Luke 2

₁About that time Emperor Augustus gave orders for the names of all the people to be listed in record books. ₂These first records were made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

₃Everyone had to go to their own home town to be listed. ₄So Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to Bethlehem in Judea. Long ago Bethlehem had been King David's home town, and Joseph went there because he was from David's family.

₅Mary was engaged to Joseph and travelled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby, ₆and while they were there, ₇she gave birth to her firstborn son. She dressed him in baby clothes and laid him on a bed of hay, because there was no room for them in the inn.

₈That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. ₉All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord's glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened. ₁₀But the angel said, “Don't be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. ₁₁This very day in King David's home town a Saviour was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. ₁₂You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay.”

₁₃Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God. They said:

₁₅After the angels had left and gone back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about.” ₁₆They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and they saw the baby lying on a bed of hay.

₁₇When the shepherds saw Jesus, they told his parents what the angel had said about him. ₁₈Everyone listened and was surprised. ₁₉But Mary kept thinking about all this and wondering what it meant.

₂₀As the shepherds returned to their sheep, they were praising God and saying wonderful things about him. Everything they had seen and heard was just as the angel had said.

₂₁Eight days later Jesus' parents did for him what the Law of Moses commands. And they named him Jesus, just as the angel had told Mary when he promised she would have a baby.

₂₂The time came for Mary and Joseph to do what the Law of Moses says a mother is supposed to do after her baby is born.

They took Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem and presented him to the Lord, ₂₃just as the Law of the Lord says, “Each firstborn baby boy belongs to the Lord.” ₂₄The Law of the Lord also says that parents have to offer a sacrifice, giving at least a pair of doves or two young pigeons. So that is what Mary and Joseph did.

₂₅At this time a man named Simeon was living in Jerusalem. Simeon was a good man. He loved God and was waiting for God to save the people of Israel. God's Spirit came to him ₂₆and told him that he would not die until he had seen Christ the Lord.

₂₇When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to do what the Law of Moses says should be done for a new baby, the Spirit told Simeon to go into the temple. ₂₈Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms and praised God,

₃₃Jesus' parents were surprised at what Simeon had said. ₃₄Then he blessed them and told Mary, “This child of yours will cause many people in Israel to fall and others to stand. The child will be like a warning sign. Many people will reject him, ₃₅and you, Mary, will suffer as though you had been stabbed by a dagger. But all this will show what people are really thinking.”

₃₆The prophet Anna was also there in the temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. In her youth she had been married for seven years, but her husband had died. ₃₇And now she was eighty-four years old. Night and day she served God in the temple by praying and often going without eating.

₃₈At that time Anna came in and praised God. She spoke about the child Jesus to everyone who hoped for Jerusalem to be set free.

₃₉After Joseph and Mary had done everything that the Law of the Lord commands, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. ₄₀The child Jesus grew. He became strong and wise, and God blessed him.

₄₁Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for Passover. ₄₂And when Jesus was twelve years old, they all went there as usual for the celebration. ₄₃After Passover his parents left, but they did not know that Jesus had stayed on in the city. ₄₄They thought he was travelling with some other people, and they went a whole day before they started looking for him. ₄₅When they could not find him with their relatives and friends, they went back to Jerusalem and started looking for him there.

₄₆Three days later they found Jesus sitting in the temple, listening to the teachers and asking them questions. ₄₇Everyone who heard him was surprised at how much he knew and at the answers he gave.

₄₈When his parents found him, they were amazed. His mother said, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been very worried, and we have been searching for you!”

₄₉Jesus answered, “Why did you have to look for me? Didn't you know that I would be in my Father's house?” ₅₀But they did not understand what he meant.

₅₁Jesus went back to Nazareth with his parents and obeyed them. His mother kept on thinking about all that had happened.

₅₂Jesus became wise, and he grew strong. God was pleased with him and so were the people.