The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days Caesar Augustus^(A) issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.^{(B) 2} (This was the first census that took place while^[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.)^{(C) 3} And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem^(D) the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him^(E) and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel^(F) of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.^(G) I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior^(H) has been born to you; he is the Messiah,^(I) the Lord.^{(J) 12} This will be a sign^(K) to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.^{(M) 17} When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.^{(N) 20} The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God^(O) for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

²¹ On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child,^(P) he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.^(Q)

Jesus Presented in the Temple

²² When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses,^(R) Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”^[b]),^{(S) 24} and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”^[c](T)

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout.^(U) He was waiting for the consolation of Israel,^(V) and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,^{(W) 28} Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

³³ The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother:^(AB) “This child is destined to cause the falling^(AC) and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

³⁶ There was also a prophet,^(AD) Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷ and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[e](AE) She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.^{(AF) 38} Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.^(AG)

³⁹ When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.^{(AH) 40} And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.^(AI)

The Boy Jesus at the Temple

⁴¹ Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover.^{(AJ) 42} When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. ⁴³ After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. ⁴⁴ Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ Everyone who heard him was amazed^(AK) at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother^(AL) said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father^(AM) and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

⁴⁹ “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”^{[f](AN) 50} But they did not understand what he was saying to them.^(AO)

⁵¹ Then he went down to Nazareth with them^(AP) and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.^{(AQ) 52} And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.^(AR)

Olive Oil and Bread Set Before the Lord^(A)

24 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually. ³ Outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps before the Lord from evening till morning, continually. This is to be a lasting ordinance^(B) for the generations to come. ⁴ The lamps on the pure gold lampstand^(C) before the Lord must be tended continually.

⁵ “Take the finest flour and bake twelve loaves of bread,^(D) using two-tenths of an ephah^[a](E) for each loaf. ⁶ Arrange them in two stacks, six in each stack, on the table of pure gold^(F) before the Lord. ⁷ By each stack put some pure incense^(G) as a memorial^[b] portion^(H) to represent the bread and to be a food offering presented to the Lord. ⁸ This bread is to be set out before the Lord regularly,^(I) Sabbath after Sabbath,^(J) on behalf of the Israelites, as a lasting covenant. ⁹ It belongs to Aaron and his sons,^(K) who are to eat it in the sanctuary area,^(L) because it is a most holy^(M) part of their perpetual share of the food offerings presented to the Lord.”

A Blasphemer Put to Death

¹⁰ Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite. ¹¹ The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name^(N) with a curse;^(O) so they brought him to Moses.^(P) (His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri the Danite.)^{(Q) 12} They put him in custody until the will of the Lord should be made clear to them.^(R)

¹³ Then the Lord said to Moses: ¹⁴ “Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him.^{(S) 15} Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who curses their God^(T) will be held responsible;^{(U) 16} anyone who blasphemes^(V) the name of the Lord is to be put to death.^(W) The entire assembly must stone them. Whether foreigner or native-born, when they blaspheme the Name they are to be put to death.

¹⁷ “‘Anyone who takes the life of a human being is to be put to death.^{(X) 18} Anyone who takes the life of someone’s animal must make restitution^(Y)—life for life. ¹⁹ Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: ²⁰ fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.^(Z) The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury. ²¹ Whoever kills an animal must make restitution,^(AA) but whoever kills a human being is to be put to death.^{(AB) 22} You are to have the same law for the foreigner^(AC) and the native-born.^(AD) I am the Lord your God.’”

²³ Then Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him.^(AE) The Israelites did as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Sabbath Year

25 The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai,^{(AF) 2} “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the Lord. ³ For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops.^{(AG) 4} But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest,^(AH) a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.^{(AI) 5} Do not reap what grows of itself^(AJ) or harvest the grapes^(AK) of your untended vines.^(AL) The land is to have a year of rest. ⁶ Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year^(AM) will be food for you—for yourself, your male and female servants, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you, ⁷ as well as for your livestock and the wild animals^(AN) in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.

The Year of Jubilee^(AO)(AP)

⁸ “‘Count off seven sabbath years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbath years amount to a period of forty-nine years. ⁹ Then have the trumpet^(AQ) sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month;^(AR) on the Day of Atonement^(AS) sound the trumpet throughout your land. ¹⁰ Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty^(AT) throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee^(AU) for you; each of you is to return to your family property^(AV) and to your own clan. ¹¹ The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee^(AW) for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines.^{(AX) 12} For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields.

¹³ “‘In this Year of Jubilee^(AY) everyone is to return to their own property.

¹⁴ “‘If you sell land to any of your own people or buy land from them, do not take advantage of each other.^{(AZ) 15} You are to buy from your own people on the basis of the number of years^(BA) since the Jubilee. And they are to sell to you on the basis of the number of years left for harvesting crops. ¹⁶ When the years are many, you are to increase the price, and when the years are few, you are to decrease the price,^(BB) because what is really being sold to you is the number of crops. ¹⁷ Do not take advantage of each other,^(BC) but fear your God.^(BD) I am the Lord your God.^(BE)

¹⁸ “‘Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws,^(BF) and you will live safely in the land.^{(BG) 19} Then the land will yield its fruit,^(BH) and you will eat your fill and live there in safety.^{(BI) 20} You may ask, “What will we eat in the seventh year^(BJ) if we do not plant or harvest our crops?” ²¹ I will send you such a blessing^(BK) in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years.^{(BL) 22} While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in.^(BM)

²³ “‘The land^(BN) must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine^(BO) and you reside in my land as foreigners^(BP) and strangers. ²⁴ Throughout the land that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption^(BQ) of the land.

²⁵ “‘If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative^(BR) is to come and redeem^(BS) what they have sold. ²⁶ If, however, there is no one to redeem it for them but later on they prosper^(BT) and acquire sufficient means to redeem it themselves, ²⁷ they are to determine the value for the years^(BU) since they sold it and refund the balance to the one to whom they sold it; they can then go back to their own property.^{(BV) 28} But if they do not acquire the means to repay, what was sold will remain in the possession of the buyer until the Year of Jubilee. It will be returned^(BW) in the Jubilee, and they can then go back to their property.^(BX)

²⁹ “‘Anyone who sells a house in a walled city retains the right of redemption a full year after its sale. During that time the seller may redeem it. ³⁰ If it is not redeemed before a full year has passed, the house in the walled city shall belong permanently to the buyer and the buyer’s descendants. It is not to be returned in the Jubilee. ³¹ But houses in villages without walls around them are to be considered as belonging to the open country. They can be redeemed, and they are to be returned in the Jubilee.

³² “‘The Levites always have the right to redeem their houses in the Levitical towns,^(BY) which they possess. ³³ So the property of the Levites is redeemable—that is, a house sold in any town they hold—and is to be returned in the Jubilee, because the houses in the towns of the Levites are their property among the Israelites. ³⁴ But the pastureland belonging to their towns must not be sold; it is their permanent possession.^(BZ)

³⁵ “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor^(CA) and are unable to support themselves among you, help them^(CB) as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. ³⁶ Do not take interest^(CC) or any profit from them, but fear your God,^(CD) so that they may continue to live among you. ³⁷ You must not lend them money at interest^(CE) or sell them food at a profit. ³⁸ I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan^(CF) and to be your God.^(CG)

³⁹ “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves.^{(CH) 40} They are to be treated as hired workers^(CI) or temporary residents among you; they are to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. ⁴¹ Then they and their children are to be released, and they will go back to their own clans and to the property^(CJ) of their ancestors.^{(CK) 42} Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt,^(CL) they must not be sold as slaves. ⁴³ Do not rule over them ruthlessly,^(CM) but fear your God.^(CN)

⁴⁴ “‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. ⁴⁵ You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. ⁴⁶ You can bequeath them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly.

⁴⁷ “‘If a foreigner residing among you becomes rich and any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves^(CO) to the foreigner or to a member of the foreigner’s clan, ⁴⁸ they retain the right of redemption^(CP) after they have sold themselves. One of their relatives^(CQ) may redeem them: ⁴⁹ An uncle or a cousin or any blood relative in their clan may redeem them. Or if they prosper,^(CR) they may redeem themselves. ⁵⁰ They and their buyer are to count the time from the year they sold themselves up to the Year of Jubilee.^(CS) The price for their release is to be based on the rate paid to a hired worker^(CT) for that number of years. ⁵¹ If many years remain, they must pay for their redemption a larger share of the price paid for them. ⁵² If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, they are to compute that and pay for their redemption accordingly.^{(CU) 53} They are to be treated as workers hired from year to year; you must see to it that those to whom they owe service do not rule over them ruthlessly.^(CV)

⁵⁴ “‘Even if someone is not redeemed in any of these ways, they and their children are to be released in the Year of Jubilee, ⁵⁵ for the Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt.^(CW) I am the Lord your God.^(CX)