Luke 2
Coverdale Bible of 1535 Par ▾ 

The Birth of Jesus
(Matthew 1:18–25)

1It fortuned at the same tyme, that there wete out a comaundement fro Augustus the Emperoure, that the whole worlde shulde be taxed. 2And this taxynge was the first that was executed, whan Syrenius was leftenaunt in Siria. 3And they wente all, euery one to his owne cite to be taxed. 4Then Ioseph gat him vp also fro Galile, out of the cite of Nazareth, in to Iewry, to ye cite of Dauid, which is called Bethleem, (because he was of ye house and lynage of Dauid) 5that he might be taxed wt Mary his spoused wife, which was wt childe. 6And it fortuned whyle they were there, ye tyme was come, that she shulde be delyuered. 7And she brought forth hir first begotte sonne, & wrapped him in swadlinge clothes, and layed him in a maunger: for they had els no rowme in the ynne.

The Shepherds and the Angels

8And there were in ye same region shepherdes in the felde by the foldes, and watchinge their flocke by night. 9And beholde, ye angell of the LORDE stode by the, and ye brightnes of the LORDE shone rounde aboute them, and they were sore afrayed. 10And the angell sayde vnto them: Be not afrayed. Beholde, I brynge you tydiges of greate ioye, which shall happen vnto all people: 11for vnto you this daye is borne ye Sauioure, eue Christ ye LORDE, in the cite of Dauid. 12And take this for a token: Ye shal fynde the babe swadled, and layed in a maunger. 13And straight waye there was by the angell a multitude of heauenly hoostes, which praysed God, and sayde:

14Glory be vnto God an hye, & peace vpon earth, and vnto men a good wyll.

15And it fortuned wha the angels were gone from the in to heaue, the shepherdes sayde one to another: let vs go now euen vnto Bethleem, and se this thinge that is happened, which ye LORDE hath shewed vnto vs. 16And they came wt haist, & founde both Mary and Ioseph, & the babe layed in ye maunger. 17And whan they had sene it, they published abrode the sayenge, yt was tolde the of this childe. 18And all they that herde it, wondred at the wordes, which the shepherdes had tolde them. 19But Mary kepte all these sayenges, and pondred them in hir hert. 20And the shepherdes returned, praysinge and laudinge God, for all that they had herde and sene, euen as it was tolde them.

Jesus Presented at the Temple

21And whan eight dayes were ended, that the childe shulde be circumcysed, his name was called Iesus, which was named of ye angell, before he was conceaued in his mothers wombe.

22And wha the dayes of their purificacion after the lawe of Moses, were come, they brought him to Ierusale, that they might present him vnto the LORDE 23(As it is wrytten in the lawe of the LORDE: Euery machilde that first openeth the Matrix, shalbe called holy vnto ye LORDE) 24and that they might geue the offerynge, as it is wrytte in the lawe of the LORDE (namely) a payre of turtle doues, or two yonge pigeons.

The Prophecy of Simeon

25And beholde, there was a man (at Ierusale) whose name was Symeon, and the same ma was iust, and feared God, and loged for the consolacion of Israel, and the holy goost was in him. 26And an answere was geue him of the holy goost, that he shulde not se death, before he had sene ye LORDES Christ. 27And he came by inspiracion in to the teple.And whan the elders brought the childe Iesus in to the temple, to do for him after ye custome of the lawe, 28then toke he him vp in his armes, and praysed God, and sayde:

29LORDE, now lettest thou thy seruaut departe in peace, acordinge to thy promesse.

30For myne eyes haue sene thy Sauioure,

31who thou hast prepared before all people.

32A light for the lightenynge of the Heythe, & for the prayse of yi people of Israel.

33And his father and mother marueyled at the thinges that were spoke of him. 34And Symeon blessed them, and sayde vnto Mary his mother: Beholde, this (childe) shalbe set to a fall, and to an vprysinge agayne of many in Israel, and for a token, which shalbe spoke agaynst. 35And the swerde shal pearse thy soule, that the thoughtes of many hertes maye be opened.

The Prophecy of Anna

36And there was a prophetisse, one Anna, the doughter of Phanuel of the trybe of Aser, which was of a greate age, and had lyued seuen yeares with hir hussbade from hir virginite, 37& had now bene a wedowe aboute foure score & foure yeares, which came neuer fro the teple, seruynge God wt fastynge and prayenge, daye and night: 38the same came forth also the same houre, and praysed the LORDE, and spake of him vnto all that loked for the redempcion at Ierusalem.

The Return to Nazareth
(Matthew 2:19–23)

39And whan they had perfourmed all acordinge to the lawe of the LORDE, thy returned i to Galile, to their owne cite Nazareth. 40And the childe grewe, and wexed stronge in sprete, full of wyssdome, & the grace of God was with him.

The Boy Jesus at the Temple

41And his elders wente to Ierusalem euery yeare at the feast of Easter. 42And whan he was twolue yeare olde, they wente vp to Ierusalem, after the custome of the feast. 43And whan they had fulfilled the dayes, and were gone home agayne, the childe Iesus abode styll at Ierusalem.And his elders knewe it not, 44but thought he had bene in the company, and they came a dayes iourney, and sought hi amoge their kynss folkes & acquataunce. 45And wha they founde him not, they wete agayne to Ierusale, and sought him. 46And it fortuned after thre dayes, yt they founde him in the temple, syttinge amonge the teachers, hearynge the, and opposynge them. 47And all they that herde him, wodred at his vnderstondynge and answeres. 48And whan they sawe him, they were astonnyed. And his mother sayde vnto him: My sonne, why hast thou done this vnto vs? Beholde, thy father and I haue sought the sorowynge. 49And he sayde vnto them: What is it, that ye haue sought me? Wyst ye not, yt I must go aboute my fathers busynes? 50And they vnderstode not the sayenge yt he spake vnto them. 51And he wente downe with the, and came to Nazareth, and was obediet vnto them. And his mother kepte all these wordes in hir hert.

52And Iesus increased in wyssdome, age and fauoure with God and men.


Coverdale Bible of 1535

Section Headings Courtesy Berean Bible

Luke 1
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