Open English Translation LUKE Chapter 2

2 At that time, Caesar Augustus sent a decree that everyone throughout the empire needed to register in a census. 2 (This census was conducted when Quirinius was the governor of Syria.) 3 Everyone had to officially register in the city of their birth.

4 Because Yosef was a descendant of King David, he left the town of Nazareth in the Galilee region and went down to David’s town of Bethlehem in Yudea 5 to register along with Maria, his pregnant fiancée. 6 While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to give birth 7 and so Maria bore her first son and wrapped him in strips of cloth and slept him in an empty feeding trough, because they had missed out on the guest room.

8 In that same area, there were some shepherds staying out in the fields where they kept watch over their flocks at night. 9 A messenger sent by the master approached them, and the master’s radiance shone around them, and they were very frightened. 10 “Don’t be scared,” the messenger told them, “because I’m bringing you a good message that will bring great happiness to all people 11 because a saviour for all people was born today in David’s town. He’s the messiah—the master—12 and this is how you’ll know him: you’ll find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and sleeping in a feeding trough.”

13 Then suddenly lots of heavenly soldiers joined the messenger, praising God and saying, 14 “Let all honour be given to God in the highest, and peace on earth to all people along with good will.”

15 Then as the messengers left them and went up into the sky, the shepherds said to each other, “Well, we’ll certainly go into Bethlehem so we can see what this was about that Yahweh has let us know about.”

16 So they hurried into town and asked around to find Maria and Yosef, and also the baby sleeping in the feeding trough. 17 When they met them, the explained what they had been told about the young baby. 18 Everyone who heard this was amazed at what the shepherds told them, 19 but Maria treasured all of these messages in her heart and often thought about them. 20 Finally the shepherds returned back to their fields—they were worshipping and praising God for what they’d heard and how they’d seen it exactly like they’d been told.

21 [ref]When the baby was eight days old and hence the time for his circumcision, he was given the name Yeshua as instructed by God’s messenger even before he was conceived in the womb.

22 Then when the time of the mother’s purification was fulfilled as per Moses’ instructions, they took him down to Yerusalem to be dedicated to Yahweh 23 [ref]to follow what is written in Yahweh’s law: Every firstborn male is set aside for Yahweh 24 [ref]and hence a sacrifice has to be made, which according to that law is a pair of turtledoves or young doves.

25 Now listen, there was a man named Simeon in Yerusalem and he was godly and committed, waiting for God to rescue Israel. He was full of the holy spirit 26 and the spirit had told him that he wouldn’t die without seeing Yahweh’s messiah. 27 He had come to the temple listening to the spirit at just the same time as the parents brought in the baby Yeshua in order to follow the rituals for new parents. 28 Simeon took the baby into his arms and blessed God and said, 29 “Now, Yahweh, you can send your slave away in peace as you promised 30 because I’ve set my eyes on your salvation 31 which you have prepared in front of everyone: 32 [ref]a light so the non-Jews can understand, and the greatest gift from and for your people of Israel.”

33 The baby’s parents were amazed at the things being spoken about him, 34 and Simeon blessed them and said to Maria, “Listen, this boy has been chosen to cause both the rise and the fall of many people in Israel, and sent as a sign but one which many people will oppose. 35 Also even as you experience incredible grief in the future, it will allow the thoughts of many hearts to be revealed.”

36 Also there was a prophetess named Hanna (the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher). She was very elderly, having been married for seven years, 37 and then had been widowed for eighty-four years. She was always at the temple, serving night and day in prayer and fasting. 38 She also approached the baby around the same time, and praised God and spoke about the boy to everyone in Yerusalem who was waiting for God to free them.

39 [ref]When they had done all the rituals according to Yahweh’s instructions, they returned to their home town of Nazareth up in Galilee. 40 The young boy grew and got stronger, and started showing amazing wisdom and it was clear that God was blessing him.

41 [ref]Every year Yeshua’s family would go down to Yerusalem for the Passover celebrations. 42 One time when he was twelve years old, they went to celebrate the Passover there as usual, 43 and when it was all over and they started on their return, the lad stayed there in Yerusalem but his parents weren’t aware of it. 44 They thought he was with others in the group, but at the end of the day’s hiking when they looked for him among the relatives and acquaintances, 45 they couldn’t find him, so they returned to Yerusalem to look for him. 46 It was only after three days that they found him in the temple, sitting with the religious teachers there—sometimes listening to them, and sometimes asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard the conversations were amazed and his intelligence and knowledge. 48 When his parents found him, they were astonished and his mother asked, “Son, how could you do this to us? Your father and I have been frantic looking for you!”

49 “Why did you all need to look for me?” he answered. “Didn’t you both know that it’s good for me to be in my father’s house?” 50 But they didn’t really understand what he meant.

51 After that, he went back to Nazareth with them and continued to be obedient to them, 52 [ref]and so Yeshua continued to grow wiser and taller, and in favour with both God and the people.