Lukas 2

1 And it came about at that time that a dvar malchut (decree) was sent out from Caesar Augustus to register everyone in the entire Roman Empire.2 This mifkad (census) was before that taken while Quirinius was governor in Syria.3 And everyone was traveling to register, each to his own shtetl.4 Now Yosef [ben Dovid] also went up from the Galil, from the shtetl of Natzeret, to Yehudah, to the Ir Dovid (City of David), which is called Beit-Lechem, because he was of the mishpochah and Bais of Dovid.5 And Yosef [ben Dovid] went up to register with Miryam, who had been given to him in erusin (betrothal) and who was with child.6 And it came about, while they were there, the yamim (days) were fulfilled for Miryam to give birth.7 And she bore her ben, her Bechor (firstborn); and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in an evus (animal feeding trough), because there was no place for them in the malon (inn).8 And ro'im (shepherds) were in the same region, living outside in the open air, and keeping shomer over their eder (flock) balailah.9 And, suddenly, a malach Hashem stood before them, and the kavod Hashem shone around them; and they were afraid with a yirah gedolah (great fear).10 And the malach said to them, Do not have pachad (fear, terror); for hinei I announce Besuras HaGeulah to you of great simcha (joy) which will be for kol Am Berit (all the People of the Covenant);11 Because hayom, in Ir Dovid, has been born to you a Moshia (Go'el, Savior, Oisleizer), who is Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach HaAdon. [YESHAYAH 9:5(6)]12 And this will be HaOt [The Sign] to you: you will find a small child, an infant, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in an evus. [SHMUEL ALEF 2:34; MELACHIM BAIS 19:29; TEHILLIM 86:17; YESHAYAH 7:14]13 And, suddenly, there was with the malach a multitude of the Tzivos Hashem, the Tzivos HaShomayim (Armies or Hosts of Heaven) praising Hashem, and saying,14 Kavod to Hashem in the Highest; and on haaretz shalom among Bnei Adam kavvanah tovah (of good intention). [YESHAYAH 9:5-6; 52:7; 53:5; MICHOH 5:4-5]15 And it came about, when the malachim withdrew from them to Shomayim, the roim (shepherds) were saying to one another, Let us go now up to Beit-Lechem and let us see this thing that has come about which Hashem has made known to us.16 And they came in haste and found both Miryam and Yosef [ben Dovid], and the child was lying in the evus (animal feeding trough, see Isa 53:7 on Moshiach the Seh).17 And when the roim saw this, they made known the dvar concerning this yeled which had been told them.18 And all who heard it were amazed about the things which were told them by the roim (shepherds).19 But Miryam was treasuring up all these things, pondering them in her lev.20 And the roim went back, and as they returned, they cried, Baruch Hashem! They gave kavod to G-d for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been foretold to them.21 And when shemonah yamim were completed for his bris milah, YEHOSHUA was given as SHMO, which he was called by the malach, before he was conceived in the womb. [ZECHARYAH 6:11-12; 3:8]22 And when the yamim (days) for their tohorah (purification) according to the Torah of Moshe were completed, they brought him up to Yerushalayim to present him to Hashem [VAYIKRA 12:2-8; also see NUM 3 on Pidyon haben]23 As it has been written in the Torat Hashem, KHOL ZAKHAR opening the RECHEM KODESH to Hashem [SHEMOT 13:2,12,15; BAMIDBAR 3:13]24 And to offer a korban according to the thing having been said in the Torat Hashem, SHTEI TORIM O SHNEI BENI YONAH (a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons). [VAYIKRA 12:8]25 And there was an ish in Yerushalayim whose shem was Shimon, a tzaddik, a chasid, awaiting the Nechamat Yisroel (Consolation of Israel), and the Ruach Hakodesh was upon him. [YESHAYAH 52:9]26 And it had been revealed to him by the Ruach Hakodesh that he was not to see mavet until he had seen Hashem's Moshiach.27 And Shimon came in the Ruach Hakodesh into the courts of the Beis HaMikdash; and when the horim (parents) brought in the yeled, Yehoshua, to do concerning him the required mitzvah of the Torah [Lv 12:6-8],28 Then Shimon took him into his arms, saying, Baruch Hashem, and the following:29 And now, Adonoi, dismiss Your eved in shalom, according to Your dvar (word);30 Because my eynayim have beheld the Yeshu'at Eloheinu, [YESHAYAH 40:5; 52:10]31 Which You prepared in the presence of kol haammim (all the peoples),32 An Ohr (Light) to give hisgalus (revelation) to the Nations and the kavod (glory) of Your Am (people), Yisroel. [YESHAYAH 42:6; 49:6]33 And the Abba and Em of the yeled were amazed at the things being spoken about him.34 And Shimon said a bracha over them and said to Miryam his Em, Hinei this one is destined for the michshol (stumbling) and tekumah (revival) of RABBIM [YESHAYAH 53:11-12] in Yisroel and for an Ot (Sign) that will be opposed (against which there will be mitnaggedim, opponents). [YESHAYAH 8:14; 53:3]35 And a cherev (sword) will pierce the neshamah of you yourself also so that the machshavot of many levavot (hearts) will be revealed.36 And there was a neviah (prophetess) named Chanah Bat Pnuel, of the shevet (tribe) of Asher. This isha (woman) was advanced in age, having lived with her baal (husband) sheva shanim (seven years) from her betulim (virginity),37 And then to the age of eighty-four she had lived as an almanah (widow) who was not departing from the Beis HaMikdash, serving yomam valailah (day and night) with tzomot (fastings) and tefillos.38 And at that very moment she came and stood nearby, exclaiming, Baruch Hashem. And she continued speaking about him to all the ones anticipating the Geulah (Redemption) of Yerushalayim. [YESHAYAH 40:2; 52:9]39 And when they had been shomer mitzvot and completed everything according to the Torat Hashem, they returned to the Galil and to their own shtetl of Natzeret.40 And the yeled continued growing and was given chozek (strength), being filled with chochmah (wisdom), and the Chen vChesed Hashem was upon him.41 And his horim (parents) used to make aliyah leregel (pilgrimage) to Yerushalayim shanah bshanah (year by year) for Chag HaPesach (the Feast of Pesach). [SHEMOT 23:15; DEVARIM 16:1-8]42 And when he became a bocher of twelve years of age, they made aliyah leregel (pilgrimage), as usual, according to the mitzvah and minhag of the Chag.43 And as they were returning, having fulfilled the prescribed number of yamim (days), the bocher Yehoshua stayed behind in Yerushalayim. And his horim (parents) did not have daas (knowledge) of this,44 But supposed him to be in the caravan, and went a day's journey. And they began looking for him among the krovim (relatives) and acquaintances.45 And, not having found him, they returned to Yerushalayim, looking for him.46 And it came about, that after shlosha yamim (three days) they found him in the courts of the Beis HaMikdash, sitting in the midst of the rabbis, both listening to them and asking them she'elot (kashes, questions).47 And all the ones listening to him where amazed at his binah and at his teshuvot (answers).48 And when his horim (parents) saw him, they were astounded, and his Em (mother) said to him, Beni, why did you do thus to us? Hinei, your abba and I were anxiously looking for you.49 And he said to them, Why is it that you were looking for me? Did you not have daas that I must be in the Beis Avi [i.e., dealing with His affairs]?50 And they did not have binah of the dvar which he spoke to them.51 And he went down with them, and they came to Natzeret; and he continued in mishmaat (obedience) to his horim (parents). And his Em (mother) was treasuring all these things in her lev (heart).52 And Yehoshua kept increasing in chochmah VGADEL VATOV GAM IM HASHEM VGAM IM ANASHIM (and stature and favor with Hashem and men, SHMUEL ALEF 2:26).

LUKE 2

The Birth of Jesus

(Matthew 1.18-25)

1 About that time Emperor Augustus gave orders for the names of all the people to be listed in record books.t

2 These first records were made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.t
3 Everyone had to go to their own hometown to be listed.

4 So 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.
5 Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby, 6 and while they were there,

7 she gave birth to her first-bornt son. She dressed him in baby clothest and laid him on a bed of hay, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds

12 You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay.”

13 Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God. They said:

14 “Praise God in heaven!
Peace on earth to everyone
who pleases God.”
15 After the angels had left and gone back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about.”

16 They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and they saw the baby lying on a bed of hay.
17 When the shepherds saw Jesus, they told his parents what the angel had said about him. 18 Everyone listened and was surprised.

19 But Mary kept thinking about all this and wondering what it meant.

20 As the shepherds returned to their sheep, they were praising God and saying wonderful things about him. Everything they had seen and heard was just as the angel had said.

21  t Eight days later Jesus' parents did for him what the Law of Moses commands.t And they named him Jesus, just as the angel had told Mary when he promised she would have a baby.

Simeon Praises the Lord

22  t The time came for Mary and Joseph to do what the Law of Moses says a mother is supposed to do after her baby is born.t
They took Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem and presented him to the Lord, 23 t just as the Law of the Lord says, “Each first-bornt baby boy belongs to the Lord.”

24 The 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.
25 At 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

26 and told him that he would not die until he had seen Christ the Lord.
27 When 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.

28 Simeon 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.

30 With my own eyes I have seen
what you have done
to save your people,

31 and foreign nations
will also see this.

32  t Your mighty power is a light
for all nations,
and it will bring honor
to your people Israel.”
33 Jesus' parents were surprised at what Simeon had said. 34 Then he blessed them and told Mary, “This child of yours will cause many people in Israel to fall and others to stand. The child will be like a warning sign. Many people will reject him,

35 and you, Mary, will suffer as though you had been stabbed by a dagger. But all this will show what people are really thinking.”

Anna Speaks about //the Child Jesus

37 And now she was 84 years old.t Night and day she served God in the temple by praying and often going without eating.t

38 At 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 Nazareth

40 The child Jesus grew. He became strong and wise, and God blessed him.

The Boy Jesus in the Temple

45 When they could not find him with their relatives and friends, they went back to Jerusalem and started looking for him there.
46 Three days later they found Jesus sitting in the temple, listening to the teachers and asking them questions.

47 Everyone who heard him was surprised at how much he knew and at the answers he gave.

48 When his parents found him, they were amazed. His mother said, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been very worried, and we have been searching for you!”
49 Jesus answered, “Why did you have to look for me? Didn't you know that I would be in my Father's house?”t

50 But they did not understand what he meant.

51 Jesus went back to Nazareth with his parents and obeyed them. His mother kept on thinking about all that had happened.
52  t Jesus became wise, and he grew strong. God was pleased with him and so were the people.