Scriptures

New Living Translation (NLT)

Luke 1
⁷⁸ Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,
⁷⁹ to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”
⁸⁰ John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.
Luke 2
¹ At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.
² (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
³ All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census.
⁴ And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.
⁵ He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.
⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.
⁷ She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
⁸ That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.