Luke 1:26-56
26 In the sixth month, God sent
the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be
married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The
virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and
said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The
Lord is with you."
29 Mary was greatly troubled at
his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might
be. 30 But the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with
God. 31 You will be with child and
give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name
Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be
called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give
him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the
house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
34 "How will this be,"
Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
35 The angel answered, "The
Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most
High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will
be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative
is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was
said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible
with God."
38 "I am the Lord's
servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as
you have said." Then the angel left her.
39 At that time Mary got ready
and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered
Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's
greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was
filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she
exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed
is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your
greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for
joy. 45 Blessed is she who has
believed that what the Lord has said to her will be
accomplished!"
46 And Mary said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in
God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done
great things for me--
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those
who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty
deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost
thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers
from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry
with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant
Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his
descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers."
56
Mary
stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then
returned home.
Luke 2: 1- 40
1 In those days Caesar
Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of
the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census
that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own
town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from
the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem
the town of David, because he belonged to the house and
line of David. 5 He went there to register
with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was
expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the
time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her
firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed
him in a manger, because there was no room for them in
the inn.
8
And
there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby,
keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord
appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around
them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them,
"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great
joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a
Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you:
You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a
manger."
13 Suddenly a great company of
the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God
and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the
highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
15 When the angels had left
them and gone 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 about."
16
So they
hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who
was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they
spread the word concerning what had been told them about
this child, 18 and all who heard it were
amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all
these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God for all the things they had
heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
21 On the eighth day, when it
was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name
the angel had given him before he had been conceived.
22 When the time of their
purification according to the Law of Moses had been
completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to
present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law
of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be
consecrated to the Lord" ), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in
keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a
pair of doves or two young pigeons."
25 Now there was a man in
Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He
was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy
Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him
by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had
seen the Lord's Christ. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went
into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the
child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law
required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms
and praised God, saying:
29 "Sovereign Lord, as you
have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your
salvation,
31 which you have prepared in
the sight of all people,
32 a light for revelation to
the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel."
33
The
child's father and mother marveled at what was said about
him. 34
Then
Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This
child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many
in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many
hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own
soul too."
36 There was also a prophetess,
Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She
was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years
after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until
she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but
worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that
very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the
child to all who were looking forward to the redemption
of Jerusalem.
39 When Joseph and Mary had
done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they
returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and
became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace
of God was upon him.
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