1 And in those days a decree went out from Augustus Caesar that all the world should be enrolled * 2 And this first enrollment took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria * 3 And all went to be enrolled, every one to his own city * 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house of David and of his lineage * to be enrolled with Mary his betrothed wife, who was with child * 5 And while they were there, her days were fulfilled that she should give birth * 6 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in the manger, because there was no place for them in the lodging * 7 And there were in that region shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping the watches of the night over their flock * 8 And behold, the angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they feared with a great fear * 9 And the angel said to them, Fear not; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all the people * 10 For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord * 11 And this shall be a sign unto you: you shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger * 12 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying * 13 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and good will toward men * 14 And when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherd men said one to another, Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us * 15 And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger * 16 And when they had seen him, they made known the word that had been spoken to them concerning this child * 17 And all who heard wondered at the things told them by the shepherds * 18 But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart * 19 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, as it had been told them *

* The Gospel of Luke *