Birth of Jesus

7	JESUS is BORN
Matt 2		Mark	Luke 2
			1	In those days a decree went out
				from Caesar Augustus that
				all the world should be enrolled.
			2	This was the first enrollment,
				when Quirinius was governor
				of Syria.
			3	And all went to be enrolled,
				each to his own city.
			4	And Joseph also went up
				from Galilee,
				from the city of Nazareth,
	[see Matt 2:1 below]			to Judea, to the city of David,
				which is called Bethlehem,
				because he was of the house
				and lineage of David,
			5	to be enrolled with Mary,
				his betrothed, who was with child.
			6	And while they were there,
				the time came
				for her to be delivered.
			7	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.
			8	And in that region
				there were shepherds
				out in the field,
				keeping watch over their flock
				by night.
			9	And an angel of the Lord
				appeared to them,
				and the glory of the Lord
				shone around them,
				and they were filled with fear.
			10	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;
			11	for to you is born this day
				in the city of David
				a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
			12	And this will be a sign for you:
				you will find a babe
				wrapped in swaddling cloths
				and lying in a manger."
			13	And suddenly
				there was with the angel
				a multitude of the heavenly host
				praising God and saying,
			14	"Glory to God in the highest,
				and on earth peace among men
				with whom he is pleased!"
			15	When the angels went away
				from them into heaven,
				the shepherds said to one another,
				"Let us go over to Bethlehem
				and see this thing
				that has happened
				which the Lord has made known
				to us."
	[see Matt 2:11 below]		16	And they went with haste,
				and found Mary* and Joseph,
				and the babe lying in a manger.
			17	And when they saw it
				they made known the saying
				which had been told them
				concerning this child;
			18	and all who heard it wondered
				at what the shepherds told them.
			19	But Mary kept all these things,
				pondering them in her heart.
			20	And the shepherds returned,
				glorifying and praising God
				as it had been told them.
1	Now when Jesus was born
	in Bethlehem* of Judea*			[see Luke 2:4 above]
	in the days of Herod the king,
	behold, wise men from the East
	came to Jerusalem,
	saying,
2	"Where is he who has been born
	king of the Jews?
	For we have seen his star in the East,
	and have come to worship him."
3	When Herod the king heard this,
	he was troubled,
	and all Jerusalem with him;
4	and assembling all the chief priests
	and scribes of the people,
	he inquired of them
	where the Christ was to be born.
5	They told him,
	"In Bethlehem of Judea;
	for so it is written by the prophet:
6	`And you, O Bethlehem,
	in the land of Judah,
	are by no means least
	among the rulers of Judah;
	for from you shall come a ruler
	who will govern my people Israel.'"
7	Then Herod summoned the wise men
	secretly and ascertained from them
	what time the star appeared;
8	and he sent them to Bethlehem,
	saying,
	"Go and search diligently for the child,
	and when you have found him
	bring me word,
	that I too may come and worship him."
9	When they had heard the king
	they went their way;
	and lo, the star which they had seen
	in the East
	went before them,
	till it came to rest over the place
	where the child was.
10	When they saw the star,
	they rejoiced exceedingly
	with great joy;
11	and going into the house
	they saw the child
	with Mary* his mother,			[see Luke 2:16 above]
	and they fell down and worshiped him.
	Then, opening their treasures,
	they offered him gifts,
	gold and frankincense and myrrh.
12	And being warned in a dream
	not to return to Herod,
	they departed to their own country
	by another way.

Canonical gospel selection in the Revised Standard Version
Copyright © 1973 by National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA

Color Code
Teal	Two gospels use same vocabulary.
Black	Words unique to a particular text.
	No parallel text in this gospel.
*	Same wording, different order.
7	Sequence in synoptic outlines