Luke 1:26-2:40
Christian Standard Bible
Gabriel Predicts Jesus’s Birth
26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel(A) was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,(B) 27 to a virgin engaged[a](C) to a man named Joseph, of the house of David.(D) The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.”[b] 29 But she was deeply troubled(E) by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 Then the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary,(F) for you have found favor with God.(G) 31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.(H) 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High,(I) and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.(J) 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob(K) forever, and his kingdom will have no end.” (L)
34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” [c]
35 The angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,(M) and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.(N) 36 And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”(O)
38 “See, I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
Mary’s Visit to Elizabeth
39 In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah 40 where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.(P) 42 Then she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed![d] 43 How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!”
Mary’s Praise
46 And Mary said:
My soul magnifies the Lord,(Q)
47 and my spirit rejoices(R) in God my Savior,(S)
48 because he has looked with favor
on the humble condition of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations
will call me blessed,(T)
49 because the Mighty One(U)
has done great things for me,(V)
and his name(W) is holy.
50 His mercy is from generation to generation(X)
on those who fear him.
51 He has done a mighty deed with his arm;(Y)
he has scattered the proud
because of the thoughts of their hearts;(Z)
52 he has toppled the mighty from their thrones
and exalted the lowly.(AA)
53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things(AB)
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering his mercy
55 to Abraham and his descendants[e] forever,(AC)
just as he spoke to our ancestors.
56 And Mary stayed with her about three months; then she returned to her home.
The Birth and Naming of John
57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son. 58 Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her his great mercy,(AD) and they rejoiced with her.
59 When they came to circumcise the child on the eighth day,(AE) they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But his mother responded, “No. He will be called John.”(AF)
61 Then they said to her, “None of your relatives has that name.” 62 So they motioned to his father(AG) to find out what he wanted him to be called. 63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened(AH) and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard about him(AI) took it to heart, saying, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the Lord’s hand was with him.
Zechariah’s Prophecy
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit(AJ) and prophesied:(AK)
68 Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel,(AL)
because he has visited
and provided redemption for his people.(AM)
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us(AN)
in the house of his servant David,(AO)
70 just as he spoke by the mouth
of his holy prophets in ancient times;(AP)
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of those who hate us.
72 He has dealt mercifully with our ancestors(AQ)
and remembered his holy covenant(AR)—
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham,(AS)
to grant that we,
74 having been rescued
from the hand of our enemies,
would serve him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness
in his presence all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called
a prophet of the Most High,(AT)
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare his ways,(AU)
77 to give his people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins.(AV)
78 Because of our God’s merciful compassion,
the dawn from on high(AW) will visit us
79 to shine on those who live in darkness
and the shadow of death,(AX)
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80 The child grew up and became strong in spirit,[f](AY) and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
The Birth of Jesus
2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus(AZ) that the whole empire[g] should be registered. 2 This first registration took place while[h] Quirinius was governing Syria.(BA) 3 So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.
4 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth(BB) in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem,(BC) because he was of the house and family line of David,(BD) 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him[i] and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger,[j] because there was no guest room available for them.
The Shepherds and the Angels
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord(BE) stood before them,(BF) and the glory of the Lord(BG) shone around them, and they were terrified.[k] 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid,(BH) for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:[l] 11 Today in the city of David a Savior(BI) was born for you, who is the Messiah,(BJ) the Lord.(BK) 12 This will be the sign for you:(BL) You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host[m] with the angel, praising God and saying:
15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. 17 After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed(BP) at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart(BQ) and meditating on them. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God(BR) for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.
The Circumcision and Presentation of Jesus
21 When the eight days were completed for his circumcision,(BS) he was named Jesus(BT)—the name given by the angel before he was conceived. 22 And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were finished,(BU) they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every firstborn male will be dedicated[p] to the Lord[q](BV)) 24 and to offer a sacrifice (according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons[r](BW)).
Simeon’s Prophetic Praise
25 There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout,(BX) looking forward to Israel’s consolation,(BY) and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit(BZ) that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah.(CA) 27 Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said,
29 Now, Master,
you can dismiss your servant in peace,
as you promised.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation.(CB)
31 You have prepared it
in the presence of all peoples—
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles[s](CC)
and glory to your people Israel.(CD)
33 His father and mother[t] were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and told his mother Mary, “Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel(CE) and to be a sign that will be opposed[u]— 35 and a sword will pierce your own soul—that the thoughts[v] of many hearts may be revealed.”
Anna’s Testimony
36 There was also a prophetess,(CF) Anna, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.(CG) She was well along in years, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,[w](CH) 37 and was a widow for eighty-four years.[x] She did not leave the temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers.(CI) 38 At that very moment,[y] she came up and began to thank God and to speak about him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.[z](CJ)
The Family’s Return to Nazareth
39 When they had completed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.(CK) 40 The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was on him.(CL)
Footnotes
- 1:27 Lit betrothed
- 1:28 Other mss add Blessed are you among women.
- 1:34 Lit since I do not know a man
- 1:42 Lit and the fruit of your abdomen (or womb) is blessed
- 1:55 Or offspring; lit seed
- 1:80 Or strong in the Spirit
- 2:1 Or the whole inhabited world
- 2:2 Or This registration was the first while, or This registration was before
- 2:5 Lit betrothed
- 2:7 Or feeding trough, also in vv. 12,16
- 2:9 Lit they feared a great fear
- 2:10 Or the whole nation
- 2:13 Lit heavenly army
- 2:14 Other mss read earth good will to people
- 2:14 Or earth to men of good will
- 2:23 Lit be called holy
- 2:23 Ex 13:2,12
- 2:24 Lv 5:11; 12:8
- 2:32 Or the nations
- 2:33 Other mss read But Joseph and his mother
- 2:34 Or spoken against
- 2:35 Or schemes
- 2:36 Lit years from her virginity
- 2:37 Or she was a widow until the age of eighty-four
- 2:38 Lit very hour
- 2:38 Other mss read in Jerusalem
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