The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah

The [a]record of the genealogy of [b]Jesus the [c]Messiah, (A)the son of David, (B)the son of Abraham:

Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered [d]Judah and his brothers. Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, (C)Perez fathered Hezron, and Hezron fathered [e]Ram. Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon. Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse. Jesse fathered David the king.

David (D)fathered Solomon by [f]her who had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon (E)fathered Rehoboam, Rehoboam fathered Abijah, and Abijah fathered [g]Asa. Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat fathered [h]Joram, and Joram fathered Uzziah. Uzziah fathered [i]Jotham, Jotham fathered Ahaz, and Ahaz fathered Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, Manasseh fathered [j]Amon, and Amon (F)fathered Josiah. 11 Josiah fathered [k]Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the (G)deportation to Babylon.

12 After the (H)deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah fathered [l]Shealtiel, and Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabel fathered [m]Abihud, Abihud fathered Eliakim, and Eliakim fathered Azor. 14 Azor fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Achim, and Achim fathered Eliud. 15 Eliud fathered Eleazar, Eleazar fathered Matthan, and Matthan fathered Jacob. 16 Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, (I)who is called the [n]Messiah.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the (J)deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the (K)deportation to Babylon to the [o]Messiah, fourteen generations.

Conception and Birth of Jesus

18 Now the birth of Jesus the [p]Messiah was as follows: when His (L)mother Mary had been [q]betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was (M)found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, since he was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her, planned to [r](N)send her away secretly. 20 But when he had thought this over, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “(O)Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for [s]the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a Son; and (P)you shall name Him Jesus, for [t]He (Q)will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this [u]took place so that what was (R)spoken by the Lord through [v]the prophet would be fulfilled: 23 (S)Behold, the virgin will [w](T)conceive and give birth to a Son, and they shall name Him [x]Immanuel,” which translated means, “(U)God with us.” 24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, 25 [y]but kept her a virgin until she (V)gave birth to a Son; and (W)he named Him Jesus.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 1:1 Lit book
  2. Matthew 1:1 In Heb Yeshua (Joshua), meaning The Lord is salvation
  3. Matthew 1:1 From Gr Christos, which means Messiah (Heb for Anointed One)
  4. Matthew 1:2 Gr Judas; a name of a person in the Old Testament is given in its Old Testament form
  5. Matthew 1:3 Gr Aram
  6. Matthew 1:6 I.e., Bathsheba
  7. Matthew 1:7 Gr Asaph
  8. Matthew 1:8 Also Gr for Jehoram in 2 Kin 8:16; cf. 1 Chr 3:11
  9. Matthew 1:9 Gr Joatham
  10. Matthew 1:10 Gr Amos
  11. Matthew 1:11 Jehoiachin in 2 Kin 24:15
  12. Matthew 1:12 Gr Salathiel
  13. Matthew 1:13 Gr Abioud, usually spelled Abiud
  14. Matthew 1:16 From Gr Christos, which means Messiah (Heb for Anointed One)
  15. Matthew 1:17 See note v 16
  16. Matthew 1:18 See note v 16
  17. Matthew 1:18 Unlike engagement, a betrothed couple was considered married, but did not yet live together
  18. Matthew 1:19 Or divorce her
  19. Matthew 1:20 Lit that which
  20. Matthew 1:21 Lit He Himself
  21. Matthew 1:22 Lit has happened
  22. Matthew 1:22 I.e., Isaiah
  23. Matthew 1:23 Or be pregnant
  24. Matthew 1:23 Gr Emmanuel
  25. Matthew 1:25 Lit and did not know her intimately

The Ancestors of Jesus the Messiah

This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham[a]:

Abraham was the father of Isaac.
Isaac was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar).
Perez was the father of Hezron.
Hezron was the father of Ram.[b]
Ram was the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).
Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).
Obed was the father of Jesse.
Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).
Solomon was the father of Rehoboam.
Rehoboam was the father of Abijah.
Abijah was the father of Asa.[c]
Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat.
Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram.[d]
Jehoram was the father[e] of Uzziah.
Uzziah was the father of Jotham.
Jotham was the father of Ahaz.
Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.
10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh.
Manasseh was the father of Amon.[f]
Amon was the father of Josiah.
11 Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin[g] and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon).
12 After the Babylonian exile:
Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel.
Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel.
13 Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud.
Abiud was the father of Eliakim.
Eliakim was the father of Azor.
14 Azor was the father of Zadok.
Zadok was the father of Akim.
Akim was the father of Eliud.
15 Eliud was the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar was the father of Matthan.
Matthan was the father of Jacob.
16 Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

17 All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.

The Birth of Jesus the Messiah

18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement[h] quietly.

20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,[i] for he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,[j]
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Footnotes

  1. 1:1 Greek Jesus the Messiah, Son of David and son of Abraham.
  2. 1:3 Greek Aram, a variant spelling of Ram; also in 1:4. See 1 Chr 2:9-10.
  3. 1:7 Greek Asaph, a variant spelling of Asa; also in 1:8. See 1 Chr 3:10.
  4. 1:8a Greek Joram, a variant spelling of Jehoram; also in 1:8b. See 1 Kgs 22:50 and note at 1 Chr 3:11.
  5. 1:8b Or ancestor; also in 1:11.
  6. 1:10 Greek Amos, a variant spelling of Amon; also in 1:10b. See 1 Chr 3:14.
  7. 1:11 Greek Jeconiah, a variant spelling of Jehoiachin; also in 1:12. See 2 Kgs 24:6 and note at 1 Chr 3:16.
  8. 1:19 Greek to divorce her.
  9. 1:21 Jesus means “The Lord saves.”
  10. 1:23 Isa 7:14; 8:8, 10 (Greek version).

Jesus’ Birth in Bethlehem

Now in those days a decree went out from (A)Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of (B)all [a]the inhabited earth. [b]This was the first census taken while [c]Quirinius was governor of (C)Syria. And all the people were on their way to register for the census, each to his own city. Now Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because (D)he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was [d]betrothed to him, and was pregnant. While they were there, the [e]time came for her to give birth. And she (E)gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a [f]manger, because there was no [g]room for them in the inn.

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock at night. And (F)an angel of the Lord suddenly (G)stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 And so the angel said to them, “(H)Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a (I)Savior, who is [h](J)Christ (K)the Lord. 12 And (L)this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a [i]manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly [j]army of angels praising God and saying,

14 (M)Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among people [k](N)with whom He is pleased.”

15 When the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem, then, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the [l]manger. 17 When they had seen Him, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it were amazed about the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary (O)treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds went back, (P)glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

Jesus Presented at the Temple

21 And when (Q)eight days were completed [m]so that it was time for His circumcision, (R)He was also named Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

22 (S)And when the days for [n]their purification according to the Law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “(T)Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what has been stated in the Law of the Lord: “(U)A pair of turtledoves or two young doves.”

25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was (V)righteous and devout, (W)looking forward to the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And (X)it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not (Y)see death before he had seen the Lord’s [o]Christ. 27 And he came [p]by the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, [q](Z)to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, 28 then he took Him in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

29 “Now, Lord, You are letting Your bond-servant depart in peace,
(AA)According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have (AB)seen Your salvation,
31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all the peoples:
32 (AC)A light for revelation [r]for the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”

33 And His father and (AD)mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to (AE)His mother Mary, “Behold, this Child is appointed for (AF)the fall and [s]rise of many in Israel, and as a sign to be [t]opposed— 35 and a sword will pierce your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

36 And there was a (AG)prophetess, [u]Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of (AH)the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in [v]years (AI)and had lived with her husband for seven years after her [w]marriage, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She did not leave the temple grounds, serving night and day with (AJ)fasts and prayers. 38 And at that very [x]moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak about Him to all those who were (AK)looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Return to Nazareth

39 And when His parents had completed everything in accordance with the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to (AL)their own city of Nazareth. 40 (AM)Now the Child continued to grow and to become strong, [y]increasing in wisdom; and the favor of God was upon Him.

Visit to Jerusalem

41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at (AN)the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up there according to the custom of the feast; 43 and as they were returning, after spending the (AO)full number of days required, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but His parents were unaware of it. 44 Instead, they thought that He was somewhere in the caravan, and they went a day’s journey; and then they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 And when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, looking for Him. 46 Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him (AP)were amazed at His understanding and His answers. 48 When Joseph and Mary saw Him, they were bewildered; and (AQ)His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, (AR)Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You!” 49 And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that (AS)I had to be in My Father’s [z]house?” 50 And yet (AT)they on their part did not understand the statement which He had [aa]made to them. 51 And He went down with them and came to (AU)Nazareth, and He continued to be subject to them; and (AV)His mother (AW)treasured all these [ab]things in her heart.

52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and [ac]stature, and in (AX)favor with God and people.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 2:1 I.e., the Roman Empire
  2. Luke 2:2 Or This took place as a first census
  3. Luke 2:2 Gr Kyrenios
  4. Luke 2:5 Unlike engagement, a betrothed couple was considered married, but did not yet live together
  5. Luke 2:6 Lit days were completed
  6. Luke 2:7 Or feeding trough
  7. Luke 2:7 Or space
  8. Luke 2:11 I.e., the Messiah
  9. Luke 2:12 Or feeding trough
  10. Luke 2:13 Or host
  11. Luke 2:14 Lit of good pleasure; or of goodwill
  12. Luke 2:16 Or feeding trough
  13. Luke 2:21 Lit so as to circumcise Him
  14. Luke 2:22 I.e., Mary’s, with Joseph’s support
  15. Luke 2:26 I.e., Messiah
  16. Luke 2:27 Or in
  17. Luke 2:27 Lit to do for Him according to
  18. Luke 2:32 Lit of the Gentiles
  19. Luke 2:34 Or resurrection
  20. Luke 2:34 Or refused
  21. Luke 2:36 Or Hannah
  22. Luke 2:36 Lit days
  23. Luke 2:36 Lit virginity
  24. Luke 2:38 Lit hour
  25. Luke 2:40 Lit becoming full of
  26. Luke 2:49 Or affairs; or business; lit in the things of My Father
  27. Luke 2:50 Lit spoken
  28. Luke 2:51 Lit words
  29. Luke 2:52 Or age

The Birth of Jesus

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

The Shepherds and Angels

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,
    and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, 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 were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

Jesus Is Presented in the Temple

21 Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.

22 Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.”[a] 24 So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”[b]

The Prophecy of Simeon

25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,

29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
    as you have promised.
30 I have seen your salvation,
31     which you have prepared for all people.
32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
    and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

The Prophecy of Anna

36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four.[c] She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

39 When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. 40 There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.

Jesus Speaks with the Teachers

41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. 43 After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, 44 because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.

45 When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. 46 Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his 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 know that I must be in my Father’s house?”[d] 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 all these things in her heart.

52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

Footnotes

  1. 2:23 Exod 13:2.
  2. 2:24 Lev 12:8.
  3. 2:37 Or She had been a widow for eighty-four years.
  4. 2:49 Or “Didn’t you realize that I should be involved with my Father’s affairs?”