The Nativity of the Messiah

18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.(A) 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man,(B) and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.(C)

20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit.(D) 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus,[a](E) because He will save His people from their sins.”(F)

22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

23 See, the virgin will become pregnant
and give birth to a son,
and they will name Him Immanuel,[b]

which is translated “God is with us.”(G)

24 When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her(H) 25 but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son.[c] And he named Him Jesus.(I)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 1:21 Jesus is the Gk form of the Hb name “Joshua,” which = “The Lord saves” or “Yahweh saves.”
  2. Matthew 1:23 Is 7:14
  3. Matthew 1:25 Other mss read to her firstborn son

Birth of Jesus

18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. When Mary his mother was engaged to Joseph, before they were married, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn’t want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly. 20 As he was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child she carries was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you will call him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 Now all of this took place so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled:

23 Look! A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son,
        And they will call him, Emmanuel.[a]

(Emmanuel means “God with us.”)

24 When Joseph woke up, he did just as an angel from God commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he didn’t have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. Joseph called him Jesus.

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