just as he spoke
- Luke 1:56 Lit. with her
- Luke 1:61 Lit. They
- Luke 1:62 Lit. to his
- Luke 1:64 Lit. his mouth was opened
- Luke 1:69 Lit. a horn of salvation
- Luke 1:78 Or dawn
- Luke 1:80 Or become strong in the Spirit
- Luke 2:4 The Gk. lacks a descendant
- Luke 2:5 The Gk. lacks He went there
- Luke 2:11 Or Christ
- Luke 2:14 Other mss. read peace on earth, and favor to people
- Luke 2:20 The Gk. lacks to their flock
- Luke 2:21 Lit. he
- Luke 2:22 Lit. they
- Luke 2:22 Lit. him
- Luke 2:23 Cf. Exod 13:2, 12, 15; MT source citation reads Lord
- Luke 2:24 Lev 12:8
- Luke 2:25 Lit. for the comfort of Israel
- Luke 2:26 Lit. see death
- Luke 2:26 Or Christ
- Luke 2:27 The Gk. lacks Led
- Luke 2:28 Lit. he
- Luke 2:28 Lit. him
- Luke 2:32 Lit. a light for revelation
- Luke 2:32 Lit. gentiles; i.e. unbelieving non-Jews
- Luke 2:33 Lit. His
- Luke 2:34 Lit. he
- Luke 2:38 Lit. him
- Luke 2:39 Lit. they
- Luke 2:41 Lit. his
- Luke 2:42 Lit. he
- Luke 2:43 The Gk. lacks of the festival
- Luke 2:48 Lit. they
- Luke 2:49 Or about my Father’s work
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