1 Naqueles dias foi expedido um decreto de César Augusto, para que todo o mundo fosse recenseado.
2 Este foi o primeiro recenseamento que se fez no tempo em que Quirino era governador da Síria.
3 Todos iam alistar-se, cada um à sua própria cidade.
4 José também subiu da Galiléia, da cidade de Nazaré, à Judéia, à cidade de Davi, chamada Belém, por ser ele da casa e família de Davi,
5 para se alistar, acompanhado de Maria, sua esposa, que estava grávida.
6 Estando eles ali, completaram-se os dias de dar ela à luz;
7 teve seu filho primogênito, e o enfaixou e o deitou em uma manjedoura, porque não havia lugar para eles na hospedaria.
8 Naquela região havia pastores que viviam nos campos e guardavam o seu rebanho durante as vigílias da noite.
9 Um anjo do Senhor apareceu-lhes, e a glória do Senhor brilhou ao redor deles; e encheram-se de grande temor.
10 Disse-lhes o anjo: Não temais; pois eu vos trago uma boa nova de grande gozo que o será para todo o povo:
11 é que hoje vos nasceu na cidade de Davi um Salvador, que é Cristo Senhor.
12 Eis para vós o sinal: encontrareis uma criança envolta em faixas e deitada numa manjedoura.
13 De repente apareceu com o anjo uma multidão da milícia celestial, louvando a Deus e dizendo:
14 Glória a Deus nas maiores alturas, E paz na terra entre os homens a quem ele quer bem.
15 Quando os anjos se haviam retirado deles para o céu, diziam os pastores uns aos outros: Vamos já até Belém, e vejamos o que aconteceu, o que o Senhor nos deu a conhecer.
16 Foram a toda a pressa e acharam Maria e José, e a criança deitada na manjedoura;
17 e vendo isto, divulgaram o que se lhes havia dito a respeito deste menino.
18 Todos os que o souberam, se admiraram das coisas que lhes referiam os pastores;
19 Maria, porém, guardava todas estas palavras, meditando-as no seu coração.
20 Os pastores voltaram, glorificando e louvando a Deus por tudo quanto tinham ouvido e visto, como lhes fora anunciado.
21 Completados os oito dias para ser circuncidado o menino, deram-lhe o nome de JESUS, como fora chamado pelo anjo antes de ser concebido no ventre de sua mãe.
22 Quando se completaram os dias da purificação segundo a lei de Moisés, levaram-no a Jerusalém para o apresentar ao Senhor
23 (como está escrito na Lei do Senhor: Todo o primogênito será consagrado ao Senhor),
24 e para oferecer um sacrifício segundo o que está dito na Lei do Senhor: Um par de rolas, ou dois pombinhos.
25 Havia em Jerusalém um homem chamado Simeão, homem este justo e piedoso, que esperava a consolação de Israel, e o Espírito Santo estava sobre ele;
26 e lhe havia sido revelado pelo Espírito Santo que não morreria antes de ver o Cristo do Senhor.
27 Movido pelo Espírito foi ao templo; quando os pais trouxeram o menino Jesus para fazer por este o que a Lei ordenava,
28 Simeão tomou-o nos seus braços e louvou a Deus, dizendo:
29 Agora tu, Senhor, despedes em paz o teu servo Segundo a tua palavra;
30 Porque os meus olhos já viram a tua salvação,
31 A qual preparaste ante a face de todos os povos:
32 Luz para revelação aos gentios, E glória do teu povo de Israel.
33 Seu pai e sua mãe maravilharam-se do que dele se dizia.
34 Simeão os abençoou, e disse a Maria, mãe do menino: Este é posto para queda e para levantamento de muitos em Israel, e para sinal de contradição
35 (também uma espada traspassará a tua própria alma), para que os pensamentos de muitos corações sejam revelados.
36 Havia também uma profetisa, de nome Ana, filha de Fanuel, da tribo de Aser (era ela de idade avançada, tendo vivido com seu marido sete anos desde a sua virgindade,
37 e viúva de oitenta e quatro anos), que não deixava o templo, mas adorava noite e dia em jejuns e orações.
38 Esta, chegando na mesma hora, deu graças a Deus e falou a respeito do menino a todos os que esperavam a redenção de Jerusalém.
39 Quando se tinham cumprido todas as ordenanças segundo a Lei do Senhor, voltaram para a Galiléia, para a sua cidade de Nazaré.
40 O menino crescia e fortificava-se, enchendo-se de sabedoria; e a graça de Deus estava sobre ele.
41 Seus pais iam anualmente a Jerusalém pela festa da páscoa.
42 Quando o menino tinha doze anos, subiram eles conforme o costume da festa;
43 findos os dias da festa, ao regressarem, ficou o menino Jesus em Jerusalém, sem que seus pais o soubessem.
44 Mas estes, julgando que ele estivesse entre os companheiros de viagem, andaram caminho de um dia, procurando-o entre os parentes e conhecidos;
45 e não o achando, voltaram a Jerusalém em procura dele.
46 Três dias depois o acharam no templo, sentado no meio dos doutores, ouvindo-os e interrogando-os;
47 todos os que o ouviam, muito se admiravam da sua inteligência e das suas respostas.
48 Logo que seus pais o viram, ficaram surpreendidos; sua mãe perguntou-lhe: Filho, por que procedeste assim conosco? teu pai e eu te procuramos aflitos.
49 Ele lhes respondeu: Por que me procuráveis? não sabíeis que eu devia estar na casa de meu Pai?
50 Eles, porém, não compreenderam as palavras que ele dizia.
51 Então desceu com eles e foi para Nazaré, e estava-lhes sujeito. Mas sua mãe guardava todas estas coisas no seu coração.
52 Jesus crescia em sabedoria, em estatura e em graça diante de Deus e dos homens.
1 Now it came about in those days that an order went out from Caesar Augustus that there was to be a numbering of all the world.
2 This was the first numbering, which was made when Quirinius was ruler of Syria.
3 And all men went to be numbered, everyone to his town.
4 And Joseph went up from Galilee, out of the town of Nazareth, into Judaea, to Beth-lehem, the town of David, because he was of the house and family of David,
5 To be put on the list with Mary, his future wife, who was about to become a mother.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
7 And she had her first son; and folding him in linen, she put him to rest in the place where the cattle had their food, because there was no room for them in the house.
8 And in the same country there were keepers of sheep in the fields, watching over their flock by night.
9 And an angel of the Lord came to them, and the glory of the Lord was shining round about them: and fear came on them.
10 And the angel said, Have no fear; for truly, I give you good news of great joy which will be for all the people:
11 For on this day, in the town of David, a Saviour has come to birth, who is Christ the Lord.
12 And this is the sign to you: you will see a young child folded in linen, in the place where the cattle have their food.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a great band of spirits from heaven, giving praise to God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on the earth peace among men with whom he is well pleased.
15 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.
16 And they came quickly, and saw Mary and Joseph, and the child in the place where the cattle had their food.
17 And when they saw it, they gave them an account of the things which had been said to them about the child.
18 And all those to whose ears it came were full of wonder at the things said by the keepers of the sheep.
19 But Mary kept all these words in her heart, and gave much thought to them.
20 Then the keepers of the sheep went back, giving glory and praise to God for all the things which had come to their ears and which they had seen, as it had been said to them.
21 And when, after eight days, the time came for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name which the angel had given to him before his birth.
22 And when the necessary days for making them clean by the law of Moses had come to an end, they took him to Jerusalem to give him to the Lord
23 (As it says in the law of the Lord, Every mother's first male child is to be holy to the Lord),
24 And to make an offering, as it is ordered in the law of the Lord, of two doves or other young birds.
25 And there was then in Jerusalem a man whose name was Simeon; and he was an upright man, fearing God and waiting for the comfort of Israel: and the Holy Spirit was on him.
26 And he had knowledge, through the Holy Spirit, that he would not see death till he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27 And full of the Spirit he came into the Temple; and when the father and mother came in with the child Jesus, to do with him what was ordered by the law,
28 Then he took him in his arms and gave praise to God and said,
29 Now you are letting your servant go in peace, O Lord, as you have said;
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 Which you have made ready before the face of all nations;
32 A light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.
33 And his father and mother were full of wonder at the things which were said about him.
34 And Simeon gave them his blessing and said to Mary, his mother, See, this child will be the cause of the downfall and the lifting up of great numbers of people in Israel, and he will be a sign against which hard words will be said;
35 (And a sword will go through your heart;) so that the secret thoughts of men may come to light.
36 And there was one, Anna, a woman prophet, the daughter of Phanuel, of the family of Asher (she was very old, and after seven years of married life
37 She had been a widow for eighty-four years); she was in the Temple at all times, worshipping with prayers and going without food, night and day.
38 And coming up at that time, she gave praise to God, talking of him to all those who were waiting for the freeing of Jerusalem.
39 And when they had done all the things which were ordered by the law of the Lord, they went back to Galilee, to Nazareth, the town where they were living.
40 And the child became tall and strong and full of wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
41 And every year his father and mother went to Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover.
42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up, as their way was, to the feast;
43 And when the days of the feast came to an end and they were going back, the boy Jesus was still in Jerusalem, but they had no knowledge of it:
44 And in the belief that he was with some of their number, they went a day's journey; and after looking for him among their relations and friends,
45 And seeing that he was not there, they went back to Jerusalem, to make search for him.
46 And after three days they came across him in the Temple, seated among the wise men, giving ear to their words and putting questions to them.
47 And all to whose ears it came were full of wonder at his knowledge and the answers which he gave.
48 And when they saw him they were surprised, and his mother said to him, Son, why have you done this to us? see, your father and I have been looking for you with sorrow.
49 And he said to them, Why were you looking for me? was it not clear to you that my right place was in my Father's house?
50 And his words seemed strange to them.
51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth; and did as he was ordered: and his mother kept all these words in her heart.
52 And Jesus was increasing in wisdom and in years, and in grace before God and men.