¹ There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, to Gerar.

² Yahweh appeared to him, and said, "Don't go down into Egypt. Live in the land I will tell you about.

³ Live in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you. For to you, and to your seed, I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.

⁴ I will multiply your seed as the stars of the sky, and will give to your seed all these lands. In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed,

⁵ because Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my requirements, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws."

⁶ Isaac lived in Gerar.

⁷ The men of the place asked him about his wife. He said, "She is my sister," for he was afraid to say, "My wife," lest, he thought, "the men of the place might kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to look at."

⁸ It happened, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was caressing Rebekah, his wife.

⁹ Abimelech called Isaac, and said, "Behold, surely she is your wife. Why did you say, 'She is my sister?'" Isaac said to him, "Because I said, 'Lest I die because of her.'"

¹⁰ Abimelech said, "What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!"

¹¹ Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, "He who touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death."

¹² Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year one hundred times what he planted. Yahweh blessed him.

¹³ The man grew great, and grew more and more until he became very great.

¹⁴ He had possessions of flocks, possessions of herds, and a great household. The Philistines envied him.

¹⁵ Now all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped, and filled with earth.

¹⁶ Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go from us, for you are much mightier than we."

¹⁷ Isaac departed from there, encamped in the valley of Gerar, and lived there.

¹⁸ Isaac dug again the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father. For the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham. He called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

¹⁹ Isaac's servants dug in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.

²⁰ The herdsmen of Gerar argued with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The water is ours." He called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him.

²¹ They dug another well, and they argued over that, also. He called its name Sitnah.

²² He left that place, and dug another well. They didn't argue over that one. He called it Rehoboth. He said, "For now Yahweh has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land."

²³ He went up from there to Beersheba.

²⁴ Yahweh appeared to him the same night, and said, "I am the God of Abraham your father. Don't be afraid, for I am with you, and will bless you, and multiply your seed for my servant Abraham's sake."

²⁵ He built an altar there, and called on the name of Yahweh, and pitched his tent there. There Isaac's servants dug a well.

²⁶ Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his friend, and Phicol the captain of his army.

²⁷ Isaac said to them, "Why have you come to me, since you hate me, and have sent me away from you?"

²⁸ They said, "We saw plainly that Yahweh was with you. We said, 'Let there now be an oath between us, even between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you,

²⁹ that you will do us no harm, as we have not touched you, and as we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace.' You are now the blessed of Yahweh."

³⁰ He made them a feast, and they ate and drank.

³¹ They rose up some time in the morning, and swore one to another. Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

³² It happened the same day, that Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had dug, and said to him, "We have found water."

³³ He called it Shibah. Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

³⁴ When Esau was forty years old, he took as wife Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite.

³⁵ They grieved Isaac's and Rebekah's spirits.

¹ Now it happened in those days, that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.

² This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

³ All went to enroll themselves, everyone to his own city.

⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David;

⁵ to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant.

⁶ It happened, while they were there, that the day had come that she should give birth.

⁷ She brought forth her firstborn son, and she wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁸ There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock.

⁹ Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

¹⁰ The angel said to them, "Don't be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people.

¹¹ For there is born to you, this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

¹² This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough."

¹³ Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying,

¹⁴ "Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men."

¹⁵ It happened, when the angels went away from them into the sky, that the shepherds said one to another, "Let's go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."

¹⁶ They came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in the feeding trough.

¹⁷ When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child.

¹⁸ All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds.

¹⁹ But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart.

²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them.

²¹ When eight days were fulfilled for the circumcision of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

²² When the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord

²³ (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord"),

²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, "A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."

²⁵ Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.

²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

²⁷ He came in the Spirit into the temple. When the parents brought in the child, Jesus, that they might do concerning him according to the custom of the law,

²⁸ then he received him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,

²⁹ "Now you are releasing your servant, Master, according to your word, in peace;

³⁰ for my eyes have seen your salvation,

³¹ which you have prepared before the face of all peoples;

³² a light for revelation to the nations, and the glory of your people Israel."

³³ Joseph and his mother were marveling at the things which were spoken concerning him,

³⁴ and Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against.

³⁵ Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

³⁶ There was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher (she was of a great age, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity,

³⁷ and she had been a widow for about eighty-four years), who didn't depart from the temple, worshipping with fastings and petitions night and day.

³⁸ Coming up at that very hour, she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of him to all those who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem.

³⁹ When they had accomplished all things that were according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.

⁴⁰ The child was growing, and was becoming strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

⁴¹ His parents went every year to Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover.

⁴² When he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast,

⁴³ and when they had fulfilled the days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. Joseph and his mother didn't know it,

⁴⁴ but supposing him to be in the company, they went a day's journey, and they looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances.

⁴⁵ When they didn't find him, they returned to Jerusalem, looking for him.

⁴⁶ It happened after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them, and asking them questions.

⁴⁷ All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

⁴⁸ When they saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I were anxiously looking for you."

⁴⁹ He said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know that I must be in my Father's house?"

⁵⁰ They didn't understand the saying which he spoke to them.

⁵¹ And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth. He was subject to them, and his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

⁵² And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.