2 Now 1 in those days a decree 2 went out from Caesar 3 Augustus 4 to register 5 all the empire 6 for taxes. 2 This was the first registration, taken when Quirinius was governor 7 of Syria. 3 Everyone 8 went to his own town 9 to be registered. 4 So 10 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth 11 in Galilee to Judea, to the city 12 of David called Bethlehem, 13 because he was of the house 14 and family line 15 of David. 5 He went 16 to be registered with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him, 17 and who was expecting a child. 6 While 18 they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 19 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in strips of cloth 20 and laid him in a manger, 21 because there was no place for them in the inn. 22
8 Now 23 there were shepherds 24 nearby 25 living out in the field, keeping guard 26 over their flock at night. 9 An 27 angel of the Lord 28 appeared to 29 them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were absolutely terrified. 30 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, 31 for I proclaim to you good news 32 that brings great joy to all the people: 11 Today 33 your Savior is born in the city 34 of David. 35 He is Christ 36 the Lord. 12 This 37 will be a sign 38 for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” 39 13 Suddenly 40 a vast, heavenly army 41 appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory 42 to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among people 43 with whom he is pleased!” 44
15 When 45 the angels left them and went back to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem 46 and see this thing that has taken place, that the Lord 47 has made known to us.” 16 So they hurried off and located Mary and Joseph, and found the baby lying in a manger. 48 17 When 49 they saw him, 50 they related what they had been told 51 about this child, 18 and all who heard it were astonished 52 at what the shepherds said. 19 But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering in her heart what they might mean. 53 20 So 54 the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising 55 God for all they had heard and seen; everything was just as they had been told. 56
21 At 57 the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given by the angel 58 before he was conceived in the womb.
22 Now 59 when the time came for their 60 purification according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary 61 brought Jesus 62 up to Jerusalem 63 to present him to the Lord 23 (just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male 64 will be set apart to the Lord” 65 ), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is specified in the law of the Lord, a pair of doves 66 or two young pigeons. 67
25 Now 68 there was a man in Jerusalem 69 named Simeon who was righteous 70 and devout, looking for the restoration 71 of Israel, and the Holy Spirit 72 was upon him. 26 It 73 had been revealed 74 to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die 75 before 76 he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 77 27 So 78 Simeon, 79 directed by the Spirit, 80 came into the temple courts, 81 and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary according to the law, 82 28 Simeon 83 took him in his arms and blessed God, saying, 84
29 “Now, according to your word, 85 Sovereign Lord, 86 permit 87 your servant 88 to depart 89 in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation 90
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples: 91
32 a light, 92
for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory 93 to your people Israel.”
33 So 94 the child’s 95 father 96 and mother were amazed 97 at what was said about him. 34 Then 98 Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “Listen carefully: 99 This child 100 is destined to be the cause of the falling and rising 101 of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be rejected. 102 35 Indeed, as a result of him the thoughts 103 of many hearts will be revealed 104 – and a sword 105 will pierce your own soul as well!” 106
36 There was also a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old, 107 having been married to her husband for seven years until his death. 37 She had lived as a widow since then for eighty-four years. 108 She never left the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 109 38 At that moment, 110 she came up to them 111 and began to give thanks to God and to speak 112 about the child 113 to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. 114
39 So 115 when Joseph and Mary 116 had performed 117 everything according to the law of the Lord, 118 they returned to Galilee, to their own town 119 of Nazareth. 120 40 And the child grew and became strong, 121 filled with wisdom, 122 and the favor 123 of God 124 was upon him.
41 Now 125 Jesus’ 126 parents went to Jerusalem 127 every 128 year for the feast of the Passover. 129 42 When 130 he was twelve years old, 131 they went up 132 according to custom. 43 But 133 when the feast was over, 134 as they were returning home, 135 the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His 136 parents 137 did not know it, 44 but (because they assumed that he was in their group of travelers) 138 they went a day’s journey. Then 139 they began to look for him among their relatives and acquaintances. 140 45 When 141 they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem 142 to look for him. 46 After 143 three days 144 they found him in the temple courts, 145 sitting among the teachers, 146 listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Jesus 147 were astonished 148 at his understanding and his answers. 48 When 149 his parents 150 saw him, they were overwhelmed. His 151 mother said to him, “Child, 152 why have you treated 153 us like this? Look, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” 154 49 But 155 he replied, 156 “Why were you looking for me? 157 Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 158 50 Yet 159 his parents 160 did not understand 161 the remark 162 he made 163 to them. 51 Then 164 he went down with them and came to Nazareth, 165 and was obedient 166 to them. But 167 his mother kept all these things 168 in her heart. 169
52 And Jesus increased 170 in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and with people.
3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, 1 when Pontius Pilate 2 was governor of Judea, and Herod 3 was tetrarch 4 of Galilee, and his brother Philip 5 was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias 6 was tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood 7 of Annas and Caiaphas, the word 8 of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 9 3 He 10 went into all the region around the Jordan River, 11 preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 12
4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
“The voice 13 of one shouting in the wilderness: 14
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make 15 his paths straight.
5 Every valley will be filled, 16
and every mountain and hill will be brought low,
and the crooked will be made straight,
and the rough ways will be made smooth,
6 and all humanity 17 will see the salvation of God.’” 18
7 So John 19 said to the crowds 20 that came out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers! 21 Who warned you to flee 22 from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore produce 23 fruit 24 that proves your repentance, and don’t begin to say 25 to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ 26 For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! 27 9 Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, 28 and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be 29 cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 So 30 the crowds were asking 31 him, “What then should we do?” 11 John 32 answered them, 33 “The person who has two tunics 34 must share with the person who has none, and the person who has food must do likewise.” 12 Tax collectors 35 also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 He told them, “Collect no more 36 than you are required to.” 37 14 Then some soldiers 38 also asked him, “And as for us – what should we do?” 39 He told them, “Take money from no one by violence 40 or by false accusation, 41 and be content with your pay.”
15 While the people were filled with anticipation 42 and they all wondered 43 whether perhaps John 44 could be the Christ, 45 16 John answered them all, 46 “I baptize you with water, 47 but one more powerful than I am is coming – I am not worthy 48 to untie the strap 49 of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 50 17 His winnowing fork 51 is in his hand to clean out his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his storehouse, 52 but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire.” 53
18 And in this way, 54 with many other exhortations, John 55 proclaimed good news to the people. 19 But when John rebuked Herod 56 the tetrarch 57 because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, 58 and because of all the evil deeds 59 that he had done, 20 Herod added this to them all: He locked up John in prison.
21 Now when 60 all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. And while he was praying, 61 the heavens 62 opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. 63 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my one dear Son; 64 in you I take great delight.” 65
23 So 66 Jesus, when he began his ministry, 67 was about thirty years old. He was 68 the son (as was supposed) 69 of Joseph, the son 70 of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, 71 the son of Shealtiel, 72 the son of Neri, 73 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, 74 the son of David, 75 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, 76 the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, 77 the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, 78 the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, 79 the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, 80 the son of Kenan, 81 38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. 82
4 Then 1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River 2 and was led by the Spirit 3 in 4 the wilderness, 5 2 where for forty days he endured temptations 6 from the devil. He 7 ate nothing 8 during those days, and when they were completed, 9 he was famished. 3 The devil said to him, “If 10 you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 11 4 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man 12 does not live by bread alone.’” 13
5 Then 14 the devil 15 led him up 16 to a high place 17 and showed him in a flash all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he 18 said to him, “To you 19 I will grant this whole realm 20 – and the glory that goes along with it, 21 for it has been relinquished 22 to me, and I can give it to anyone I wish. 7 So then, if 23 you will worship 24 me, all this will be 25 yours.” 8 Jesus 26 answered him, 27 “It is written, ‘You are to worship 28 the Lord 29 your God and serve only him.’” 30
9 Then 31 the devil 32 brought him to Jerusalem, 33 had him stand 34 on the highest point of the temple, 35 and said to him, “If 36 you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ 37 11 and ‘with their hands they will lift you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 38 12 Jesus 39 answered him, 40 “It is said, ‘You are not to put the Lord your God to the test.’” 41 13 So 42 when the devil 43 had completed every temptation, he departed from him until a more opportune time. 44
14 Then 45 Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, 46 returned to Galilee, and news about him spread 47 throughout the surrounding countryside. 48 15 He 49 began to teach 50 in their synagogues 51 and was praised 52 by all.
16 Now 53 Jesus 54 came to Nazareth, 55 where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue 56 on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. 57 He 58 stood up to read, 59 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He 60 unrolled 61 the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed 62 me to proclaim good news 63 to the poor. 64
He has sent me 65 to proclaim release 66 to the captives
and the regaining of sight 67 to the blind,
to set free 68 those who are oppressed, 69
19 to proclaim the year 70 of the Lord’s favor.” 71
20 Then 72 he rolled up 73 the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on 74 him. 21 Then 75 he began to tell them, “Today 76 this scripture has been fulfilled even as you heard it being read.” 77 22 All 78 were speaking well of him, and were amazed at the gracious words coming out of his mouth. They 79 said, “Isn’t this 80 Joseph’s son?” 23 Jesus 81 said to them, “No doubt you will quote to me the proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ 82 and say, ‘What we have heard that you did in Capernaum, 83 do here in your hometown too.’” 24 And he added, 84 “I tell you the truth, 85 no prophet is acceptable 86 in his hometown. 25 But in truth I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s days, 87 when the sky 88 was shut up three and a half years, and 89 there was a great famine over all the land. 26 Yet 90 Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to a woman who was a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 91 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, 92 yet 93 none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 94 28 When they heard this, all the people 95 in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, forced 96 him out of the town, 97 and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that 98 they could throw him down the cliff. 99 30 But he passed through the crowd 100 and went on his way. 101
31 So 102 he went down to Capernaum, 103 a town 104 in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he began to teach the people. 105 32 They 106 were amazed 107 at his teaching, because he spoke 108 with authority. 109
33 Now 110 in the synagogue 111 there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean 112 demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Ha! Leave us alone, 113 Jesus the Nazarene! Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One 114 of God.” 35 But 115 Jesus rebuked him: 116 “Silence! Come out of him!” 117 Then, after the demon threw the man 118 down in their midst, he came out of him without hurting him. 119 36 They 120 were all amazed and began to say 121 to one another, “What’s happening here? 122 For with authority and power 123 he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” 37 So 124 the news 125 about him spread into all areas of the region. 126
38 After Jesus left 127 the synagogue, he entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus 128 to help her. 129 39 So 130 he stood over her, commanded 131 the fever, and it left her. Immediately 132 she got up and began to serve 133 them.
40 As the sun was setting, all those who had any relatives 134 sick with various diseases brought them to Jesus. 135 He placed 136 his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 Demons also came out 137 of many, crying out, 138 “You are the Son of God!” 139 But he rebuked 140 them, and would not allow them to speak, 141 because they knew that he was the Christ. 142
42 The next morning 143 Jesus 144 departed and went to a deserted place. Yet 145 the crowds were seeking him, and they came to him and tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But Jesus 146 said to them, “I must 147 proclaim the good news of the kingdom 148 of God to the other towns 149 too, for that is what I was sent 150 to do.” 151 44 So 152 he continued to preach in the synagogues of Judea. 153
