Luke · Chapter 2

[ edit] Forſoþe it was don in þo dayes, a maundement went out fro Ceſar Auguſt, or noble, þat al þe world ſchulde be diſcryued. Þis firſte diſcryuyng was maad of Cyryne, iuſtice of Cirye. And alle men wenten, þat þei ſchulde make profeſcioun, or knowleching, ech by him ſelf in to his cite. Soþly and Joſep ſtiȝede vp fro Galilee, of þe cite of Nazareþ, in to Jude, in to a cite of Dauiþ, þat is clepid Bedleem, for þat he was of þe hous and meyne of Dauiþ, þat he ſchulde knowleche wiþ Marie, wiþ child ſpouſid wyf to him. Soþli it was don, whanne þei weren þere, þe dayes weren fulfillid, þat ſhe ſchulde bere child.

And ſche childide her firſte born ſone, and wlappide him in cloþis, and puttide him in a cracche, for þer was not place to hym in þe comyn ſtable. And ſchepherdis weren in þe ſame cuntre, wakinge and kepinge þe watchis of þe nyȝt on her flok. And loo! þe aungel of þe Lord ſtood by ſydis hem, and þe clereneſſe of God ſchynede aboute hem; and þei dredden wiþ greet drede. And þe aungel ſeide to hem, Nyle ȝe drede; lo! ſoþli I euangeliſe to ȝou a grete ioye, þat ſchal be to al peple. For a ſauyour is borun to day to vs, þat is Criſt þe Lord, in þe cite of Dauiþ. And þis a tokene to ȝou; ȝe ſchulen fynde a ȝong child wlappid in cloþis, and put in a cracche.

And ſudenly þer is maad wiþ þe aungel a multitude of heuenly knyȝþod, heriynge God, and ſeyinge, Glorie be in þe hiȝeſte þingis to God, and in erþe pees be to men of good wille. And it was don, þat whanne þe aungelis paſſiden a wey fro hem in to heuene, þe ſchepherdis ſpaken to gidere, ſeiynge, Paſſe we ouer til to Bedleem, and ſe we þis word þat is maad, þe whiche þe Lorde maad, and ſchewid to vs. And þei hyȝinge camen, and founden Marie and Joſeph, and a ȝong child put in a cracche. Soþli þei ſeinge, knewen of þe word þat was ſeid to hem of þis child. And alle men þat hadden herd wondriden, and of þes þingis þat weren ſeide to hem of þe ſchepherdis.

Forſoþ Marie kepte alle þes wordis, beringe to gidere in hir herte. And þe ſchepherdis turneden aȝen, glorifiynge and heriynge God in alle þingis þat þei hadden herd and ſeyn, as it is ſeyd to hem. And aftir þat eiȝte dayes weren endid, þat þe child ſchulde be circumſidid, his name was clepid Jheſus, which was clepid of þe aungel, bifore he was conſeyued in wombe.

And aftir þat þe dayes of purgacioun of Marie weren fulfild, vp Moyſes lawe, þei token him in to Jeruſalem, þat þei ſchulden offre him to þe Lord, as it is writun in þe lawe of þe Lord, For ech male kynde openynge þe wombe to go out, ſchal be clepid hooly to þe Lord; and þat þei ſchulen ȝyue an offrynge, vp þat it is ſeid in þe lawe of þe Lord, A peyre of turtris, or twey culuere briddis. And lo! a man was in Jeruſalem, to whom þe name Symeon; and þis man was iuſt and dredful, abidinge þe comfort of Iſrael; and þe Hooly Goſt was in him. And he hadde taken anſwere of þe Hooly Goſt, þat he ſchal not ſe deeþ, no but he ſaiȝ firſt þe Criſt of þe Lord. And he cam in ſpirit in to þe temple.

And whenne his fadir and modir ledden in þe child Jheſu, þat þei ſchulden do vp þe cuſtom of lawe for him, and he took him in to his armes, and he bleſſide God, and ſeide, Lord, now þou leeuyſt þi ſeruaunt vp þi word in pees; for myn yȝen han ſeyn þin helþe, þe which þou haſt maad redy bifore þe face of alle peplis; liȝt to þe ſchewing of heþene, and glorie of þi peple of Iſrael. And his fadir and his modir weren wondringe on þes þingis, þat weren ſeid of him. And Symeon bleſſide hem, and ſeide to Marie, his modir, Lo! þis is put in to þe fallinge and in to þe ryſinge aȝen of many men in Iſrael, and in to a tokene, to whom it ſchal be aȝeinſeid.

And a ſwerd ſchal paſſe þorw þin owne ſoule, þat þouȝtis be ſchewid of manye hertis. And Anna was a prophetiſſe, þe douȝtir of Fanuel, of þe lynage of Aſer. And ſche hadde gon forþ in many dayes, and hadde lyued wiþ hir hoſebonde ſeuen ȝeer fro hir maydenhed. And þis was a widowe til to foure ſcore ȝeer and foure; which departide not fro þe temple, ſeruynge nyȝt and day to faſtingis and biſechingis. And þis in þilke our aboue comynge, knowlechide to þe Lord, and ſpak of him to alle þat abiden þe redempcioun of Iſrael. And as þei hadden perfytli doon alle þingis, by þe lawe of þe Lord, þei turnyden aȝen in to Galilee, in to her citee Nazareþ.

Soþli þe child wax, and was coumfortid, ful of wyſdom; and þe grace of God was in him. And his fadir and modir wenten by alle ȝeeris in to Jeruſalem, in þe ſolempne day of paſke. And whanne Jheſus was maad of twelue ȝeeris, hem ſtiȝynge vp in to Jeruſalem, by cuſtom of þe feeſte day, and þe dayes endid, whanne þei turneden aȝen, þe child dwelte in Jeruſalem, and his fadir and modir knewen not. Forſoþe þei geſſinge him to be in þe felowſchipe, camen þe wey of a day, and ſouȝten him a mong his coſyns and knowen. And þei not fyndinge, wenten aȝen in to Jeruſalem, ſekynge him.

And it was don, aftir þe þridde day þei founden him in þe temple, ſittinge in þe myddil of doctours, heeringe hem and axinge hem. Soþli alle men þat herden him, wondriden on þe prudence and anſweris of him. And þei ſeynge wondriden. And his modir ſeide to him, Sone, what haſt þou don to vs þus? Lo! þi fadir and I ſorwynge han ſouȝt þee. And he ſeiþ to hem, What is it þat ȝe ſouȝten me? wiſten ȝe not, for in þo þingis þat ben of my fadir, it bihoueþ me to be? And þei vndirſtoden not þe word, which he ſpak to hem. And he cam doun wiþ hem, and cam to Nazareþ, and was ſuget to hem. And his modir kepte to gidere alle þes wordis, beringe to gidere in hir herte.

And Jheſu profitide in wyſdom, age, and grace, anemptis God and men.