Luke:2

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* About that time , Augustus the Roman ruler made a law . All the people in the world must have their names written down in a book . * This was the first time names were written in a book in this way . Quirinius was the ruler of Syria at that time . * Everyone went to his home town to have his name written in the book . * Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea . This was Davids town , and Joseph came from Davids family line . * He went to have his name written in the book . Joseph took Mary with him . She was promised to Joseph to be his wife . She was going to have a baby . * While they were there , the time came for her baby to be born . * This was her first child , a son . She wrapped him in a cloth and laid him in a box where cows feed . There was no room for them in the house for strangers . * In the same part of the country , men were taking care of sheep . They were in the field watching their sheep at night . * An angel of the Lord came to them and a bright light from the Lord shone all around them . They were very much afraid . * The angel said to them , Fear not ! Listen , I bring you good news ! This news will make you very glad . It is for all people . * A saviour has been born for you today in Davids town . He is Christ the Lord . * This is the way you will know him . You will find a baby wrapped in a cloth , lying in a box where cows feed . * All at once a great number of angels from heaven were with the angel . They were praising God . * They said , Praise God in the highest heaven ! Peace on earth and loving mercy towards all people ! * The angels left them and went back to heaven . The men who were taking care of the sheep said to one another Let us go to Bethlehem and see what has happened . It is the Lord who has told us about it . * They went quickly . They found Mary and Joseph , and the baby lying in the box where cows feed . * When they saw the child , they told what the angel had said to them about him . * All those who heard them were surprised at what the shepherds had told them . * Mary remembered all these things and kept thinking about them . * Then the men who were taking care of the sheep went back . They praised and thanked God for all they had heard and seen . It was just as they had been told it would be . * When the child was eight days old , it was time to circumcise him . They named him Jesus . That was the name the angel gave him before the baby began to grow inside Mary . * The time came when Mary was no longer unclean by the law of Moses . Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem to bring him to the Lord . * This is what is written in the law of the Lord : Every boy who is the first child of his mother will be holy for the Lord . * They also came to make a sacrifice as an offering to God . The law of the Lord said , A pair of doves or two young pigeons . * A man named Simeon was in Jerusalem . He was a good man and he loved God . He was watching and waiting for the one who would save Israel . The Holy Spirit was on him . * The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would not die before he had seen the Lords Christ . * He came into the temple , led by the Spirit . The parents brought in the child Jesus to do what the law said they should do about him . * Then Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God . * He said , Lord , now you are letting your servant go in peace , just as you said . * I have seen with my own eyes the one you have sent to save people . * You have made this way for all peoples to be saved . * He is a light which will shine for those who do not know God . He is the one who will bring praise to your people Israel . * Joseph and Mary were surprised at the things Simeon said about Jesus . * Simeon blessed them . He said to Mary , the mother of Jesus , He will be a sign that people do not believe in . He will make many people in Israel fall and rise . * (Yes , a long knife will cut your heart too .) What people think will be made known . * Anna , a woman prophet of God , was there too . Her fathers name was Phanuel . She was of the tribe of Asher . She was very old . She had been married and lived with her husband for seven years . * Then her husband died . Now she had been alone for eighty-four years . She did not leave the temple , but worshipped day and night . She talked with God and fasted &lt ;FI &gt ;did not eat food for a time &lt ;Fi &gt ;. * While Simeon was talking to Mary , Anna also came along and thanked God . She talked about Jesus to all the people who were waiting for the one who would set Jerusalem free . * The parents did everything that the law of the Lord said they should do . Then they went back to Galilee to their own town , Nazareth . * The child grew . He became strong and very wise . And God blessed him . * Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast &lt ;FI &gt ;a special time to thank God &lt ;Fi &gt ;. * When Jesus was twelve years old , they went to Jerusalem for the feast as they always did . * After the days of the feast were finished , they started home . But the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem . His parents did not know it . * They thought he was coming with the rest of the people . They travelled one day . Then they looked for him among their family and friends . * But they did not find him . So they went back to Jerusalem and looked for him . * On the third day they found him in the temple . He was sitting in front of the teachers of the law . He was listening to them and asking them questions . * All who heard him were surprised at what he knew and his answers . * His parents were surprised when they saw him . His mother said to him , Son , why have you done this to us ? Your father and I have been looking for you . We have been very troubled . * He said to them , Why did you look for me ? Did you not know that I had to be in my Fathers house ? * They did not understand what he meant . * He went with them back to Nazareth and obeyed them . But his mother remembered all these things . * Jesus grew and became wiser and taller . He pleased God and also people .

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