In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirin’i-us was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!”
(Luke 2:1-14)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
A blessed Christmas to everyone!
Merry Christmas!!
Merry Christmas to all. St. Luke´s account od the Nativity is beautiful, but I might be super conservative in that my preference is for the King James Version as opposed to the Revised Standard Version or the New English Bible.
Merry Christmas to all, and to quote Dickens: “God bless us, every one!”
Roberto, I agree with you. Being Eastern Orthodox, we read the Gospels in church in its original Byzantine Greek or Russian, but the “authorized” English translation is from the King James Version. I am more comfortable hearing it in that form when not in Greek or Russian.
Regards,
Peter H.