New Living Translation NLT
Wycliffe WYC
1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.
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And it was done in those days, a commandment went out from the emperor Augustus [a commandment went out from Caesar Augustus], that all the world should be described.
2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
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This first describing was made of Cyrenius, justice of Syria [justice, or keeper, of Syria].
3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census.
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And all men went to make profession, [or acknowledging,] each into his own city. [+And all went, that they should make profession, or acknowledging, each by himself into his city.]
4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.
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And Joseph went up from Galilee, from the city Nazareth [of the city of Nazareth], into Judaea, into a city of David, that is called Bethlehem, for that he was of the house and of the family of David,
5 He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.
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that he should acknowledge with Mary, his wife, that was wedded to him, and was great with child. [that he should acknowledge with Mary, spoused to him wife, with child.]
6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.
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And it was done, while they were there, the days were fulfilled, that she should bear child.
7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
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And she bare her firstborn son, and wrapped him in ?clothes, and laid him in a feed-trough [and put him in a cratch], for there was no place to him in no chamber.
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.
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And shepherds were in the same country, waking and keeping the watches of the night on [upon] their flock.
9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified,
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And lo! the angel of the Lord stood beside them, and the clearness of God shined about them [and the clearness of God shone about them]; and they dreaded with great dread.
10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.
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And the angel said to them, Do not ye dread; for lo! I preach to you a great joy [lo! soothly I evangelize to you a great joy], that shall be to all people.
11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!
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For a Saviour is born to day to you, that is Christ the Lord, in the city of David.
12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
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And this is a token to you; ye shall find a young child wrapped in ?clothes, and laid in a feed-trough [and put in a cratch].
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
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And suddenly there was made with the angel a multitude of heavenly knighthood, praising God, and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
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Glory be in the highest things to God, and in earth peace be to men of good will. [Glory in the highest things to God, and in earth peace to men of good will.]
15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
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And it was done, as the angels passed away from them into heaven, the shepherds spake together, and said, Go we over [till] to Bethlehem, and see we this word that is made, which the Lord hath made, and showed to us.
16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.
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And they hieing came, and found Mary and Joseph, and the young child laid in a feed-trough [put in a cratch].
17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.
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And they seeing, knew of the word that was said to them of this child.
18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished,
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And all men that heard wondered, and of these things that were said to them of the shepherds.
19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.
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But Mary kept all these words, bearing together in her heart.
20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
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And the shepherds turned again, glorifying and praising God in all things that they had heard and seen, as it was said to them.
21 Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.
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And after that eight days were ended, that the child should be circumcised, his name was called Jesus, which was called of the angel, before that he was conceived in the womb.
22 Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.
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And after that the days of the purification of Mary were fulfilled, after Moses' law, they took him into Jerusalem, to offer him to the Lord,
23 The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the LORD .”
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as it is written in the law of the Lord, For every male-kind opening the womb, shall be called holy to the Lord;
24 So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
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and that they shall give an offering, after that it is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons [or two culver birds].
25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him
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And lo! a man was in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and this man was just and virtuous, and abode the comfort of Israel [and this man was just and dread-full, abiding the comfort of Israel]; and the Holy Ghost was in him.
26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
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And he had taken an answer of the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, but he saw first the Christ of the Lord.
27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required,
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And he came in Spirit into the temple. And when his father and mother led [in] the child Jesus to do after the custom of the law for him,
28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
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he took him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised.
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Lord, now thou lettest go thy servant after thy word in peace; [Lord, now thy leavest thy servant after thy word in peace;]
30 I have seen your salvation,
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for mine eyes have seen thine health,
31 which you have prepared for all people.
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which thou hast made ready before the face of all peoples;
32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
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light to the showing of heathen men, and glory of thy people Israel.
33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him.
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And his father and his mother were wondering on [upon] these things, that were said of him.
34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him.
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And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, his mother, Lo! this is set into the falling down and into the rising again [into the falling and into the rising again] of many men in Israel, and into a token, to whom it shall be against-said.
35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”
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And a sword shall pass through thine own soul, that the thoughts be showed of many hearts.
36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years.
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And Anna was a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the lineage of Aser. And she had gone forth in many days, and had lived with her husband seven years from her maidenhood.
37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer.
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And this was a widow to fourscore years and four; and she departed not from the temple [which departed not from the temple], but served God night and day in fastings and prayers.
38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.
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And this came upon them in that hour, and acknowledged to the Lord [And this in that hour above coming, acknowledged to the Lord], and spake of him to all that abided the redemption of Israel.
39 When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee.
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And as they had full done all things [And as they had perfectly done all things], after the law of the Lord, they turned again into Galilee, into their city Nazareth.
40 There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.
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And the child waxed, and was comforted, full of wisdom; and the grace of God was in him.
41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival.
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And his father and mother went each year into Jerusalem [And his father and mother went by all years into Jerusalem], in the solemn day of pask.
42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual.
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And when Jesus was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem, after the custom of the feast day.
43 After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first,
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And when the days were done, they turned again; and the child abode in Jerusalem, and his father and mother knew it not.
44 because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.
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For they guessing that he had been in the fellowship, came a day's journey, and sought him among his cousins and his acknowledged. [+Forsooth they guessing him to be in the company, or fellowship, came the way, or journey, of a day, and sought him among his cousins and known.]
45 When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there.
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And when they found him not, they turned again into Jerusalem, and sought him [seeking him].
46 Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions.
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And it befell [And it was done], that after the third day they found him in the temple, sitting in the middle of the doctors, hearing them and asking them.
47 All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
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And all men that heard him, wondered on the prudence and the answers of him.
48 His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”
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And they saw, and wondered. And his mother said to him, Son, what hast thou done to us thus? Lo! thy father and I sorrowing have sought thee.
49 “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
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And he said to them, What is it that ye sought me? knew ye not that in those things that be of my Father [wist ye not, that in those things that be my Father's], it behooveth me to be?
50 But they didn’t understand what he meant.
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And they understood not the word, which he spake to them.
51 Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.
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And he came down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them. And his mother kept together all these words, and bare them in her heart [bearing together in her heart].
52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.
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And Jesus profited in wisdom, age, and grace, with God and men.