Old/New Testament

The birth of Jesus

2 At that time a decree was issued by Augustus Caesar: a census was to be taken of the whole world. ² (This was the first census, before the one when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ So everyone set off to be registered, each to their own town. ⁴ Joseph too, who belonged to the house and family of David, went from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judaea, David’s city, ⁵ to be registered with his fiancée Mary, who was pregnant.

⁶ So that’s where they were when the time came for her to have her baby; ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him up and put him to rest in a feeding-trough, because there was no room for them in the normal living quarters.

⁸ There were shepherds in that region, out in the open, keeping a night watch around their flock. ⁹ An angel of the Lord stood in front of them. The glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

¹⁰ “Don’t be afraid,” the angel said to them. “Look: I’ve got good news for you, news which will make everybody very happy. ¹¹ Today a savior has been born for you—the Messiah, the Lord!—in David’s town. ¹² This will be the sign for you: you’ll find the baby wrapped up, and lying in a feeding-trough.”

¹³ Suddenly, with the angel, there was a crowd of the heavenly armies. They were praising God, saying,

¹⁵ So when the angels had gone away again into heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Well then; let’s go to Bethlehem and see what it’s all about, all this that the Lord has told us.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off, and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the feeding-trough. ¹⁷ When they saw it, they told them what had been said to them about this child. ¹⁸ And all the people who heard it were amazed at the things the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured all these things and mused over them in her heart.

²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told to them.

Simeon and Anna

²¹ After eight days, the time came to circumcise the baby. He was called by the name Jesus, which the angel had given him before he had been conceived in the womb.

²² When the time came for them to be purified according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him before the Lord. ²³ That’s what the law of the Lord says: “Every firstborn male shall be called holy to the Lord.” ²⁴ They also came to offer sacrifice, according to what it says in the law of the Lord: “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”