In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph and Mary also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David.

And there were shepards living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. An Angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were afraid. But the Angel said unto them "Be not afraid, for I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of Bethlehem a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, laying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the Angel, prasising God and saying:

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace goodwill to all men."

When the Angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this Child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard andseen, which were just as they had been told.

Continued

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