Luke 2–3

Chapter 2

Jesus’ Birth in Bethlehem

¹Now in those days a decree went out from ^aCaesar Augustus, that a census be taken of ^ball ¹the inhabited earth.

²¹This was the first census taken while ²Quirinius was governor of ^aSyria.

³And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.

⁴Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because ^ahe was of the house and family of David,

⁵in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.

⁶While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.

⁷And she ^agave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a ¹manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁸In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

⁹And ^aan angel of the Lord suddenly ^bstood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

¹⁰But the angel said to them, “^aDo not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;

¹¹for today in the city of David there has been born for you a ^aSavior, who is ^1bChrist ^cthe Lord.

¹²“^aThis will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a ¹manger.”

¹³And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁴“^aGlory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace among men ^1bwith whom He is pleased.”

¹⁵When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”

¹⁶So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the ¹manger.

¹⁷When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.

¹⁸And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.

¹⁹But Mary ^atreasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

²⁰The shepherds went back, ^aglorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

Jesus Presented at the Temple

²¹And when ^aeight days had passed, ¹before His circumcision, ^bHis name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

^22aAnd when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord

²³(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “^aEvery firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”),

²⁴and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “^aA pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

²⁵And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was ^arighteous and devout, ^blooking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

²⁶And ^ait had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not ^bsee death before he had seen the Lord’s ¹Christ.

²⁷And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, ^1ato carry out for Him the custom of the Law,

²⁸then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,

²⁹“Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace,

^aAccording to Your word;

³⁰For my eyes have ^aseen Your salvation,

³¹Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

^32aA Light ¹of revelation to the Gentiles,

And the glory of Your people Israel.”

³³And His father and ^amother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him.

³⁴And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary ^aHis mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for ^bthe fall and ¹rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—

³⁵and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

³⁶And there was a ^aprophetess, ¹Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of ^bthe tribe of Asher. She was advanced in ²years ^cand had lived with her husband seven years after her ³marriage,

³⁷and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with ^afastings and prayers.

³⁸At that very ¹moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were ^alooking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Return to Nazareth

³⁹When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to ^atheir own city of Nazareth.

^40aThe Child continued to grow and become strong, ¹increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

Visit to Jerusalem

⁴¹Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at ^athe Feast of the Passover.

⁴²And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast;

⁴³and as they were returning, after spending the ^afull number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it,

⁴⁴but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances.

⁴⁵When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him.

⁴⁶Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.

⁴⁷And all who heard Him ^awere amazed at His understanding and His answers.

⁴⁸When they saw Him, they were astonished; and ^aHis mother said to Him, “¹Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, ^bYour father and I ²have been anxiously looking for You.”

⁴⁹And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that ^aI had to be in My Father’s ¹house?”

⁵⁰But ^athey did not understand the statement which He ¹had made to them.

⁵¹And He went down with them and came to ^aNazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and ^bHis mother ^ctreasured all these ¹things in her heart.

⁵²And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and ¹stature, and in ^afavor with God and men.

Chapter 3

John the Baptist Preaches

¹Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when ^aPontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and ^bHerod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,

²in the high priesthood of ^aAnnas and ^bCaiaphas, ^cthe word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.

³And he came into all ^athe district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;

⁴as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“^aThe voice of one crying in the wilderness,

‘Make ready the way of the Lord,

Make His paths straight.

⁵‘^aEvery ravine will be filled,

And every mountain and hill will be ¹brought low;

The crooked will become straight,

And the rough roads smooth;

^6aAnd all ¹flesh will ^bsee the salvation of God.’ ”

⁷So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “^aYou brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

⁸“Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and ^ado not begin to say ¹to yourselves, ‘^bWe have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.

⁹“Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so ^aevery tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “^aThen what shall we do?”

¹¹And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to ^ashare with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.”

¹²And some ^atax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”

¹³And he said to them, “¹Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.”

¹⁴Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or ^aaccuse anyone falsely, and ^bbe content with your wages.”

¹⁵Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were ¹wondering in their hearts about John, ^aas to whether he was ²the Christ,

^16aJohn answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you ¹with the Holy Spirit and fire.

¹⁷“His ^awinnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with ^bunquenchable fire.”

¹⁸So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people.

¹⁹But when ^aHerod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the wicked things which ^bHerod had done,

²⁰Herod also added this to them all: ^ahe locked John up in prison.

Jesus Is Baptized

^21aNow when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was ^bpraying, heaven was opened,

²²and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “^aYou are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”

Genealogy of Jesus

^23aWhen He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, ¹as was supposed, the son of ^bJoseph, ²the son of ³Eli,

²⁴the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

²⁵the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of ¹Hesli, the son of Naggai,

²⁶the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,

²⁷the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, ^athe son of Zerubbabel, the son of ¹Shealtiel, the son of Neri,

²⁸the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

²⁹the son of ¹Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

³⁰the son of Simeon, the son of ¹Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

³¹…