路加福音 2

耶穌降生

（太1．18－25）

1 在那些日子，凱撒奧古斯都降旨，叫全國人民都登記戶籍。 2 這第一次登記戶籍是在居里扭作敘利亞總督的時候行的。 3 眾人各歸各城，辦理登記。 4 約瑟也從加利利的拿撒勒城上猶太去，到了大衛的城名叫伯利恆，因為他是大衛家族的人， 5 要和他所聘之妻馬利亞一同登記戶籍。那時馬利亞已經懷孕。 6 他們在那裏的時候，馬利亞的產期到了， 7 就生了頭胎的兒子，用布包起來，放在馬槽裏，因為客店裏沒有地方。

天使報喜訊給牧羊人

8 在伯利恆t的野外有牧羊人，夜間值班看守羊群。 9 有主的一個使者站在他們旁邊，主的榮光四面照著他們，牧羊人就很懼怕。 10 那天使對他們說：「不要懼怕！看哪！因為我報給你們大喜的信息，是關乎萬民的： 11 因今天在大衛的城裏，為你們生了救主，就是主基督。 12 你們要看見一個嬰孩，包著布，臥在馬槽裏，那就是給你們的記號。」 13 忽然，有一大隊天兵同那天使讚美上帝說：

14 「在至高之處榮耀歸與上帝！ 在地上平安歸與他所喜悅的人！」

15 眾天使離開他們，升天去了。牧羊人彼此說：「我們往伯利恆去，看看所成的事，就是主所告訴我們的。」 16 他們急忙去了，找到馬利亞和約瑟，還有那嬰孩臥在馬槽裏。 17 他們看見，就把天使論這孩子的話傳開了。 18 聽見的人都詫異牧羊人對他們所說的話。 19 馬利亞卻把這一切的事存在心裏，反覆思考。 20 牧羊人回去了，因所聽見所看見的一切事，正如天使向他們所說的，就歸榮耀於上帝，讚美他。

21 滿了八天，他們就給孩子行割禮，又給他起名叫耶穌；這是他還沒有在母腹裏成胎以前天使所起的名。

把耶穌獻給主

22 按摩西律法滿了潔淨的日子，他們就帶著孩子上耶路撒冷去，要把他獻給主。 23 正如主的律法上所記：「凡頭生的男子必歸主為聖」； 24 又要照主的律法上所說，用一對斑鳩，或用兩隻雛鴿獻祭。

25 那時，在耶路撒冷有一個人，名叫西面；這人又公義又虔誠，素常盼望以色列的安慰者來到，又有聖靈在他身上。 26 他得了聖靈的啟示，知道自己未死以前必看見主所立的基督。 27 他受了聖靈的感動，進入聖殿，正遇見耶穌的父母抱著孩子進來，要照律法的規矩而行。 28 西面就把他抱過來，稱頌上帝說：

29 「主啊，如今可以照你的話， 容你的僕人安然去世；

30 因為我的眼睛已經看見你的救恩，

31 就是你在萬民面前所預備的：

32 是啟示外邦人的光， 是你民以色列的榮耀。」

33 孩子的父母因論耶穌的這些話就驚訝。 34 西面給他們祝福，又對孩子的母親馬利亞說：「這孩子被立，是要叫以色列中許多人跌倒，許多人興起；又要成為毀謗的對象， 35 叫許多人心裏的意念顯露出來；你自己的心也要被劍刺透。」 36 又有位女先知，名叫亞拿，是亞設支派法內力的女兒，年紀已經老邁，從童女出嫁，同丈夫住了七年， 37 就寡居了，現在已經八十四歲t。她不離開聖殿，禁食祈求，晝夜事奉上帝。 38 正當那時，她進前來感謝上帝，對一切盼望耶路撒冷得救贖的人講論這孩子的事。

回拿撒勒

39  約瑟和馬利亞照主的律法辦完了一切的事，就回加利利，到自己的城拿撒勒去了。 40 孩子漸漸長大，強健起來，充滿智慧，又有上帝的恩典在他身上。

少年耶穌在聖殿裏

41 每年逾越節，他父母都上耶路撒冷去。 42 當他十二歲的時候，他們按著過節的規矩上去。 43 守滿了節期，他們回去，孩童耶穌仍舊在耶路撒冷。他的父母並不知道， 44 以為他在同行的人中間，走了一天的路程才在親屬和熟悉的人中找他， 45 既找不著，就回耶路撒冷去找他。 46 過了三天，他們發現他在聖殿裏，坐在教師中間，一面聽，一面問。 47 凡聽見他的人都對他的聰明和應對感到驚奇。 48 他父母看見就很驚奇。他母親對他說：「我兒啊，為甚麼對我們這樣做呢？看哪，你父親和我很焦急，到處找你！」 49 耶穌對他們說：「為甚麼找我呢？難道你們不知道我應當在我父的家裏嗎？t」 50 他所說的這話，他們不明白。 51 他就同他們下去，回到拿撒勒，並且順從他們。他母親把這一切的事都存在心裏。 52 耶穌的智慧和身量t，並上帝和人喜愛他的心，都一齊增長。

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

8 That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. 9 t All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord's glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened. 10 But the angel said, “Don't be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. 11 This very day in King David's hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord.

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

36  t The prophet Anna was also there in the temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. In her youth she had been married for seven years, but her husband died.

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

39  t After Joseph and Mary had done everything that the Law of the Lord commands, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee.

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

The Boy Jesus in the Temple

41  t Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for Passover. 42 And when Jesus was twelve years old, they all went there as usual for the celebration. 43 After Passover his parents left, but they did not know that Jesus had stayed on in the city. 44 They thought he was traveling with some other people, and they went a whole day before they started looking for him.

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.