1About that time Emperor Augustus gave orders for the names of all the people to be listed in record books.
2These first records were made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3Everyone had to go to their own hometown to be listed.
4So Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to Bethlehem in Judea. Long ago Bethlehem had been King David's hometown, and Joseph went there because he was from David's family.
5Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby,
6and while they were there,
7she gave birth to her first-born son. She dressed him in baby clothes and laid him on a bed of hay, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The Shepherds8That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep.
9 And they named him Jesus, just as the angel had told Mary when he promised she would have a baby.
Simeon Praises the Lord22
They took Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem and presented him to the Lord,
23 baby boy belongs to the Lord.”
24The Law of the Lord also says parents have to offer a sacrifice, giving at least a pair of doves or two young pigeons. So that is what Mary and Joseph did.
25At this time a man named Simeon was living in Jerusalem. Simeon was a good man. He loved God and was waiting for him to save the people of Israel. God's Spirit came to him
26and told him that he would not die until he had seen Christ the Lord.
27When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to do what the Law of Moses says should be done for a new baby, the Spirit told Simeon to go into the temple.
28Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms and praised God,
29“Lord, I am your servant,
and now I can die in peace,
because you have kept
your promise to me.
30With my own eyes I have seen
what you have done
to save your people,
31and foreign nations
will also see this.
32 Night and day she served God in the temple by praying and often going without eating.
38At this time Anna came in and praised God. She spoke about the child Jesus to everyone who hoped for Jerusalem to be set free.
The Return to Nazareth39
50But they did not understand what he meant.
51Jesus went back to Nazareth with his parents and obeyed them. His mother kept on thinking about all that had happened.
52 1 S 2.26; Pr 3.4. Jesus became wise, and he grew strong. God was pleased with him and so were the people.
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