the Fourth Week of Advent
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Myles Coverdale Bible
Luke 2
1 It fortuned at the same tyme, that there wete out a comaundement fro Augustus the Emperoure, that the whole worlde shulde be taxed.2 And this taxynge was the first that was executed, whan Syrenius was leftenaunt in Siria.3 And they wente all, euery one to his owne cite to be taxed.4 Then 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)5 that he might be taxed wt Mary his spoused wife, which was wt childe.6 And it fortuned whyle they were there, ye tyme was come, that she shulde be delyuered.7 And 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.
8 And there were in ye same region shepherdes in the felde by the foldes, and watchinge their flocke by night.9 And beholde, ye angell of the LORDE stode by the, and ye brightnes of the LORDE shone rounde aboute them, and they were sore afrayed.10 And the angell sayde vnto them: Be not afrayed. Beholde, I brynge you tydiges of greate ioye, which shall happen vnto all people:11 for vnto you this daye is borne ye Sauioure, eue Christ ye LORDE, in the cite of Dauid.12 And take this for a token: Ye shal fynde the babe swadled, and layed in a maunger.13 And straight waye there was by the angell a multitude of heauenly hoostes, which praysed God, and sayde:14 Glory be vnto God an hye, & peace vpon earth, and vnto men a good wyll.15 And 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.16 And they came wt haist, & founde both Mary and Ioseph, & the babe layed in ye maunger.17 And whan they had sene it, they published abrode the sayenge, yt was tolde the of this childe.18 And all they that herde it, wondred at the wordes, which the shepherdes had tolde them.19 But Mary kepte all these sayenges, and pondred them in hir hert.20 And the shepherdes returned, praysinge and laudinge God, for all that they had herde and sene, euen as it was tolde them.
21 And 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.22 And 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 LORDE23 (As it is wrytten in the lawe of the LORDE: Euery machilde that first openeth the Matrix, shalbe called holy vnto ye LORDE)24 and 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.
25 And 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.26 And an answere was geue him of the holy goost, that he shulde not se death, before he had sene ye LORDES Christ.27 And 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,28 then toke he him vp in his armes, and praysed God, and sayde:29 LORDE, now lettest thou thy seruaut departe in peace, acordinge to thy promesse.30 For myne eyes haue sene thy Sauioure,31 who thou hast prepared before all people.32 A light for the lightenynge of the Heythe, & for the prayse of yi people of Israel.33 And his father and mother marueyled at the thinges that were spoke of him.34 And 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.35 And the swerde shal pearse thy soule, that the thoughtes of many hertes maye be opened.36 And 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:38 the same came forth also the same houre, and praysed the LORDE, and spake of him vnto all that loked for the redempcion at Ierusalem.39 And whan they had perfourmed all acordinge to the lawe of the LORDE, thy returned i to Galile, to their owne cite Nazareth.40 And the childe grewe, and wexed stronge in sprete, full of wyssdome, & the grace of God was with him.
41 And his elders wente to Ierusalem euery yeare at the feast of Easter.42 And whan he was twolue yeare olde, they wente vp to Ierusalem, after the custome of the feast.43 And whan they had fulfilled the dayes, and were gone home agayne, the childe Iesus abode styll at Ierusalem.And his elders knewe it not,44 but thought he had bene in the company, and they came a dayes iourney, and sought hi amoge their kynss folkes & acquataunce.45 And wha they founde him not, they wete agayne to Ierusale, and sought him.46 And it fortuned after thre dayes, yt they founde him in the temple, syttinge amonge the teachers, hearynge the, and opposynge them.47 And all they that herde him, wodred at his vnderstondynge and answeres.48 And 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.49 And he sayde vnto them: What is it, that ye haue sought me? Wyst ye not, yt I must go aboute my fathers busynes?50 And they vnderstode not the sayenge yt he spake vnto them.51 And he wente downe with the, and came to Nazareth, and was obediet vnto them. And his mother kepte all these wordes in hir hert.52 And Iesus increased in wyssdome, age and fauoure with God and men.