The Holy Bible

[1:46] And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord,

[1:47] and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

[1:48] for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

[1:49] for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

[1:50] And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.

[1:51] He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

[1:52] he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate;

[1:53] he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.

[1:54] He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,

[1:55] as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

[1:56] And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

[1:57] Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.

[1:58] And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

[1:59] And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father,

[1:60] but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.”

[1:61] And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.”

[1:62] And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called.

[1:63] And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered.

[1:64] And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.

[1:65] And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea,

[1:66] and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

[1:67] And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

[1:68] “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people

[1:69] and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,

[1:70] as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

[1:71] that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us;

[1:72] to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,

[1:73] the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us

[1:74] that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear,

[1:75] in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

[1:76] And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

[1:77] to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,

[1:78] because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high

[1:79] to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

[1:80] And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

[2:1] In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

[2:2] This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

[2:3] And all went to be registered, each to his own town.

[2:4] And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,

[2:5] to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

[2:6] And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.

[2:7] And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

[2:8] And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

[2:9] And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.

[2:10] And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

[2:11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

[2:12] And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

[2:13] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

[2:14] “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

[2:15] When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

[2:16] And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.

[2:17] And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.

[2:18] And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

[2:19] But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

[2:20] And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

[2:21] And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

[2:22] And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord

[2:23] (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”)

[2:24] and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

[2:25] Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

[2:26] And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

[2:27] And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law,

[2:28] he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

[2:29] “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;

[2:30] for my eyes have seen your salvation

[2:31] that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

[2:32] a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

[2:33] And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.

[2:34] And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed

[2:35] (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

[2:36] And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin,

[2:37] and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.

[2:38] And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

[2:39] And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.

[2:40] And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

[2:41] Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.

[2:42] And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.

[2:43] And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,

[2:44] but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances,

[2:45] and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.

[2:46] After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

[2:47] And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

[2:48] And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”

[2:49] And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

[2:50] And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.

[2:51] And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.

[2:52] And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

[3:1] In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,

[3:2] during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

[3:3] And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

[3:4] As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

[3:5] Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways,

[3:6] and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

[3:7] He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

[3:8] Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

[3:9] Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

[3:10] And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?”

[3:11] And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”

[3:12] Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”

[3:13] And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.”

[3:14] Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”

[3:15] As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ,

[3:16] John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

[3:17] His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

[3:18] So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people.

[3:19] But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done,

[3:20] added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.

[3:21] Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened,

[3:22] and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

[3:23] Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,

[3:24] the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

[3:25] the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,

[3:26] the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,

[3:27] the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,

[3:28] the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

[3:29] the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

[3:30] the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

[3:31] the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

[3:32] the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon,

[3:33] the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

[3:34] the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

[3:35] the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,

[3:36] the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

[3:37] the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,

[3:38] the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.