Beginning
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[a] of the household and family of David. 5 He went there[b] 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,[c] 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!”[d]
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,[e] 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[f] 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[g] took Jesus[h] 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.”[i] 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.”[j]
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,[k] and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die[l] until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.[m]
27 Led[n] 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[o] took the infant[p] 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[q] to unbelievers[r]
and bring glory to your people Israel.”
33 Jesus’[s] father and mother kept wondering at the things being said about him. 34 Then Simeon[t] 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[u] 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[v] 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’[w] parents would go to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. 42 When Jesus[x] was twelve years old, they went up to the festival as usual. 43 When the days of the festival[y] 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[z] 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?”[aa] 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.
John the Baptist Prepares the Way for Jesus(B)
3 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 and Annas and Caiaphas high priests, a message from God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. 3 John[ab] went throughout the entire Jordan region, proclaiming a baptism about repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
“He is a voice calling out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord![ac] Make his paths straight!
5 Every valley will be filled,
and every mountain and hill will be leveled.
The crooked ways will be made straight,
and the rough roads will be made smooth.
6 Everyone[ad] will see the salvation
that God has provided.’”[ae]
7 John would say to the crowds that were coming out to be baptized by him, “You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance! Don’t begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have father Abraham!’ because I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones! 9 The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree not producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire.”
10 The crowds kept asking him, “What, then, should we do?”
11 He answered them, “The person who has two coats must share with the one who doesn’t have any, and the person who has food must do the same.”
12 Even some tax collectors came to be baptized. They asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?”
13 He told them, “Stop collecting more money than the amount you are told to collect.”
14 Even some soldiers were asking him, “And what should we do?”
He told them, “Never extort money from anyone by threats or blackmail, and be satisfied with your pay.”
15 Now the people were filled with expectation, and all of them were wondering if John was perhaps the Messiah.[af] 16 John replied to all of them, “I’m baptizing you with[ag] water, but one is coming who is more powerful than I, and I’m not worthy to untie his sandal straps. It is he who will baptize you with[ah] the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clean up his threshing floor. He’ll gather the grain into his barn, but he’ll burn the chaff with inextinguishable fire.”
18 With many other exhortations John[ai] continued to proclaim the good news to the people. 19 Now Herod the tetrarch had been rebuked by John[aj] because he had married[ak] his brother’s wife Herodias and because of all of the other evil things Herod had done. 20 Added to all this, Herod[al] locked John up in prison.
Jesus is Baptized(C)
21 When all the people had been baptized, Jesus, too, was baptized. While he was praying, heaven opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him, appearing in the form of a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, saying,[am] “You are my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with you!”[an]
The Ancestry of Jesus(D)
23 Jesus himself was about 30 years old when he began his ministry.[ao] He was (as legally calculated)[ap] the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,[aq] the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon,[ar] the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan,[as] the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
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