18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been *betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by [the power of] the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her [promised] husband, being a just and righteous man and not wanting to expose her publicly to shame, planned to send her away and divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the Child who has been *conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus (The Lord is salvation), for He will *save His people from their sins."

22 All this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the *prophet [Isaiah]: 23 "Behold, the*virgin shall be with child and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel"—which, when translated, means, "God with us." [Is 7:14] 24 Then Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and he took Mary [to his home] as his wife, 25 but he kept her a virgin until she had given birth to a Son [her firstborn child]; and he named Him Jesus (The Lord is salvation).

14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Listen carefully, the *virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will call his name Immanuel (God with us). [Is 9:6; Jer 31:22; Mic 5:3-5; Matt 1:22, 23]

26 Now in the sixth month [of Elizabeth’s pregnancy] the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin *betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

30 The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Listen carefully: you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 He will be great and eminent and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob (Israel) forever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end." [Is 9:6, 7; Dan 2:44]

34 Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin and have no intimacy with any man?" 35 Then the angel replied to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [like a cloud]; for that reason the holy (pure, sinless) Child shall be called the Son of God. [Ex 40:34; Is 7:14]

13 For You formed my innermost parts;

You knit me [together] in my mother’s womb.

14 I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Wonderful are Your works,

And my soul knows it very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was being formed in secret,

And intricately and skillfully formed [as if embroidered with many colors] in the depths of the earth.

16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;

And in Your book were all written

The days that were appointed for me,

When as yet there was not one of them [even taking shape].

5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you [and approved of you as My chosen instrument],

And before you were born I consecrated you [to Myself as My own];

I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations." [Ex 33:12; Is 49:1, 5; Rom 8:29]

9 Yet You are He who pulled me out of the womb;

You made me trust when on my mother’s breasts.

10 I was cast upon You from birth;

From my mother’s womb You have been my God.

6 Upon You have I relied and been sustained from my birth;

You are He who took me from my mother’s womb and You have been my benefactor from that day.

My praise is continually of You.

15 [The Lord answered] "Can a woman forget her nursing child

And have no compassion on the son of her womb?

Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.

9 "Shall I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?" says the Lord.

"Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?" says your God.

14 But He said, "Leave the children alone, and do not forbid them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

4 Therefore, whoever *humbles himself like this child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.5 Whoever receives and welcomes one *child like this in My name receives Me;

16 And He took the children [one by one] in His arms and *blessed them [with kind, encouraging words], placing His hands on them.

3 Behold, children are a heritage and gift from the Lord,

The fruit of the womb a reward. [Deut 28:4]

27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my request which I asked of Him.

4 For You, O Lord, have made me glad by Your works;

At the works of Your hands I joyfully sing.

3 Jesus answered him, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God."

21 A woman, when she is in labor, has pain because her time [to give birth] has come; but when she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of her joy that a child has come into the world.

9 No one who is born of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, because *God’s seed [His principle of life, the essence of His righteous character] remains [permanently] in him [who is born again—who is reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose]; and he [who is born again] cannot habitually [live a life characterized by] sin, because he is born of God and longs to please Him.

9 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;

Speak of all His wonders.