Luke 2
1 And it was don in tho daies, a maundement wente out fro the emperour August, that al the world schulde be discryued.
About that time an edict was issued by the Emperor Augustus that a census should be taken of the whole Empire.
2 This firste discryuyng was maad of Cyryn, iustice of Sirie.
(This was the first census taken while Quirinius was Governor of Syria).
3 And alle men wenten to make professioun, ech in to his owne citee.
And every one went to his own town to be registered.
4 And Joseph wente vp fro Galilee, fro the citee Nazareth, in to Judee, in to a citee of Dauid, that is clepid Bethleem, for that he was of the hous and of the meyne of Dauid,
Among others Joseph went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem, the town of David, in Judea — because he belonged to the family and house of David —
5 that he schulde knouleche with Marie, his wijf, that was weddid to hym, and was greet with child.
To be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was about to become a mother.
6 And it was don, while thei weren there, the daies weren fulfillid, that sche schulde bere child.
While they were there her time came,
7 And sche bare hir first borun sone, and wlappide hym in clothis, and leide hym in a cratche, for ther was no place to hym in no chaumbir.
and she gave birth to her first child, a son. And because there was no room for them in the inn, she swathed him round and laid him in a manger.
8 And scheepherdis weren in the same cuntre, wakynge and kepynge the watchis of the nyyt on her flok.
In that same country-side were shepherds out in the open fields, watching their flocks that night,
9 And lo! the aungel of the Lord stood bisidis hem, and the cleernesse of God schinede aboute hem; and thei dredden with greet drede.
when an angel of the Lord suddenly stood by them, and the Glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were seized with fear.
10 And the aungel seide to hem, Nyle ye drede; for lo! Y preche to you a greet ioye, that schal be to al puple.
“Have no fear,” the angel said. “For I bring you good news of a great joy in store for all the nation.
11 For a sauyoure is borun to dai to you, that is Crist the Lord, in the citee of Dauid.
This day there has been born to you, in the town of David, a Saviour, who is Christ and Lord.
12 And this is a tokene to you; ye schulen fynde a yong child wlappid in clothis, and leid in a cratche.
And this shall be the sign for you. You will find the infant swathed, and lying in a manger.”
13 And sudenli ther was maad with the aungel a multitude of heuenli knyythod, heriynge God,
Then suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly Host, praising God, and singing —
14 and seiynge, Glorie be in the hiyeste thingis to God, and in erthe pees be to men of good wille.
“Glory to God on high, And on earth peace among men in whom he finds pleasure.”
15 And it was don, as the `aungelis passiden awei fro hem in to heuene, the scheephirdis spaken togider, and seiden, Go we ouer to Bethleem, and se we this word that is maad, which the Lord hath `maad, and schewide to vs.
Now, when the angels had left them and gone back to Heaven, the shepherds said to one another: “Let us go at once to Bethlehem, and see this thing that has happened, of which the Lord has told us.”
16 And thei hiyynge camen, and founden Marie and Joseph, and the yong child leid in a cratche.
So they went quickly, and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in a manger;
17 And thei seynge, knewen of the word that was seid to hem of this child.
and, when they saw it, they told of all that had been said to them about this child.
18 And alle men that herden wondriden, and of these thingis that weren seid to hem of the scheephirdis.
All who heard the shepherds were astonished at their story,
19 But Marie kepte alle these wordis, berynge togider in hir herte.
while Mary treasured up all that they said, and dwelt upon it in her thoughts.
20 And the scheepherdis turneden ayen, glorifyinge and heriynge God in alle thingis that thei hadden herd and seyn, as it was seid to hem.
And the shepherds went back, giving glory and praise to God for all that they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
21 And aftir that the eiyte daies weren endid, that the child schulde be circumcided, his name was clepid Jhesus, which was clepid of the aungel, bifor that he was conceyued in the wombe.
Eight days after the birth of the child, when it was time to circumcise him, he received the name Jesus — the name given him by the angel before his conception.
22 And aftir that the daies of the purgacioun of Marie weren fulfillid, aftir Moyses lawe, thei token hym into Jerusalem, to offre hym to the Lord, as it is writun in the lawe of the Lord,
When the period of purification of mother and child, enjoined by the Law of Moses, came to an end, his parents took the child up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord,
23 For euery male kynde openynge the wombe, schal be clepid holi to the Lord; and that thei schulen yyue an offryng,
in compliance with the Law of the Lord that ‘every first-born male shall be dedicated to the Lord,’
24 aftir that it is seid in the lawe of the Lord, A peire of turturis, or twei culuer briddis.
And also to offer the sacrifice enjoined in the Law of the Lord — ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’
25 And lo! a man was in Jerusalem, whos name was Symeon; and this man was iust and vertuous, and aboode the coumfort of Israel; and the Hooli Goost was in hym.
There was at that time in Jerusalem a man named Simeon, a righteous and devout man, who lived in constant expectation of the Consolation of Israel, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
26 And he hadde takun an answere of the Hooli Goost, that he schulde not se deeth, but he sawy first the Crist of the Lord.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
27 And he cam in spirit into the temple. And whanne his fadir and modir ledden the child Jhesu to do aftir the custom of the lawe for hym,
Moved by the Spirit, Simeon came into the Temple Courts, and, when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the Law,
28 he took hym in to hise armes, and he blesside God,
Simeon himself took the child in his arms, and blessed God, and said:
29 and seide, Lord, now thou leuyst thi seruaunt aftir thi word in pees;
“Now, Lord, thou wilt let thy servant go, According to thy word, in peace,
30 for myn iyen han seyn thin helthe,
for my eyes have seen the Salvation
31 which thou hast maad redi bifor the face of alle puplis;
Which thou hast prepared in the sight of all nations —
32 liyt to the schewyng of hethene men, and glorie of thi puple Israel.
A Light to bring light to the Gentiles, And to be the Glory of thy people Israel.”
33 And his fadir and his modir weren wondrynge on these thingis, that weren seid of hym.
While the child’s father and mother were wondering at what was said about him,
34 And Symeon blesside hem, and seide to Marie, his modir, Lo! this is set in to the fallyng doun and in to the risyng ayen of many men in Israel, and in to a tokene, to whom it schal be ayenseid.
Simeon gave them his blessing, and said to Mary, the child’s mother: “This child is appointed to be the cause of the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign much spoken against —
35 And a swerd schal passe thorou thin owne soule, that the thouytis ben schewid of many hertis.
Yes, the sword will pierce your own heart — and so the thoughts in many minds will be disclosed.”
36 And Anna was a prophetesse, the douytir of Fanuel, of the lynage of Aser. And sche hadde goon forth in many daies, and hadde lyued with hir hosebonde seuene yeer fro hir maydynhode.
There was also a Prophetess named Hannah, a daughter of Phanuel and of the tribe of Asher. She was far advanced in years, having lived with her husband for seven years after marriage,
37 And this was a widewe to foure scoor yeer and foure; and sche departide not fro the temple, but seruyde to God nyyt and dai in fastyngis and preieris.
and then a widow, till she had reached the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple Courts, but, fasting and praying, worshiped God night and day.
38 And this cam vpon hem in thilk our, and knoulechide to the Lord, and spak of hym to alle that abiden the redempcioun of Israel.
At that moment she came up, and began publicly to thank God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the deliverance of Jerusalem.
39 And as thei hadden ful don alle thingis, aftir the lawe of the Lord, thei turneden ayen in to Galilee, in to her citee Nazareth.
When the child’s parents had done everything enjoined by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.
40 And the child wexe, and was coumfortid, ful of wisdom; and the grace of God was in hym.
The child grew and became strong and wise, and the blessing of God was upon him.
41 And his fadir and modir wenten ech yeer in to Jerusalem, in the solempne dai of pask.
Every year the child’s parents used to go to Jerusalem at the Passover Festival.
42 And whanne Jhesus was twelue yeer oold, thei wenten vp to Jerusalem, aftir the custom of the feeste dai.
When Jesus was twelve years old, they went according to custom to Jerusalem,
43 And whanne the daies weren don, thei turneden ayen; and the child abood in Jerusalem, and his fadir and modir knewen it not.
and had finished their visit; but, when they started to return, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, without their knowing it.
44 For thei gessynge that he hadde be in the felowschip, camen a daies iourney, and souyten hym among hise cosyns and hise knouleche.
Thinking that he was with their fellow-travellers, they went one day’s journey before searching for him among their relations and acquaintances;
45 And whanne thei founden hym not, thei turneden ayen in to Jerusalem, and souyten hym.
and then, as they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching everywhere for him.
46 And it bifelle, that aftir the thridde dai thei founden hym in the temple, sittynge in the myddil of the doctours, herynge hem and axynge hem.
It was not till the third day that they found him in the Temple Courts, sitting among the Teachers, now listening to them, now asking them questions.
47 And alle men that herden hym, wondriden on the prudence and the answeris of hym.
All who listened to him marvelled at his intelligence and his answers.
48 And thei seyn, and wondriden. And his modir seide to hym, Sone, what hast thou do to vs thus? Lo! thi fadir and Y sorewynge han souyte thee.
His parents were amazed when they saw him, and his mother said to him: “My child, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”
49 And he seide to hem, What is it that ye souyten me? wisten ye not that in tho thingis that ben of my fadir, it behoueth me to be?
“What made you search for me?” he answered. “Did not you know that I must be in my Father’s House?”
50 And thei vndurstoden not the word, which he spak to hem.
His parents did not understand what he meant.
51 And he cam doun with hem, and cam to Nazareth, and was suget to hem. And his moder kepte togidir alle these wordis, and bare hem in hir herte.
However he went down with them to Nazareth, and submitted himself to their control; and his mother treasured all that was said in her heart.
52 And Jhesus profitide in wisdom, age, and grace, anentis God and men.
And Jesus grew in wisdom as he grew in years, and ‘gained the blessing of God and men.’
