от Bulgarian Bible Society1През ония дни излезе от кесаря Августа заповед – да се направи преброяване по цялата земя.2Това преброяване беше първо, когато Кириний управляваше Сирия.3И отиваха всички да се записват, всеки в своя град.4Тръгна и Иосиф от Галилея, от град Назарет, за Иудея, за града Давидов, наречен Витлеем, понеже беше от дома и рода Давидов, (1 Цар 16:1; 1 Цар 16:4; Йн 7:42)5за да се запише с Мария, сгодената за него жена, която беше непразна.6А когато бяха те там, дойде и време да роди;7и роди своя Син първенец, пови Го и Го положи в ясли, защото нямаше за тях място в странноприемницата. (Мт 2:1)8В тая същата страна имаше пастири, които нощуваха на полето и пазеха нощна стража при стадото си.9И ето, яви се пред тях Ангел Господен, и слава Господня ги осия; и се изплашиха твърде много.10И рече им Ангелът: не бойте се: ето, благовестя ви голяма радост, която ще бъде за всички човеци;11защото днес ви се роди в града Давидов Спасител, Който е Христос Господ;12и ето ви белег: ще намерите Младенец повит, лежащ в ясли.13И внезапно се яви с Ангела многобройно войнство небесно, което хвалеше Бога и казваше:14слава във висините Богу, и на земята мир, между човеците благоволение! (Ис 2:4; Ис 44:23; Ис 49:13; Ис 57:19; Мих 4:3; Лк 19:38; Рим 5:1)15Когато Ангелите си отидоха от тях на небето, пастирите си рекоха един другиму: да идем до Витлеем, и да видим случилото се там, за което ни възвести Господ.16И дойдоха бързешком, и намериха Мариам и Иосифа, и Младенеца да лежи в яслите.17А като видяха, разказаха каквото им бе възвестено за тоя Младенец.18И всички, които чуха, почудиха се на това, що им разказаха пастирите.19А Мариам спазваше всички тия думи, като ги слагаше в сърцето си.20И върнаха се пастирите, славейки и хвалейки Бога за всичко, що чуха и видяха, както им бе казано.21Като се изпълниха осем дена, за да бъде обрязан Младенецът, дадоха Му името Иисус, наречено от Ангела, преди да се зачене Той в утробата. (Бит 17:12; Лев 12:3; Мт 1:21)22А когато се изпълниха дните на нейното очистяне, според закона Моисеев, донесоха Го в Иерусалим, за да Го представят пред Господа,23както е писано в закона Господен, че всяко мъжко, което разтваря утроба, ще бъде посветено Господу; (Изх 13:2; Изх 13:12; Изх 22:29; Изх 34:19; Чис 8:16)24и да принесат жертва, според реченото в закона Господен, две гургулици, или две гълъбчета. (Лев 12:6; Лев 12:8)25Тогава имаше в Иерусалим един човек, на име Симеон; и тоя човек беше праведен и благоговеен, и чакаше утехата Израилева; и Дух Светий беше върху него. (Лк 24:21)26Нему бе предсказано от Духа Светаго, че няма да види смърт, докато не види Христа Господен.27И дойде по вдъхновение в храма. И когато родителите донесоха Младенеца Иисуса, за да извършат на Него обичая по Закона,28той Го прегърна, благослови Бога и рече:29сега отпускаш Твоя раб, Владико, според думата Си, смиром;30защото очите ми видяха Твоето спасение, (Бит 49:18; 1 Цар 2:1; Пс 97:3; Ис 52:10)31що си приготвил пред лицето на всички народи, –32светлина за просвета на езичниците, и слава на Твоя народ Израиля. (Ис 9:2; Ис 42:6; Ис 60:3; Д А 13:47)33А Иосиф и майка Му се чудеха на казаното за Него.34И благослови ги Симеон и рече на Мария, майка Му: ето, Тоя лежи за падане и ставане на мнозина в Израиля и за предмет на противоречия, – (Ис 8:14; Мт 21:44; Рим 9:32; 1 Пет 2:7)35и на сама тебе меч ще прониже душата, – за да се открият мислите на много сърца. (Йн 19:25)36Тук беше и Анна пророчица, дъщеря Фануилова, от коляно Асирово, достигнала до дълбока старост, като бе проживяла с мъжа си седем години след девството си;37тя бе вдовица на около осемдесет и четири години, и не се отделяше от храма, служейки Богу с пост и молитва денем и нощем. (1 Тим 5:5)38И в това време, като се приближи, тя славеше Господа и говореше за Него на всички, които очакваха избавление в Иерусалим.39И когато свършиха всичко според закона Господен, върнаха се в Галилея, в своя град Назарет.40А Младенецът растеше и крепнеше духом, като се изпълняше с мъдрост; и благодат Божия беше върху Него. (Лк 2:52)41Всяка година родителите Му ходеха в Иерусалим за празник Пасха. (Изх 23:17; Изх 34:23)42И когато Той стана на дванайсет години, те отидоха в Иерусалим по обичая на празника;43а когато се връщаха, след свършване на празничните дни, Отрокът Иисус остана в Иерусалим; и не забелязаха това Иосиф и майка Му.44Като мислеха, че Той върви с дружината, изминаха един ден път и Го търсиха между роднини и познайници;45и като Го не намериха, върнаха се в Иерусалим и Го търсеха.46Подир три дни Го намериха в храма, да седи между учителите, да ги слуша и запитва;47всички, които Го слушаха, чудеха се на разума и отговорите Му. (Мт 7:28; Мк 1:22; Лк 4:32; Йн 7:15)48И като Го видяха, смаяха се; и Му рече майка Му: Чедо, защо ни направи тъй? Ето, баща Ти и аз твърде много се измъчихме да Те търсим.49Той им рече: защо сте Ме търсили? Не знаехте ли, че Аз трябва да съм в онова, що принадлежи на Отца Ми? (Мал 3:1)50Но те не разбраха казаните от Него думи. (Лк 9:45)51Той тръгна с тях и дойде в Назарет; и им се покоряваше. А майка Му спазваше всички тия думи в сърцето си.52Иисус пък преуспяваше в мъдрост и възраст и в любов пред Бога и човеците. (Лк 2:40)
1In those days, Caesar Augustus made a law. It required that a list be made of everyone in the whole Roman world.2It was the first time a list was made of the people while Quirinius was governor of Syria.3Everyone went to their own town to be listed.4So Joseph went also. He went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea. That is where Bethlehem, the town of David, was. Joseph went there because he belonged to the family line of David.5He went there with Mary to be listed. Mary was engaged to him. She was expecting a baby.6While Joseph and Mary were there, the time came for the child to be born.7She gave birth to her first baby. It was a boy. She wrapped him in large strips of cloth. Then she placed him in a manger. That’s because there was no guest room where they could stay.8There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby. It was night, and they were taking care of their sheep.9An angel of the Lord appeared to them. And the glory of the Lord shone around them. They were terrified.10But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news. It will bring great joy for all the people.11Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord.12Here is how you will know I am telling you the truth. You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.’13Suddenly a large group of angels from heaven also appeared. They were praising God. They said,14‘May glory be given to God in the highest heaven! And may peace be given to those he is pleased with on earth!’15The angels left and went into heaven. Then the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem. Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby. The baby was lying in the manger.17After the shepherds had seen him, they told everyone. They reported what the angel had said about this child.18All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.19But Mary kept all these things like a secret treasure in her heart. She thought about them over and over.20The shepherds returned. They gave glory and praise to God. Everything they had seen and heard was just as they had been told.21When the child was eight days old, he was circumcised. At the same time he was named Jesus. This was the name the angel had given him before his mother became pregnant.
Joseph and Mary take Jesus to the temple
22The time came for making Mary ‘clean’ as required by the Law of Moses. So Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem. There they presented him to the Lord.23In the Law of the Lord it says, ‘The first boy born in every family must be set apart for the Lord.’ (Изх 13:2; Изх 13:12)24They also offered a sacrifice. They did it in keeping with the Law, which says, ‘a pair of doves or two young pigeons.’ (Лев 12:8)25In Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was a good and godly man. He was waiting for God’s promise to Israel to come true. The Holy Spirit was with him.26The Spirit had told Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.27The Spirit led him into the temple courtyard. Then Jesus’ parents brought the child in. They came to do for him what the Law required.28Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God. He said,29‘Lord, you are the King over all. Now let me, your servant, go in peace. That is what you promised.30My eyes have seen your salvation.31You have prepared it in the sight of all nations.32It is a light to be given to the Gentiles. It will be the glory of your people Israel.’33The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him.34Then Simeon blessed them. He said to Mary, Jesus’ mother, ‘This child is going to cause many people in Israel to fall and to rise. God has sent him. But many will speak against him.35The thoughts of many hearts will be known. A sword will wound your own soul too.’36There was also a prophet named Anna. She was the daughter of Penuel from the tribe of Asher. Anna was very old. After getting married, she lived with her husband seven years.37Then she was a widow until she was 84. She never left the temple. She worshipped night and day, praying and going without food.38Anna came up to Jesus’ family at that moment. She gave thanks to God. And she spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the time when Jerusalem would be set free.39Joseph and Mary did everything the Law of the Lord required. Then they returned to Galilee. They went to their own town of Nazareth.40And the child grew and became strong. He was very wise. He was blessed by God’s grace.
The boy Jesus at the temple
41Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast.42When Jesus was 12 years old, they went up to the feast as usual.43After the feast was over, his parents left to go back home. The boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But they were not aware of it.44They thought he was somewhere in their group. So they travelled on for a day. Then they began to look for him among their relatives and friends.45They did not find him. So they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.46After three days they found him in the temple courtyard. He was sitting with the teachers. He was listening to them and asking them questions.47Everyone who heard him was amazed at how much he understood. They also were amazed at his answers.48When his parents saw him, they were amazed. His mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been worried about you. We have been looking for you everywhere.’49‘Why were you looking for me?’ he asked. ‘Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’50But they did not understand what he meant by that.51Then he went back to Nazareth with them, and he obeyed them. But his mother kept all these things like a secret treasure in her heart.52Jesus became wiser and stronger. He also became more and more pleasing to God and to people.