Luke 2–3

THE BIRTH OF JESUS

2In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus^l that the whole empire^B should be registered. ²This first registration took place while^C Quirinius was governing Syria.^{m 3}So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.

⁴Joseph also went up from the town of Nazarethⁿ in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem,^o because he was of the house and family line of David,^{p 5}to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him^D and was pregnant. ⁶While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

THE SHEPHERDS AND THE ANGELS

⁸In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. ⁹Then an angel of the Lord^q stood before them,^r and the glory of the Lord^s shone around them, and they were terrified.^{F 10}But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid,^t for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:^{G 11}Today in the city of David a Savior^u was born for you, who is the Messiah,^v the Lord.^{w 12}This will be the sign for you:^x You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”

¹³Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host^H with the angel, praising God and saying:

¹⁴Glory to God in the highest heaven,^y

and peace on earth^z to people he favors!^IJaa

¹⁵When 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.”

¹⁶They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed^ab at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart^ac and meditating on them. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God^ad for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.

THE CIRCUMCISION AND PRESENTATION OF JESUS

²¹When the eight days were completed for his circumcision,^ae he was named Jesus^af—the name given by the angel before he was conceived. ²²And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were finished,^ag 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^A to the Lord^Ba) ²⁴and to offer a sacrifice (according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons^Cb).

SIMEON’S PROPHETIC PRAISE

²⁵There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout,^c looking forward to Israel’s consolation,^d and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit^e that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah.^{f 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, ²⁸Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said,

²⁹Now, Master,

you can dismiss your servant in peace,

as you promised.

³⁰For my eyes have seen your salvation.^g

³¹You have prepared it

in the presence of all peoples—

³²a light for revelation to the Gentiles^Dh

and glory to your people Israel.ⁱ

³³His father and mother^E were amazed at what was being said about him. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them and told his mother Mary, “Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel^j and to be a sign that will be opposed^F—³⁵and a sword will pierce your own soul—that the thoughts^G of many hearts may be revealed.”

ANNA’S TESTIMONY

³⁶There was also a prophetess,^k Anna, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.^l She was well along in years, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,^{Hm 37}and was a widow for eighty-four years.^I She did not leave the temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers.^{n 38}At that very moment,^J she came up and began to thank God and to speak about him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.^Ko

THE FAMILY’S RETURN TO NAZARETH

³⁹When they had completed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.^{p 40}The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was on him.^q

IN HIS FATHER’S HOUSE

⁴¹Every year his parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival.^{r 42}When he was twelve years old, they went up according to the custom of the festival.^{s 43}After those days were over,^t as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents^A did not know it. ⁴⁴Assuming he was in the traveling party, they went a day’s journey. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. ⁴⁶After three days, they found him in the temple sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷And all those who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him,^u “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”^v

⁴⁹“Why were you searching for me?” he asked them. “Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?”^{B 50}But they did not understand what he said to them.^w

IN FAVOR WITH GOD AND WITH PEOPLE

⁵¹Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother kept all these things in her heart.^{x 52}And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.^y

THE MESSIAH’S HERALD

3In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,^z Herod was tetrarch^C of Galilee,^aa his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, ²during the high priesthood of Annas^ab and Caiaphas,^ac God’s word came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.^{ad 3}He went into all the vicinity of the Jordan,^ae proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,^{af 4}as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:

A voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

Prepare the way for the Lord;

make his paths straight!

⁵Every valley will be filled,

and every mountain and hill will be made low;^D

the crooked will become straight,

the rough ways smooth,

⁶and everyone will see the salvation of God.^Ea

⁷He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers!^b Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^{c 8}Therefore produce fruit^d consistent with repentance. And don’t start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’^e for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. ⁹The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”^f

¹⁰“What then should we do?”^g the crowds were asking him.

¹¹He replied to them, “The one who has two shirts must share with someone who has none, and the one who has food must do the same.”^h

¹²Tax collectorsⁱ also came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?”^j

¹³He told them, “Don’t collect any more than what you have been authorized.”

¹⁴Some soldiers also questioned him, “What should we do?”

He said to them, “Don’t take money from anyone by force or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”

¹⁵Now the people were waiting expectantly, and all of them were questioning in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah.^{k 16}John answered them all,^l “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I am is coming. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with^A the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷His winnowing shovel^m is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and gather the wheat into his barn,ⁿ but the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out.”^{o 18}Then, along with many other exhortations, he proclaimed good news to the people. ¹⁹But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch^p because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the evil things he had done,^{q 20}Herod added this to everything else—he locked up John in prison.^r

THE BAPTISM OF JESUS

²¹When all the people were baptized,^s Jesus also was baptized. As he was praying,^t heaven opened,^{u 22}and the Holy Spirit descended on him in a physical appearance like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”^v

THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST

²³As he began his ministry, Jesus was about thirty years old and was thought to be the

son of Joseph,^w son of Heli,

²⁴son of Matthat, son of Levi,

son of Melchi, son of Jannai,

son of Joseph, ²⁵son of Mattathias,

son of Amos, son of Nahum,

son of Esli, son of Naggai,

²⁶son of Maath, son of Mattathias,

son of Semein, son of Josech,

son of Joda, ²⁷son of Joanan,

son of Rhesa, son of Zerubbabel,^x

son of Shealtiel, son of Neri,

²⁸son of Melchi, son of Addi,

son of Cosam, son of Elmadam,

son of Er, ²⁹son of Joshua,

son of Eliezer, son of Jorim,

son of Matthat, son of Levi,

³⁰son of Simeon, son of Judah,

son of Joseph, son of Jonam,

son of Eliakim, ³¹son of Melea,

son of Menna, son of Mattatha,

son of Nathan, son of David,

³²son of Jesse,^y son of Obed,^z

son of Boaz, son of Salmon,^A

son of Nahshon, ³³son of Amminadab,

son of Ram,^B son of Hezron,

son of Perez,^aa son of Judah,

³⁴son of Jacob, son of Isaac,

son of Abraham,^ab son of Terah,

son of Nahor, ³⁵son of Serug,

son of Reu, son of Peleg,^ac

son of Eber, son of Shelah,

³⁶son of Cainan,^C son of Arphaxad,

son of Shem, son of Noah,^ad

son of Lamech, ³⁷son of Methuselah,

son of…