New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered.
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Now it came about in those days that an order went out from Caesar Augustus that there was to be a numbering of all the world.
2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
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This was the first numbering, which was made when Quirinius was ruler of Syria.
3 All went to their own towns to be registered.
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And all men went to be numbered, everyone to his town.
4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.
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And Joseph went up from Galilee, out of the town of Nazareth, into Judaea, to Beth-lehem, the town of David, because he was of the house and family of David,
5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.
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To be put on the list with Mary, his future wife, who was about to become a mother.
6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.
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And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
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And she had her first son; and folding him in linen, she put him to rest in the place where the cattle had their food, because there was no room for them in the house.
8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
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And in the same country there were keepers of sheep in the fields, watching over their flock by night.
9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
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And an angel of the Lord came to them, and the glory of the Lord was shining round about them: and fear came on them.
10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:
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And the angel said, Have no fear; for truly, I give you good news of great joy which will be for all the people:
11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
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For on this day, in the town of David, a Saviour has come to birth, who is Christ the Lord.
12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger."
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And this is the sign to you: you will see a young child folded in linen, in the place where the cattle have their food.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
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And suddenly there was with the angel a great band of spirits from heaven, giving praise to God, and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"
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Glory to God in the highest, and on the earth peace among men with whom he is well pleased.
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us."
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And when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the keepers of the sheep said to one another, Let us go now to Beth-lehem, and see this thing which has come about, which the Lord has made clear to us.
16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.
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And they came quickly, and saw Mary and Joseph, and the child in the place where the cattle had their food.
17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child;
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And when they saw it, they gave them an account of the things which had been said to them about the child.
18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.
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And all those to whose ears it came were full of wonder at the things said by the keepers of the sheep.
19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.
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But Mary kept all these words in her heart, and gave much thought to them.
20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
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Then the keepers of the sheep went back, giving glory and praise to God for all the things which had come to their ears and which they had seen, as it had been said to them.
21 After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
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And when, after eight days, the time came for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name which the angel had given to him before his birth.
22 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
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And when the necessary days for making them clean by the law of Moses had come to an end, they took him to Jerusalem to give him to the Lord
23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord"),
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(As it says in the law of the Lord, Every mother's first male child is to be holy to the Lord),
24 and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."
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And to make an offering, as it is ordered in the law of the Lord, of two doves or other young birds.
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him.
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And there was then in Jerusalem a man whose name was Simeon; and he was an upright man, fearing God and waiting for the comfort of Israel: and the Holy Spirit was on him.
26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah.
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And he had knowledge, through the Holy Spirit, that he would not see death till he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law,
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And full of the Spirit he came into the Temple; and when the father and mother came in with the child Jesus, to do with him what was ordered by the law,
28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
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Then he took him in his arms and gave praise to God and said,
29 "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word;
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Now you are letting your servant go in peace, O Lord, as you have said;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation,
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For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
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Which you have made ready before the face of all nations;
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
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A light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.
33 And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him.
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And his father and mother were full of wonder at the things which were said about him.
34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed
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And Simeon gave them his blessing and said to Mary, his mother, See, this child will be the cause of the downfall and the lifting up of great numbers of people in Israel, and he will be a sign against which hard words will be said;
35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too."
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(And a sword will go through your heart;) so that the secret thoughts of men may come to light.
36 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,
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And there was one, Anna, a woman prophet, the daughter of Phanuel, of the family of Asher (she was very old, and after seven years of married life
37 then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day.
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She had been a widow for eighty-four years); she was in the Temple at all times, worshipping with prayers and going without food, night and day.
38 At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
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And coming up at that time, she gave praise to God, talking of him to all those who were waiting for the freeing of Jerusalem.
39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
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And when they had done all the things which were ordered by the law of the Lord, they went back to Galilee, to Nazareth, the town where they were living.
40 The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
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And the child became tall and strong and full of wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover.
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And every year his father and mother went to Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover.
42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival.
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And when he was twelve years old, they went up, as their way was, to the feast;
43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.
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And when the days of the feast came to an end and they were going back, the boy Jesus was still in Jerusalem, but they had no knowledge of it:
44 Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day's journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends.
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And in the belief that he was with some of their number, they went a day's journey; and after looking for him among their relations and friends,
45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him.
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And seeing that he was not there, they went back to Jerusalem, to make search for him.
46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
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And after three days they came across him in the Temple, seated among the wise men, giving ear to their words and putting questions to them.
47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
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And all to whose ears it came were full of wonder at his knowledge and the answers which he gave.
48 When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety."
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And when they saw him they were surprised, and his mother said to him, Son, why have you done this to us? see, your father and I have been looking for you with sorrow.
49 He said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"
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And he said to them, Why were you looking for me? was it not clear to you that my right place was in my Father's house?
50 But they did not understand what he said to them.
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And his words seemed strange to them.
51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
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And he went down with them and came to Nazareth; and did as he was ordered: and his mother kept all these words in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.
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And Jesus was increasing in wisdom and in years, and in grace before God and men.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.