Beginning

The Birth of Jesus^(A)

2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the entire inhabited earth should be taxed. ² This taxation was first made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ And everyone went to his own city to be taxed.

⁴ So Joseph also departed from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to the City of David which is called Bethlehem, in Judea, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be taxed with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. ⁶ So while they were there, the day came for her to give birth. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in strips of cloth, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

⁸ And in the same area there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And then an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were very afraid. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Listen! Do not fear. For I bring you good news of great joy, which will be to all people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign to you: You will find the Baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly there was with the angel a company of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁵ When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

¹⁶ So they came hurrying and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen Him, they made widely known the word which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

²¹ When eight days had passed and the Child was circumcised, He was named JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

²² When the days of her purification according to the Law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be called holy to the Lord”^[a]) ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”^[b]

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ It was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷ Led by the Spirit, he came into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, ²⁸ he received Him in his arms and blessed God and said:

³³ Joseph and His mother were amazed at those things which were spoken about Him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Listen, this Child is destined to cause the fall and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign which will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And a sword will pierce through your own soul also.”

³⁶ And there was Anna a prophetess, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity. ³⁷ And she was a widow of about eighty-four years of age who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fasting and prayer night and day. ³⁸ Coming at that moment she gave thanks to the Lord and spoke of Him to all those who looked for the redemption of Jerusalem.

The Return to Nazareth

³⁹ When they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth. ⁴⁰ And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom. And the grace of God was upon Him.

The Boy Jesus in the Temple

⁴¹ Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. ⁴² When He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. ⁴³ When the days of the feast were complete, as they returned, the Child Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know of it. ⁴⁴ But supposing Him to be in their company, they went a day’s journey. Then they searched for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. ⁴⁵ When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for Him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ All who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and His answers. ⁴⁸ When they saw Him, they were amazed. And His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You dealt with us like this? Look, Your father and I have anxiously searched for You.”

⁴⁹ He said to them, “How is it that you searched for Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” ⁵⁰ But they did not understand the word which He spoke to them.

⁵¹ Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them. But His mother kept all these words in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and men.

The Preaching of John the Baptist^(B)

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius, Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip was tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Traconitis, and Lysanias was the tetrarch of Abilene. ² Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³ He came into the region surrounding the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. ⁴ As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

⁷ Then he said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You children of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Therefore bear fruit worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. ⁹ Even now the axe is put to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰ The people asked him, “What then must we do?”

¹¹ John answered, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none. And he who has food, let him do likewise.”

¹² Then tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what must we do?”

¹³ He said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed you.”

¹⁴ Then the soldiers likewise demanded of him, “And what must we do?”

He said to them, “Do no violence to anyone nor accuse any falsely, and be content with your wages.”

¹⁵ As the people were in expectation, and everyone reflected in their hearts upon John, whether he might be the Christ or not, ¹⁶ John answered them all, “I indeed baptize you with water. But One mightier than I is coming, the strings of whose shoes I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹⁷ His fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly cleanse His threshing floor, and will gather the wheat into His granary. But He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.” ¹⁸ Then he preached many other things in his exhortation to the people.

¹⁹ But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, ²⁰ added also this above them all: He locked John up in prison.

The Baptism of Jesus^(C)

²¹ Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, ²² and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form like a dove on Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son. In You I am well pleased.”

The Genealogy of Jesus^(D)

²³ Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph,