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Luke 2 - Good News Bible bible

Luke 2

¹At that time Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire.

²When this first census took place, Quirinius was the governor of Syria.

³Everyone, then, went to register himself, each to his own hometown.

⁴Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, the birthplace of King David. Joseph went there because he was a descendant of David.

⁵He went to register with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him. She was pregnant,

⁶and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby.

⁷She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger---there was no room for them to stay in the inn.

⁸There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks.

⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid,

¹⁰but the angel said to them, "Don't be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people.

¹¹This very day in David's town your Savior was born---Christ the Lord!

¹²And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

¹³Suddenly a great army of heaven's angels appeared with the angel, singing praises to God:

¹⁴"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!"

¹⁵When the angels went away from them back 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."

¹⁶So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the manger.

¹⁷When the shepherds saw him, they told them what the angel had said about the child.

¹⁸All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said.

¹⁹Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them.

²⁰The shepherds went back, singing praises to God for all they had heard and seen; it had been just as the angel had told them.

²¹A week later, when the time came for the baby to be circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name which the angel had given him before he had been conceived.

²²The time came for Joseph and Mary to perform the ceremony of purification, as the Law of Moses commanded. So they took the child to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord,

²³as it is written in the law of the Lord: "Every first-born male is to be dedicated to the Lord."

²⁴They also went to offer a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons, as required by the law of the Lord.

²⁵At that time there was a man named Simeon living in Jerusalem. He was a good, God-fearing man and was waiting for Israel to be saved. The Holy Spirit was with him

²⁶and had assured him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's promised Messiah.

²⁷Led by the Spirit, Simeon went into the Temple. When the parents brought the child Jesus into the Temple to do for him what the Law required,

²⁸Simeon took the child in his arms and gave thanks to God:

²⁹"Now, Lord, you have kept your promise, and you may let your servant go in peace.

³⁰With my own eyes I have seen your salvation,

³¹which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples:

³²A light to reveal your will to the Gentiles and bring glory to your people Israel."

³³The child's father and mother were amazed at the things Simeon said about him.

³⁴Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, "This child is chosen by God for the destruction and the salvation of many in Israel. He will be a sign from God which many people will speak against

³⁵and so reveal their secret thoughts. And sorrow, like a sharp sword, will break your own heart."

³⁶There was a very old prophet, a widow named Anna, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She had been married for only seven years and was now eighty-four years old. She never left the Temple; day and night she worshiped God, fasting and praying.

³⁷

³⁸That very same hour she arrived and gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were waiting for God to set Jerusalem free.

³⁹When Joseph and Mary had finished doing all that was required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee.

⁴⁰The child grew and became strong; he was full of wisdom, and God's blessings were upon him.

⁴¹Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival.

⁴²When Jesus was twelve years old, they went to the festival as usual.

⁴³When the festival was over, they started back home, but the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know this;

⁴⁴they thought that he was with the group, so they traveled a whole day and then started looking for him among their relatives and friends.

⁴⁵They did not find him, so they went back to Jerusalem looking for him.

⁴⁶On the third day they found him in the Temple, sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions.

⁴⁷All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers.

⁴⁸His parents were astonished when they saw him, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you."

⁴⁹He answered them, "Why did you have to look for me? Didn't you know that I had to be in my Father's house?"

⁵⁰But they did not understand his answer.

⁵¹So Jesus went back with them to Nazareth, where he was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

⁵²Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom, gaining favor with God and people.