Luke 2

1 Now in those days [a period of time, an era] a decree [a law or ordinance] went out from Caesar Augustus [the Roman emperor, ruler of the empire] that a census [a registration, enrollment] should be taken of the whole [all, entire] empire [the inhabited world, the Roman world]. word study 2 This [first, initial] was the first census [enrolment, registration] to take place [came to pass, occurred] while Quirinius [Cyrenius, the Roman governor] was governor [ruler, leader] of Syria [the region, province]. word study 3 And everyone [all people, each individual] went to his own [private, personal] town [city, community] to register [to be enrolled, to be taxed, to sign up]. word study 4 So Joseph [in addition to Mary] also went up [ascended, traveled to a higher location] from Nazareth [a city in Galilee, his hometown] in Galilee [a region in northern Palestine] to Judea [a region in southern Palestine], to the city [town, metropolis] of David [the ancestral king of Israel, a prominent figure] called [named, known as] Bethlehem [the house of bread, a town in Judea], since he was from [a descendant of, part of the family line] the house [family, lineage] and line [ancestry, heritage] of David [the royal lineage, a significant ancestral connection]. word study 5 He went there to register [to enrol himself, be taxed] with Mary [his espoused wife, betrothed to him], who was pledged [engaged, promised] to him in marriage [as his future wife] and was expecting [great with, pregnant with] a child [a baby, an offspring]. word study 6 While they were [in that place] there, the time [appointed, fulfilled] came for her Child [firstborn, Jesus] to be born [to give birth, delivered]. word study 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn [first in rank, preeminent], a Son [the Messiah, Jesus Christ]. She wrapped Him in swaddling cloths [strips of cloth, bands] and laid Him in a manger [feeding trough, cratch], because there was no room [space, place] for them in the inn [guest room, lodging place]. word study 8 And there were shepherds [keepers of sheep, pastoral caregivers] residing [living outside, camping out] in the fields [the countryside, rural areas] nearby, keeping watch [guarding, protecting] over their flocks [groups of sheep, congregations] by night [in the darkness, during the evening hours]. word study 9 Just then [suddenly, and behold] an angel [messenger of God, heavenly being] of the Lord [God, the supreme authority] stood before them, and the glory [honor, praise, divine presence] of the Lord shone around them, and they were [became, felt] terrified [sore afraid, filled with great fear]. word study 10 But the angel [a heavenly messenger] said to them, “Do not be afraid [do not fear or dread]! For behold [look, see], I bring you good news [glad tidings, joyful message] of great [intense, profound] joy [deep and lasting happiness] that will be for all [every, the whole] the people [a group of individuals, a nation]: word study 11 Today [this very day, at this present time] in the city [town, metropolis] of David [Israel’s king, a man after God’s heart] a Savior [Rescuer, Deliverer] has been born [given birth to, brought into being] to you [for your benefit, on your behalf]. He is [exists as, is known as] Christ [the Anointed One, Messiah] the Lord [Master, God, Supreme Authority]! word study 12 And this [the miraculous event] will be a sign [token of divine intervention] to you: You will find [discover, come upon] a baby [infant, newborn] wrapped [swaddled, tightly bound] in swaddling cloths [strips of cloth, linen] and lying [placed, resting] in a manger [feeding trough, cratch].” word study 13 And suddenly [without warning, unexpectedly] there appeared with the angel [messenger of God] a great multitude [large group, crowd] of the heavenly [from heaven, divine] host [army, spiritual forces], praising [giving thanks, honoring] God [the one true deity] and saying [speaking, declaring]: word study 14 “Glory [honor, praise] to God [the supreme Deity] in the highest [heavenly realms], and on earth [the physical world] peace [harmony, tranquility] to men [human beings, people] on whom His favor [goodwill, lovingkindness] rests [is bestowed, is pleased]!” word study 15 When the angels [heavenly messengers] had left them and gone into heaven [the sky, God’s dwelling place], the shepherds [caregivers of the flock] said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem [house of bread, birthplace of Jesus] and see this thing [wonderful event, declaration] that has happened [come to pass, been fulfilled], which the Lord [God, Master, Savior] has made known [revealed, informed] to us [to us personally, as individuals].” word study 16 So they hurried off [with haste, quickly] and found Mary [the mother of Jesus] and Joseph [the earthly father of Jesus] and the Baby [infant, newborn], who was lying [placed, laid] in the manger [feeding trough, cratch]. word study 17 After they had seen [perceived, experienced] the Child [this baby, Jesus], they spread [made known abroad, publicized widely] the message [declaration, saying] they had received [been told, spoken to] about [concerning, regarding] Him [this child, the baby]. word study 18 And all [every single one, everyone] who heard [listened and understood] it were amazed [marveled, felt great wonder] at what [the things, the news] the shepherds [caretakers of the flock, spiritual guides] said [spoke, told] to them [towards them, in their presence]. word study 19 But Mary [kept, preserved] treasured up [remembered, pondered] all these things [declarations, utterances] and pondered [conferred, thought carefully] them in her [the] heart [seat of thoughts, feelings, and emotions]. word study 20 The shepherds [keepers of the sheep, pastoral caregivers] returned, glorifying [praising and honoring] and praising [giving thanks to] God [the one true deity, Creator of all] for all they had heard [listened to and understood] and seen [perceived with their eyes and spirit], which was just as [exactly as, in accordance with] the angel had told [spoken to] them. word study 21 When the eight [specifically designated] days until His circumcision [cutting around, a Jewish ritual] had passed, He was named [given the identity of] Jesus [Joshua, God is salvation], the name [character or authority] the angel [a heavenly messenger] had given Him before [prior to, in anticipation of] He had been conceived [seized or captured by God, brought into being]. word study 22 And when the time [after a specified period, according to custom] of purification [cleansing, ritual purity] according to the Law [the Mosaic code, God’s instruction] of Moses [the Hebrew lawgiver] was complete [fulfilled, accomplished], His parents [Joseph and Mary, Jesus’ earthly caregivers] brought Him [Jesus, the Messiah] to Jerusalem [the city of God, the capital of Israel] to present [to dedicate, offer] Him to the Lord [the supreme God, the Almighty] word study 23 (as it is written [in the scriptures, according to the divine command] in the Law [the Mosaic law, God’s instruction] of the Lord [the supreme God, Yehovah]: “Every [each and every, all] firstborn [the first to be born, the initial offspring] male [a son, a boy] shall be consecrated [set apart, dedicated] to the Lord [the Almighty, the sovereign God]” ), word study 24 and to offer [as an act of worship, a gift to God] the sacrifice [a sacrificial offering, an atonement] specified [according to, in line with] in the Law [the commandments, the teachings] of the Lord [God, the supreme authority]: “A pair [a yoke, two joined together] of turtledoves [doves] or [as an alternative, a choice] two young [nestling, immature] pigeons [doves, a type of bird].” word study 25 Now there was a man [a human being, a person] in Jerusalem [the capital of Palestine, the holy city] named Simeon [a righteous Israelite], who was righteous [just, fair, and innocent] and devout [reverent, fearing God]. He was waiting for the consolation [comfort, encouragement] of Israel [God’s chosen people], and the Holy Spirit [the divine Presence, the Spirit of God] was upon him [guiding, directing him]. word study 26 The Holy [set apart, consecrated] Spirit had revealed [announced, made known] to him that he would not see [perceive, experience] death [separation from God, physical demise] before he had seen [beheld, encountered] the Lord’s [God’s, the Master’s] Christ [Anointed One, Messiah]. word study 27 Led by the Spirit [the vital principle or mental disposition], he went into the temple courts [the sacred place, including the entire area]. And when the parents [father or mother] brought in the child Jesus [a young person] to do for Him what was customary [a habit or custom] under the Law [a set of rules or regulations], word study 28 Simeon took Him [into his embrace] in his arms and blessed [praised, gave thanks to] God [the one true deity], saying [speaking, proclaiming]: word study 29 “Sovereign Lord [Master, Owner of all], as You have promised [according to Your word, declaration], You now [at this present time] dismiss [release, set free] Your servant [slave] in peace [harmony, prosperity]. word study 30 For my [personal, with my own] eyes [vision, sight] have seen [perceived, experienced] Your [divine, belonging to God] salvation [spiritual rescue, defense], word study 31 which [that which is specified] You have prepared [made ready] in the sight [before the face] of all [every] people [a nation or group], word study 32 a light [for illumination and understanding] for revelation [uncovering of truth, divine disclosure] to the Gentiles [non-Jewish nations, people outside Israel], and for glory [honor, praise, and admiration] to Your people [a chosen nation, descendants of Jacob] Israel [the adopted name of Jacob, God’s chosen people].” word study 33 The Child’s [Jesus’] father [Joseph, the earthly guardian] and mother [Mary, the virgin mother] were amazed [marvelling, full of wonder] at what was spoken [uttered, proclaimed] about Him [concerning Jesus, regarding the Child]. word study 34 Then Simeon [blessed and praised] blessed them and said to His mother Mary: “Behold [see and understand], this Child [appointed for a great purpose] is appointed to cause the rise [resurrection and salvation] and fall [downfall and spiritual failure] of many in Israel [God’s chosen people], and to be a sign [a token of God’s presence and will] that will be spoken against [opposed and contradicted], word study 35 so that the thoughts [reasoning, inner reflections] of many [a large number of] hearts [the seat of emotions, inner being] will be revealed [disclosed, made known]— and a sword [a sharp, piercing instrument] will pierce [pass through, penetrate deeply] your [Mary’s, the mother’s] soul [the breath of life, emotional center] as well [also, in like manner].” word study 36 There was also a prophetess [a woman with a special gift to speak God’s message] named Anna, the daughter [a female child or descendant] of Phanuel, of the tribe [a clan or family group] of Asher, who was well along [advanced, having lived many years] in years. She had been married [united with a husband, in a covenant relationship] for seven years, word study 37 and then was a widow [a woman who has lost her husband, living without a spouse] to the age of eighty-four [about fourscore and four years]. She never left [departed not from, did not withdraw from] the temple [a sacred place, the house of God], but worshiped [served God with fastings and prayers, ministering to Him] night [the time of darkness] and day [a 24-hour period], fasting [abstaining from food, with supplications] and praying [with petitions, serving God]. word study 38 Coming forward [at that very hour, in that instant] at that moment, she gave thanks [praise, confession] to God [the Lord, Master] and spoke [uttering words, proclaiming] about the Child [Jesus, the Messiah] to all [every one, everyone] who were waiting [expecting, looking forward] for the redemption [liberation, freedom from sin] of Jerusalem [the city of God, the holy city]. word study 39 When Jesus’ parents had done [completed, finished] everything required [ordered, commanded] by the Law [the divine instruction, God’s commandments] of the Lord [the supreme God, the Master], they returned [turned back, went back] to Galilee [the region, the district], to their own town [city, home] of Nazareth [the place of Jesus’ upbringing]. word study 40 And the Child [young one, infant] grew [developed, increased] and became strong [was strengthened, waxed strong in spirit]. He was filled [being filled, full of] with wisdom [spiritual understanding, discernment], and the grace [unmerited favor, divine influence] of God [the Supreme Being, Creator] was upon [resting on, with] Him. word study 41 Every year [annually, each year] His parents [father and mother, guardians] went [traveled, journeyed] to Jerusalem [the capital of Palestine, a holy city] for the Feast [festival, celebration] of the Passover [a Jewish ceremony, commemorating the Israelites’ escape]. word study 42 And when He was twelve [a significant age for Jewish boys, marking transition to manhood] years old, they went up [to Jerusalem, as their custom was] according to the custom [traditional practice, habitual observance] of the Feast [a special celebration, a festival]. word study 43 When those days [of celebration, the festival] were over and they were returning home [on their way back], the boy [child, young servant] Jesus [God is salvation] remained behind [stayed, tarried] in Jerusalem [the holy city, the capital of Palestine], but His parents [Joseph and His mother] were unaware [did not know, had no knowledge] He had stayed [remained, endured]. word study 44 Assuming [supposing, thinking] He was in [among, part of] their company [caravan, group of travelers], they traveled on for a day [a 24-hour period, a day’s journey] before they began to look [search carefully, seek] for Him among [in the midst of, with] their relatives [kindred, family members] and friends [acquainted with, well-known individuals]. word study 45 When they could not [were unable to discover] find Him, they returned [turned back again, went back] to Jerusalem [the capital of Palestine, the holy city] to search [seeking, looking] for Him [the Messiah, their son]. word study 46 Finally, after [three days had passed, a period of waiting] three days they found Him [in the midst of, surrounded by] in the temple courts [a sacred place], sitting [seated, in a position of learning] among the teachers [doctors, Jewish instructors], listening [hearing, giving attention] to them and asking [questioning, seeking wisdom] them questions. word study 47 And all [everyone, the entire crowd] who heard [listened and understood] Him were astounded [amazed, astonished] at His understanding [intelligence, wisdom] and His answers [responses, replies]. word study 48 When His parents [who had been anxiously searching] saw Him, they were astonished [amazed, struck with wonder]. “Child [Son, dear one], why have You done this [thus, in this way] to us [to your father and me]?” His mother [Mary, His earthly mother] asked. “Your father [Joseph, your earthly father] and I [your mother] have been [sorrowing, deeply troubled] anxiously searching [looking for, seeking] for You [with very heavy hearts].” word study 49 “Why [for what reason, with what intention] were you looking for Me [seeking to find, inquiring about]?” He asked [said, spoke]. “Did you not know [were you not aware, did you not understand] that I had to be [it was necessary for Me to be, I must] in My Father’s [the heavenly Father’s, God’s] house [dwelling place, temple, the place of worship] ?” word study 50 But they did not [fully comprehend, grasp] understand [to perceive, discern] the statement [declaration, utterance] He was making [speaking, saying] to them [in their presence, personally]. word study 51 Then He went down [to a lower place, descended] to Nazareth [a city in Palestine, Jesus’ hometown] with them and was obedient [subject to, submissive] to them. But His mother [Mary, the one who gave birth to Jesus] treasured up [kept, pondered] all these things [sayings, events, revelations] in her heart [the seat of thoughts, feelings, and emotions, her inner being]. word study 52 And Jesus [grew steadily, advanced] grew in wisdom [higher or spiritual understanding] and stature [age, physical maturity], and in favor [grace, divine influence] with God [the one true deity] and man [human beings, people]. word study