| Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to David’s city, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant. | So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. |
| Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many. | Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. |
| You shall not take advantage of any widow or fatherless child. If you take advantage of them at all, and they cry at all to me, I will surely hear their cry; and my wrath will grow hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. | Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless. |
| Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. | Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. |
| By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his only born Son into the world that we might live through him. | This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. |
| For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. | For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. |
| The Word became flesh and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the only born Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. | The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. |
| Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. | Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. |
| You shall consider in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so Yahweh your God disciplines you. | Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. |
| My son, don’t despise Yahweh’s discipline, neither be weary of his correction; for whom Yahweh loves, he corrects, even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights. | My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. |
| While they were there, the day had come for her to give birth. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn. | While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. |
| My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart. | My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart. |
| But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take to yourself Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” | But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” |
| My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for they will add to you length of days, years of life, and peace. | My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. |
| My son, keep your father’s commandment, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching. | My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. |
| Who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross. | Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! |
| By Yahweh’s word, the heavens were made: all their army by the breath of his mouth. | By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. |
| Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom. | Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. |
| He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil. | The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. |
| As he came out of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand. | Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands. |
| “They shall be mine,” says Yahweh of Armies, “my own possession in the day that I make. I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him.” | “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him.” |
| Blessed is he whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is covered. | Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. |
| Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. | Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. |
| For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. | For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. |
| For Yahweh is our judge. Yahweh is our lawgiver. Yahweh is our king. He will save us. | For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us. |
Bible verse of the day
Be exalted, God, above the heavens!Let your glory be above all the earth!