The Holy Bible

[1:39] Soon afterward Mary got ready and hurried off to a town in the hill country of Judea.

[1:40] She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth.

[1:41] When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby moved within her. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit

[1:42] and said in a loud voice, “You are the most blessed of all women, and blessed is the child you will bear!

[1:43] Why should this great thing happen to me, that my Lord's mother comes to visit me?

[1:44] For as soon as I heard your greeting, the baby within me jumped with gladness.

[1:45] How happy you are to believe that the Lord's message to you will come true!”

[1:46] Mary said, “My heart praises the Lord;

[1:47] my soul is glad because of God my Savior,

[1:48] for he has remembered me, his lowly servant! From now on all people will call me happy,

[1:49] because of the great things the Mighty God has done for me. His name is holy;

[1:50] from one generation to another he shows mercy to those who honor him.

[1:51] He has stretched out his mighty arm and scattered the proud with all their plans.

[1:52] He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly.

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

[1:54] He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors, and has come to the help of his servant Israel.

[1:55] He has remembered to show mercy to Abraham and to all his descendants forever!”

[1:56] Mary stayed about three months with Elizabeth and then went back home.

[1:57] The time came for Elizabeth to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son.

[1:58] Her neighbors and relatives heard how wonderfully good the Lord had been to her, and they all rejoiced with her.

[1:59] When the baby was a week old, they came to circumcise him, and they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father.

[1:60] But his mother said, “No! His name is to be John.”

[1:61] They said to her, “But you don't have any relative with that name!”

[1:62] Then they made signs to his father, asking him what name he would like the boy to have.

[1:63] Zechariah asked for a writing pad and wrote, “His name is John.” How surprised they all were!

[1:64] At that moment Zechariah was able to speak again, and he started praising God.

[1:65] The neighbors were all filled with fear, and the news about these things spread through all the hill country of Judea.

[1:66] Everyone who heard of it thought about it and asked, “What is this child going to be?” For it was plain that the Lord's power was upon him.

[1:67] John's father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he spoke God's message:

[1:68] “Let us praise the Lord, the God of Israel! He has come to the help of his people and has set them free.

[1:69] He has provided for us a mighty Savior, a descendant of his servant David.

[1:70] He promised through his holy prophets long ago

[1:71] that he would save us from our enemies, from the power of all those who hate us.

[1:72] He said he would show mercy to our ancestors and remember his sacred covenant. he promised to rescue us from our enemies and allow us to serve him without fear,

[1:75] so that we might be holy and righteous before him all the days of our life.

[1:76] “You, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High God. You will go ahead of the Lord to prepare his road for him,

[1:77] to tell his people that they will be saved by having their sins forgiven.

[1:78] Our God is merciful and tender. He will cause the bright dawn of salvation to rise on us

[1:79] and to shine from heaven on all those who live in the dark shadow of death, to guide our steps into the path of peace.”

[1:80] The child grew and developed in body and spirit. He lived in the desert until the day when he appeared publicly to the people of Israel.

[2:1] At that time Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire.

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

[2:3] Everyone, then, went to register himself, each to his own hometown.

[2:4] Joseph 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.

[2:5] He went to register with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him. She was pregnant,

[2:6] and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby.

[2:7] She 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.

[2:8] There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks.

[2:9] An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid,

[2:10] but 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.

[2:11] This very day in David's town your Savior was born—Christ the Lord!

[2:12] And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

[2:13] Suddenly a great army of heaven's angels appeared with the angel, singing praises to God:

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

[2:15] When 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.”

[2:16] So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the manger.

[2:17] When the shepherds saw him, they told them what the angel had said about the child.

[2:18] All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said.

[2:19] Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them.

[2:20] The shepherds went back, singing praises to God for all they had heard and seen; it had been just as the angel had told them.

[2:22] The 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,

[2:23] as it is written in the law of the Lord: “Every first-born male is to be dedicated to the Lord.”

[2:24] They also went to offer a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons, as required by the law of the Lord.

[2:25] At 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

[2:26] and had assured him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's promised Messiah.

[2:27] Led 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,

[2:28] Simeon took the child in his arms and gave thanks to God:

[2:29] “Now, Lord, you have kept your promise, and you may let your servant go in peace.

[2:30] With my own eyes I have seen your salvation,

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

[2:32] A light to reveal your will to the Gentiles and bring glory to your people Israel.”

[2:33] The child's father and mother were amazed at the things Simeon said about him.

[2:34] Simeon 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

[2:35] and so reveal their secret thoughts. And sorrow, like a sharp sword, will break your own heart.”

[2:38] That 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.

[2:39] When 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.

[2:40] The child grew and became strong; he was full of wisdom, and God's blessings were upon him.

[2:41] Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival.

[2:42] When Jesus was twelve years old, they went to the festival as usual.

[2:43] When the festival was over, they started back home, but the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know this;

[2:44] they thought that he was with the group, so they traveled a whole day and then started looking for him among their relatives and friends.

[2:45] They did not find him, so they went back to Jerusalem looking for him.

[2:46] On the third day they found him in the Temple, sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions.

[2:47] All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers.

[2:48] His 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.”

[2:49] He answered them, “Why did you have to look for me? Didn't you know that I had to be in my Father's house?”

[2:50] But they did not understand his answer.

[2:51] So Jesus went back with them to Nazareth, where he was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

[2:52] Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom, gaining favor with God and people.