The Birth of Jesus
In those days Caesar Augustus issued
a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This
was the first census that took place while Quirinius
was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their
own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of
Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he
belonged to the house and line of David. He went
there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was
expecting a child. While they were there, the time
came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.
She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no
guest room available for them.
And there were shepherds living out in
the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of
the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and
they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I
bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in
the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the
Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in
cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the
heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on
whom his favour rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven,
the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing
that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and
Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When
they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them
about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds
said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in
her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and
praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just
as they had been told.
On the eighth day, when it was time to
circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him
before he was conceived.
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