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ParallelVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Luke Intro C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24
Luke 2 V1 V3 V5 V7 V9 V11 V13 V17 V19 V21 V23 V25 V27 V29 V31 V33 V35 V37 V39 V41 V43 V45 V47 V49 V51
Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.
Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)
OET (OET-RV) 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.”
OET-LV And it_became as the messengers went_away from them into the heaven, the shepherds were_saying to one_another:
We_may_ indeed _pass_through as_far_as Baʸthleʼem/(Bēyt-leḩem), and we_may_see the message this the thing having_become, which the master made_known to_us.
SR-GNT Καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἀπῆλθον ἀπʼ αὐτῶν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν οἱ ἄγγελοι, οἱ ποιμένες ἐλάλουν πρὸς ἀλλήλους, “Διέλθωμεν δὴ ἕως Βηθλέεμ, καὶ ἴδωμεν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο τὸ γεγονὸς, ὃ ὁ ˚Κύριος ἐγνώρισεν ἡμῖν.” ‡
(Kai egeneto hōs apaʸlthon apʼ autōn eis ton ouranon hoi angeloi, hoi poimenes elaloun pros allaʸlous, “Dielthōmen daʸ heōs Baʸthleem, kai idōmen to ɽaʸma touto to gegonos, ho ho ˚Kurios egnōrisen haʸmin.”)
Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).
ULT And it happened that, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let us indeed go over as far as Bethlehem, and let us see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
UST When the angels left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “We should go right now to Bethlehem and see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about!”
BSB When the angels had left them [and gone] into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this [thing] that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
MSB When the angels had left them [and gone] into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this [thing] that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
BLB And it came to pass, as the angels were departing from them into the heaven, the shepherds were saying to one another, "Let us go through indeed as far as Bethlehem, and let us see this word that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."
AICNT And it came to pass, as the angels departed from them into heaven, and {the shepherds}[fn] spoke to one another [[saying]],[fn] “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
2:15, the shepherds: Some manuscripts read “the men keeping sheep.” A(02) D(05) BYZ TR
2:15, saying: Included in ℵ(01)
OEB Now, when the angels had left them and gone back to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go at once to Bethlehem, and see this thing that has happened, of which the Lord has told us.’
WEBBE When the angels went away from them into the sky, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
WMBB (Same as above)
NET When the angels left them and went back to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, that the Lord has made known to us.”
LSV And it came to pass, when the messengers were gone away from them to the heavens, that the men, the shepherds, said to one another, “We may indeed go over to Beth-Lehem and see this thing that has come to pass, that the LORD made known to us!”
FBV After the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see what's happened concerning these things the Lord has told us about.”
TCNT ¶ When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
T4T After the angels left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem to see this wonderful thing that has happened, which ◄the Lord/God► has told us about!”
LEB And it happened that when the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began to say[fn] to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has revealed to us!”
2:15 *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to say”)
BBE And when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the keepers of the sheep said to one another, Let us go now to Beth-lehem, and see this thing which has come about, which the Lord has made clear to us.
Moff Now when the angels had left them and gone away to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us be off to Bethlehem to see this thing that the Lord has told us of."
Wymth Then, as soon as the angels had left them and returned to Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go over as far as Bethlehem and see this that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."
ASV And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
DRA And it came to pass, after the angels departed from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another: Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that is come to pass, which the Lord hath shewed to us.
YLT And it came to pass, when the messengers were gone away from them to the heavens, that the men, the shepherds, said unto one another, 'We may go over indeed unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that hath come to pass, that the Lord did make known to us.'
Drby And it came to pass, as the angels departed from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, Let us make our way then now as far as Bethlehem, and let us see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.
RV And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
(And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath/has made known unto us. )
SLT And it was when the messenger departed from them into heaven, and the men, the shepherds, said to one another, Let us pass through now to Bethlehem, and see this word done, which the Lord made known to us.
Wbstr And it came to pass, when the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even to Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known to us.
KJB-1769 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
(And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath/has made known unto us. )
KJB-1611 And it came to passe, as the Angels were gone away from them into heauen, the shepheards said one to another, Let vs now goe euen vnto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to passe, which the Lord hath made knowen vnto vs.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation)
Bshps And it came to passe, assoone as the Angels were gone away from them into heauen, the sheepheardes said one to another: Let vs go nowe euen vnto Bethlehem, and see this thyng that is come to passe, whiche the Lorde hath shewed vnto vs.
(And it came to pass, as soon as the Angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another: Let us go now even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath/has showed unto us.)
Gnva And it came to passe whe the Angels were gone away from them into heauen, that the shepheards sayde one to another, Let vs goe then vnto Beth-leem, and see this thing that is come to passe which the Lord hath shewed vnto vs.
(And it came to pass when the Angels were gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said one to another, Let us go then unto Beth-lehem, and see this thing that is come to pass which the Lord hath/has showed unto us. )
Cvdl And it fortuned wha the angels were gone from the in to heaue, the shepherdes sayde one to another: let vs go now euen vnto Bethleem, and se this thinge that is happened, which ye LORDE hath shewed vnto vs.
(And it fortuned what the angels were gone from the in to heaven, the shepherds said one to another: let us go now even unto Beth-lehem, and see this thing that is happened, which ye/you_all LORD hath/has showed unto us.)
TNT And it fortuned assone as the angels were gone awaye from them in to heven the shepherdes sayd one to another: let vs goo even vnto Bethleem and se this thynge that is hapened which the Lorde hath shewed vnto vs.
(And it fortuned as soon as the angels were gone away from them in to heaven the shepherds said one to another: let us go even unto Beth-lehem and see this thing that is happened which the Lord hath/has showed unto us. )
Wycl And it was don, as the `aungelis passiden awei fro hem in to heuene, the scheephirdis spaken togider, and seiden, Go we ouer to Bethleem, and se we this word that is maad, which the Lord hath `maad, and schewide to vs.
(And it was done, as the angelis passed away from hem in to heaven, the sheephirdis spoke togider, and said, Go we over to Beth-lehem, and see we this word that is made, which the Lord hath/has made, and showed to us.)
Luth Und da die Engel von ihnen gen Himmel fuhren, sprachen die Hirten untereinander: Laßt uns nun gehen gen Bethlehem und die Geschichte sehen, die da geschehen ist, die uns der HErr kundgetan hat.
(And there the angel from to_them to/toward heaven lead, said the shepherds each_other: Let us/to_us/ourselves now go to/toward Bethlehem and the story see, the there happen is, the us/to_us/ourselves the/of_the LORD announced has.)
ClVg Et factum est, ut discesserunt ab eis angeli in cælum: pastores loquebantur ad invicem: Transeamus usque Bethlehem, et videamus hoc verbum, quod factum est, quod Dominus ostendit nobis.
(And done it_is, as discesserunt away to_them messengers/angels in/into/on the_sky: shepherds loquebantur to each_other: Let's_go_over until Bethlehem, and let's_see this the_word/saying, that done it_is, that Master he_showed us. )
UGNT καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἀπῆλθον ἀπ’ αὐτῶν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν οἱ ἄγγελοι, οἱ ποιμένες ἐλάλουν πρὸς ἀλλήλους, διέλθωμεν δὴ ἕως Βηθλέεμ, καὶ ἴδωμεν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο τὸ γεγονὸς, ὃ ὁ Κύριος ἐγνώρισεν ἡμῖν.
(kai egeneto hōs apaʸlthon ap’ autōn eis ton ouranon hoi angeloi, hoi poimenes elaloun pros allaʸlous, dielthōmen daʸ heōs Baʸthleem, kai idōmen to ɽaʸma touto to gegonos, ho ho Kurios egnōrisen haʸmin.)
SBL-GNT Καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἀπῆλθον ἀπʼ αὐτῶν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν οἱ ἄγγελοι, ⸀οἱ ποιμένες ⸀ἐλάλουν πρὸς ἀλλήλους· Διέλθωμεν δὴ ἕως Βηθλέεμ καὶ ἴδωμεν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο τὸ γεγονὸς ὃ ὁ κύριος ἐγνώρισεν ἡμῖν.
(Kai egeneto hōs apaʸlthon apʼ autōn eis ton ouranon hoi angeloi, ⸀hoi poimenes ⸀elaloun pros allaʸlous; Dielthōmen daʸ heōs Baʸthleem kai idōmen to ɽaʸma touto to gegonos ho ho kurios egnōrisen haʸmin.)
RP-GNT Καὶ ἐγένετο, ὡς ἀπῆλθον ἀπ' αὐτῶν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν οἱ ἄγγελοι, καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι οἱ ποιμένες εἶπον πρὸς ἀλλήλους, Διέλθωμεν δὴ ἕως Βηθλέεμ, καὶ ἴδωμεν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο τὸ γεγονός, ὃ ὁ κύριος ἐγνώρισεν ἡμῖν.
(Kai egeneto, hōs apaʸlthon ap' autōn eis ton ouranon hoi angeloi, kai hoi anthrōpoi hoi poimenes eipon pros allaʸlous, Dielthōmen daʸ heōs Baʸthleem, kai idōmen to ɽaʸma touto to gegonos, ho ho kurios egnōrisen haʸmin.)
TC-GNT Καὶ ἐγένετο, ὡς ἀπῆλθον ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν οἱ ἄγγελοι, [fn]καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι οἱ ποιμένες [fn]εἶπον πρὸς ἀλλήλους, Διέλθωμεν δὴ ἕως Βηθλέεμ, καὶ ἴδωμεν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο τὸ γεγονός, ὃ ὁ Κύριος ἐγνώρισεν ἡμῖν.
( ¶ Kai egeneto, hōs apaʸlthon ap autōn eis ton ouranon hoi angeloi, kai hoi anthrōpoi hoi poimenes eipon pros allaʸlous, Dielthōmen daʸ heōs Baʸthleem, kai idōmen to ɽaʸma touto to gegonos, ho ho Kurios egnōrisen haʸmin. )
Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).
The Birth of Christ
The accounts of the birth of Jesus (Matt 1:18–2:12; Luke 2:1-20) are a study in contrasts. On the one side is the lowliness of the birth. A poor peasant couple makes their way to their ancestral home of Bethlehem to register for a census imposed on them by the oppressive Roman Empire. Their journey is a long and hard one from Galilee, and when they arrive they can find no place of lodging. They are consigned to a place reserved for animals. There is a sense of poverty, rejection, and obscurity. At the birth of the child, announcements are sent not to great kings or to the rich and powerful, but to lowly shepherds watching their flocks in a field.
Yet beside this humble lowliness is a message of unspeakable power and grandeur. The child who is laid in a manger is the Messiah, the long-awaited descendant of King David. He will reign triumphant over the people of Israel and his kingdom will never end. He is the one spoken about by all the prophets. All of history has been pointing forward to its climax in him. A group of wise men from the East come to pay homage to him. And an army of mighty angels comes from heaven to announce his birth.
These contrasts are a foretaste of things to come. In Jesus, the God of Israel and Lord of all the earth has come to visit and to save his people. The Divine One reaches down to meet them where they are. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus will show special concern for the lowly, the poor, the outcast, and sinners. These are the ones he has come to save because they recognize their need for him. They receive the message of salvation with joy and rejoicing.
The contrast between lowliness and exaltation also relates to Jesus’ mission. Though wicked people reject him and put him to death, Jesus is vindicated at his resurrection and exalted to the right hand of God, where he reigns as Lord and Messiah. From there he pours out the Spirit of God to guide and direct his church. Through his life, death, resurrection, and exaltation, Jesus provides forgiveness of sins and eternal life to all those who respond in faith to him.
Passages for Further Study
In this section some shepherds were taking care of their sheep in fields near Bethlehem. An angel came to them and told them that Christ the Savior had been born that night in Bethlehem. He told them that they would find the baby lying in a feeding box for animals. Then other angels came and praised God. After the angels left, the shepherds went to Bethlehem and found the baby, just as the angel had said they would.
It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it. Some other possible headings for this section are:
Angels tell shepherds about Jesus’ birth and the shepherds visit him
The Shepherds and the Angels (GNT)
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven,
¶ When the angels left the shepherds and went back to heaven,
¶ After the angels had returned to heaven,
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven: This part of the verse is more literally “when the angels went from them to heaven.” It indicates that the angels left the shepherds and went (back) to heaven. The Greek text uses only one verb in this clause. There are two ways to translate the clause:
Use one verb, For example:
When the angels had returned to heaven (NLT)
After the angels had gone back to heaven
Supply a second verb. For example:
After the angels had left them and returned to heaven (REB)
When the angels left them and went back to heaven (NCV)
Translate this clause in a way that is natural in your language.
heaven: Here, the word heaven means “the place where God lives.” See heaven, Meaning 2, in the Glossary.
the shepherds said to one another,
the shepherds said to each other,
the shepherds said among themselves,
the shepherds discussed what the angel said,
the shepherds said to one another: The shepherds discussed what to do and decided together to go to Bethlehem (2:15c). Other ways to translate this part of the verse are:
the shepherds said among themselves
the shepherds said to each other
In some languages it may be more natural to translate 2:15b–c as indirect speech. See the General Comment on 2:15b–c at the end of the notes on 2:15c for an example.
“Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
“Let us(incl) go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has caused us to know about.”
“The Lord sent his angel to tell us(incl) about this baby being born tonight. Let us go to the town of Bethlehem and see him.”
and they decided to go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord had told them about.
Let us go: The form of the Greek verb that the BSB translates as Let us go indicates that the shepherds were suggesting to each other that they should go. They were not asking each other for permission. Another way to say this is:
We should/must go
Use a natural way in your language to talk about a group of people deciding to go somewhere together.
this thing that has happened: The phrase this thing refers to Jesus’ birth. He was the Christ whom God had promised.
which the Lord has made known to us: The clause which the Lord has made known to us refers to the message that God had given to the shepherds through his angel.
In some languages it may be more natural to translate 2:15b–c as indirect speech. For example:
The shepherds agreed together to go to Bethlehem and see the thing that had happened, which the Lord had told them about through the angel.
Note 1 topic: writing-newevent
καὶ ἐγένετο
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐγένετο ὡς ἀπῆλθον ἀπʼ αὐτῶν εἰς τόν οὐρανόν οἱ ἄγγελοι οἱ ποιμένες ἐλάλουν πρός ἀλλήλους διέλθωμεν Δή ἕως Βηθλέεμ καί ἴδωμεν τό ῥῆμα τοῦτο τό γεγονός ὅ ὁ Κύριος ἐγνώρισεν ἡμῖν)
Luke uses this phrase to mark a shift in the story, to what the shepherds did after the angels left. Use a word, phrase, or other method in your language that is natural for this purpose.
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive
διέλθωμεν & ἴδωμεν & ἡμῖν
˱we˲_˓may˒_pass_through & ˱we˲_˓may˒_see & ˱to˲_us
The shepherds are speaking to one another, so if your language distinguishes between exclusive and inclusive us, use the inclusive form here.
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