discomposed at his speech, and revolved in her mind what sort of a salutation this might be. Whereupon the angel said to 30 her, Fear not, Mary. For thou hast found favour with God. 31-Now behold thou shalt conceive, and bear a son, and shalt

call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the 32 son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the 33 throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house

of Jacob forever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I know 35 not man. And the angel answering, said to her, A holy spirit

will come upon thee, and the power of the Most High will overshadow thee, therefore the holy offspring will be called the 36 son of God. Now behold Elizabeth thy cousin, even she hath

conceived a son in her old age. And this is the sixth month 37 with her, who hath been called barren. For with God nothing 38 is impossible. Thereupon Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it to me according to thy word. And the angel left her.

39

And in those days Mary set out and travelled with speed 40 to the hill country, to a city of Juda, and went to the house 41 of Zacharias and saluted Elizabeth. And soon as Elizabeth

heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb: 42 and Elizabeth was filled with a holy spirit, and with a loud

acclamation said, Blessed thou among women! and blessed the 43 fruit of thy womb. How have I this honour,* that the mother of my Lord should come to me! For behold! soon as the sound 44 of thy salutation reached mine ear, the babe within me leaped 45 for joy. Happy indeed is she who believed that there shall be an accomplishment of the things spoken to her from the Lord. 46 Then Mary said,

47 My soul doth magnify the Lord: and my spirit exulteth 48 in God, my Saviour: because he hath regarded the low con

dition of his handmaid. For behold! henceforth all generations 49 will call me happy. Because the Mighty One hath done great

things for me; therefore hallowed be his name. Indeed his mer50 cy on them who fear him, extendeth to generations of gene

* Literally, How is this to me.

51 rations. With his arm he hath displayed strength. He hath

scattered them who were elated with the imagination of their 52 heart. From thrones he hath hurled potentates, and exalted 53 them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good 54 things; and sent away the rich empty. He hath supported his 55 servant Israel, remembering (as he spoke to our fathers) mercy for Abraham and his seed forever.

56

And Mary abode with her about three months, and then returned home.

57 Now when the time for Elizabeth's delivery was come, she 58 brought forth a son. And her neighbours and her relations,

hearing that the Lord had magnified his mercy to her, rejoic59 ed with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise 60 the child, and called him Zacharias, after the name of his fa61 ther. But his mother interposing, said, No. He shall be call

ed John. And they said to her, There is none among thy kin62 dred who is called by that name. Then they made signs to his

father to know what he would have him called. And he, hav63 ing demanded a table book, wrote, saying, His name is John. 64 At which they were all surprised. And his mouth was imme

diately opened, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, praising 65 God. And all in the neighbourhood were struck with awe.

.

And the fame of all these things spread through the whole 66 hill country of Judea. And all who heard laid them up in their mind, saying, What will this child be? And the hand of the 67 Lord was with him. And Zacharias his father was filled with a holy spirit, and he prophesied, saying, Blessed be the 68 Lord, the God of Israel; because he hath visited and deliver69 ed his people. He indeed hath raised up for us a horn of salva70 tion in the house of his servant David (as he spake by the

mouth of his holy prophets of old)—a deliverance from our 71 enemies, and out of the hand of all who hate us-in kindness 72 to our fathers, and in remembrance of his holy covenant (as 73 he sware to our father Abraham) that he would grant us, that 74 we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, may 75 serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before 76 him, all the days of our life. Now as for thee, child, thou shalt be called a prophet of the Most High; for thou shalt go 77 before in the presence of the Lord, to prepare his ways; to

give his people a knowledge of salvation, by a remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, by which 78 the Anatole* [the day spring] from on high hath visited us, 79 to give light to them who are sitting in darkness and the sha

dow of death, to guide our feet to the way of peace." And 80 the child grew, and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of the manifestation of him to Israel.

II.

Now it happened in those days, that an edict came forth from Cæsar Augustus, that this whole inhabited land should 2 be enrolled. This was the first enrolment; † it was made when Cyrenius was a governor of Syria; and all went to be enrolled, 3 every one to his own city, and accordingly Joseph went up 4 from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth to Judea, to the city

of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the 5 house and patriarchal family of David, to be enrolled with 6 Mary his espoused wife, who was then great with child. And

while they were there, the time came that she should be deli7 vered; and she brought forth her son, the first born, and swathed him, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the house appropriate to lodging.

8

Now in that country there were shepherds in the open fields tending their flocks by turns, during the night watches. 9 And lo! an angel of the Lord stood by them; and a glory of 10 the Lord shone around them; at which they were greatly affrighted. Whereupon the angel said to them, Be not afraid; for lo! I bring you glad tidings-matter of great joy, which it

*See Zach. 3. 8.

There were two enrolments, the first merely for the purpose of numbering the inhabitants, and the second for assessing them. The first here spoken of, was in the reign of Herod the great, when Cyrenius was deputy governor of Syria. It was done according to the Jewish custom, by communities and families, and all were obliged to repair to their respective cities or towns, to be enrolled in their several families, according to their genealogies. The second, which was after the death of Herod, was for assessment, and was made indiscriminately. This was the enrolment which offended the Jews, and excited tumults and insurrections, and brought on the war which terminated in the destruction of Jerusalem, and the utter dispersion of the Jews.

11 will be to all the people-That to you there is born this day, 12 in the city of David, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And

this will be the sign for you. You will find a babe swathed, 13 lying in the manger. Then suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest [heaven!] And on earth, peace! 15 good will among men! And as soon as the angels withdrew from them to heaven; the men-the shepherds said one to another, Come, let us go to Bethlehem and see this which is come 16 to pass, which the Lord hath made known to us. So they went with all speed, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe 17 that lay in the manger; and, having seen, they divulged what 18 had been told them concerning this child. And all that heard 19 were amazed at the things which were told them by the shep20 herds. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering

them in her mind. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, agreeably to what had been declared to them.

21 Now when eight days were accomplished, at circumcising

the child, he was named JESUS, the name which the angel had 22 given him before he was conceived. And when the days of her purification were accomplished according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the 23 Lord; as it is written in the law of the Lord, that every male, who is the first born of his mother, is to be accounted conse24 crate to the Lord;* and to offer a sacrifice according to what is prescribed in the law of the Lord-a pair of turtle doves or 25 two young pigeons.† And behold there was at Jerusalem a man whose name was Simeon. This man, being righteous and devout, was waiting for the consolation of Israel; and there 26 was a holy spirit upon him. Now it had been revealed to him

by the holy spirit, that he should not see death until he had 27 seen the Christ of the Lord; and he had come by the spirit to the temple. And when the parents brought the child Jesus, 28 to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him 29 in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Now, O Lord, thou

30 dismissest thy servant in peace according to thy word, since 31 mine eyes have seen that salvation of thine, which thou hast 32 prepared in the sight of all peoples, a light to illuminate the 33 nations-the glory of thy people Israel. And while Joseph

and the mother of the child were wondering at the things spoken concerning him, Simeon blessed them, and said to 34 Mary his mother, Behold this child is destined for the fall and the rising again of many in Israel, and for an object of calumny 35 (yea, a sword will pass through thy soul also) so that the ill grounded reasoning of many hearts will be revealed.

36

There was also one Anna, a prophetess, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser. She was far advanced in years. - 37 Having lived seven years with a husband from her virgin state, she was now a widow, about eighty four years old, who departed not from the temple, performing religious service, 38 with fasting and prayers, night and day. She coming up at that instant, did, in a responsive strain, give thanks to the Lord; and she spake of him to all those in Jerusalem who were expecting a deliverance.

39

And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, 40 Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and there was a divine gracefulness upon him.

41

Now his parents used to go up every year to Jerusalem at 42 the festival of the passover. So when he was twelve years old, they having gone up to Jerusalem, according to the custom of 43 the festival, and finished the days; when they set out on their

return, the child Jesus staid behind at Jerusalem. And neither 44 Joseph nor his mother knew it; but supposing that he was in 45 the company, they went a day's journey. Then they sought 46 him among their relations and acquaintance; but not finding

him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him. And after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the 47 teachers, and hearing them, and asking them questions. And 48 all that heard him were astonished at his understanding, and

his answers; and they who saw him were amazed. And his mother said to him, Son, Why hast thou dealt thus with us? Behold thy father and I have been seeking thee with sorrow.