Jesus · c. 6–5 BC
Chapter 6
Born in Bethlehem
The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people.For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
In those days a decree went out from that all the world should be enrolled. Everyone’s name was to be written down on the lists.
This was the first enrollment made when was governor of .
Everyone went to his own city to enroll.
went too. He was from the family line of , so he went up from , a city in , into . He went to David’s city, which is called . Long before, it had been King David’s hometown. David’s father, , was a man of Bethlehem in Judah.
Joseph went to enroll there with , who was engaged to marry him. She was pregnant.
While they were there, the day came for Mary to give birth.
She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough, the kind animals eat from, because there was no room for them in the inn.
This was the child the angel had told her about in Nazareth, when he said she would give birth to a son and was to name him .
Out in that same countryside, shepherds were staying in the field, keeping watch by night over their flock.
And there beside them stood an of the Lord. The shone around them, and they were terrified.
“Don’t be afraid,” the angel said to them. “Look, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all the people. For today, in David’s city, there is born to you a Savior, who is the Lord. This is your sign: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough.”
Suddenly the angel was not alone. With him was a great crowd of the heavenly army, praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest,on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Then the angels went away from them into the sky.
The shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem right now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
Off they went in a hurry, and they found both Mary and Joseph, with the baby lying in the feeding trough.
When they had seen it, they told people far and wide what had been said to them about this child.
Everyone who heard it was full of wonder at the things the shepherds told them.
But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart.
The shepherds went back, giving glory and praise to God for everything they had heard and seen. It had all been just as they had been told.