Luke 2:8–21

The Shepherds and the Angels

⁸And there were shepherds in the same region, living out of doors and keeping watch, guarding over their flock by night. ⁹And an angel of the Lord stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terribly frightened.^{c 10}And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring good news to you of great joy which will be for all the people: ¹¹that today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. ¹²And this will be the sign for you: you will find the baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God and saying,

¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace

among people with whom he is pleased!”^d

¹⁵And it happened that when the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began to say^* to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has revealed to us!” ¹⁶And they went hurrying and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷And when they^* saw it,^* they made known the statement that had been told to them about this child. ¹⁸And all who heard it^* were astonished concerning what had been said to them by the shepherds. ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering them^* in her heart. ²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

²¹And when eight days were completed so that he could be circumcised,^e he was named Jesus, his name that he was called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.