Luke 1:1-80
1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative
of those things which have been fulfilled among us,
2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers
of the word delivered them to us,
3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of
all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account,
most excellent Theophilus,
4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were
instructed.
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest
named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the
daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they
were both well advanced in years.
8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the
order of his division,
9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn
incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at
the hour of incense.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right
side of the altar of incense.
12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon
him.
13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for
your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall call his name John.
14 "And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at
his birth.
15 "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink
neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy
Spirit, even from his mother's womb.
16 "And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord
their God.
17 "He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah,
'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient
to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the
Lord."
18 And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For
I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."
19 And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands
in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you
these glad tidings.
20 "But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the
day these things take place, because you did not believe my words
which will be fulfilled in their own time."
21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered
so long in the temple.
22 But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived
that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them
and remained speechless.
23 And so it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed,
that he departed to his own house.
24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid
herself five months, saying,
25 "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked
on me, to take away my reproach among people."
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a
city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the
house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored
one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"
29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered
what manner of greeting this was.
30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you
have found favor with God.
31 "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a
Son, and shall call His name Jesus.
32 "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest;
and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
33 "And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His
kingdom there will be no end."
34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not
know a man?"
35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will
come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you;
therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called
the Son of God.
36 "Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son
in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was
called barren.
37 "For with God nothing will be impossible."
38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be
to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with
haste, to a city of Judah,
40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that
the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy
Spirit.
42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you
among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43 "But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should
come to me?
44 "For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in
my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 "Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment
of those things which were told her from the Lord."
46 And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold,
henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is
His name.
50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with His arm; he has scattered the proud
in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the
lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has
sent away empty.
54 He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy,
55 As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever."
56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to
her house.
57 Now Elizabeth's full time came for her to be delivered, and she
brought forth a son.
58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown
great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.
59 So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the
child; and they would have called him by the name of his father,
Zacharias.
60 His mother answered and said, "No; he shall be called John."
61 But they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who
is called by this name."
62 So they made signs to his father-- what he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, "His name
is John." So they all marveled.
64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he
spoke, praising God.
65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings
were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea.
66 And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying,
"What kind of child will this be?" And the hand of the Lord was
with him.
67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and
prophesied, saying:
68 "Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed
His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of
His servant David,
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who have been
since the world began,
71 That we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of
all who hate us,
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember
His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
74 To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve Him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our
life.
76 "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for
you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission
of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring
from on high has visited us;
79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of
death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
80 So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the
deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
John 1:7-9
7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that
all through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that
Light.
9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming
into the world.
Luke 2:1-52
1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from
Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.
3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth,
into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because
he was of the house and lineage of David,
5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with
child.
6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed
for her to be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in
swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was
no room for them in the inn.
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the
fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the
glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold,
I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
11 "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior,
who is Christ the Lord.
12 "And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped
in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly
host praising God and saying:
14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill
toward men!"
15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven,
that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem
and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made
known to us."
16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the
Babe lying in a manger.
17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying
which was told them concerning this Child.
18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were
told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for
all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
21 And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of
the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel
before He was conceived in the womb.
22 Now when the days of her purification according to the law
of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present
Him to the Lord
23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male who opens
the womb shall be called holy to the Lord"),
24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law
of the Lord, "A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."
25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon,
and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation
of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he
would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents
brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom
of the law,
28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
29 "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according
to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation
31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory
of Your people Israel."
33 And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were
spoken of Him.
34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold,
this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel,
and for a sign which will be spoken against
35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that
the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel,
of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with
a husband seven years from her virginity;
37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who
did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and
prayers night and day.
38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and
spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
39 So when they had performed all things according to the law
of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.
40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with
wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the
Passover.
42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem
according to the custom of the feast.
43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy
Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother
did not know it;
44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a
day's journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances.
45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem,
seeking Him.
46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and
asking them questions.
47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding
and answers.
48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said
to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father
and I have sought You anxiously."
49 And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know
that I must be about My Father's business?"
50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to
them.
51 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject
to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with
God and men.
May God bless the reading
of His Word.
Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than
any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and
spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts
and intents of the heart.
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Rom 15:13
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and
peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by
the power of the Holy Spirit.
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