A   And it chaunced in those dayes: that ther went oute a commaundem&ebar;t from Augustus the Emperour, þt; all the world shulde be taxed. And thys taxinge was the fyrst, ∧ executed when Syrenius was leftenaunt in Syria. And euery man went vnto his awne cytie to be taxed. And Ioseph also ascended fr&obar; Galile, out of a cytie called Nazareth, into Iewry: vnto ^note the cytie of Dauid, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lynage of Dauid, to be taxed with Mary his spoused wyfe, which was with childe.

And it fortuned that while they were there, her tyme was come that she shulde be deliuered. And she broughte forth her &rhand; fyrst begotten sonne, B   ∧ wrapped him in swadlinge clothes, and layde him in a maunger, because ther was no rowme for th&ebar; in the ynne.

And ther were in the same region shepherdes, watchynge and kepinge their flocke by night. And lo, the angell of the Lorde stode harde by them, and the brightnes of the Lorde shone rounde aboute th&ebar;, ∧ they were sore afrayed. And the angell sayde vnto th&ebar;: Be not afrayed. For beholde, I bringe you tydinges of greate ioye, that shall come to all people: for vnto you is borne this daye in the cytie of Dauid, a saueoure which is Christ þe; Lord. And take this for a sygne: ye shall fynde the childe wrapped in swadlinge clothes, ∧ layed in a m&abar;ger. And streyght waye ther was with the angel a multitude of heauenly sowdyers, praysing God: ∧ sayinge: Glory to God on hye, and peace on the erth, ∧ vnto men &rhand; a good wyll. &cross3;

C   And it fortuned, as sone as þe; angels were gone awaye from them into heau&ebar;, &cross2; The shepherdes sayde one to another: let vs go now eu&ebar; vnto Bethlehem, and se this thing that we heare saye is happened, which the Lorde hath shewed vnto vs. And they came &wt; hast, ∧ founde Mary &abar;d Ioseph ∧ the babe layde in a manger. And when they had sene it, they publisshed a brode the sayinge, which was tolde them of that chylde. And all they that hearde it, wondred at those thynges which were tolde th&ebar; of the shepherdes. But Mary kepte all those saienges, and pondered them in her hert. And the shepherdes retourned, praysynge and laudinge God for all the thinges that they had herde and sene, eu&ebar; as it was tolde vnto them. &cross3;

&cross2; And wh&ebar; the eyght daye was come þt; the childe shulde be ^note circuncised ^note his name was called Iesus ^note which was named of þe; Angell, before he was c&obar;ceaued &ibar; þe; w&obar;be. &cross3;

D   &cross2; And when the tyme of their purificaci&obar; ^note (after the lawe of Moses) was come, they ^note brought him to Hierusalem, to present him to the Lorde (as it is wrytten in the lawe of the Lorde ^note euery man chylde that fyrst openeth þe; matrix, shalbe called holy to þe; Lord) and to offer (as it is sayde in the lawe of the Lorde) a payre of turtle doues, or two yonge pigions. And beholde, ther was a man in

Hierusalem whose name was Sime&obar;. And the same man was iuste ∧ godly, ∧ loked for the consolacion of Israel, and the holy goost was in him. And an answer had he receaued of the holy goost þt; he shulde not se deeth, excepte he fyrst sawe the Lordes Christ. And he came by inspiracion into the temple.

And when the father ∧ mother brought in the chylde Iesus: to do for him after þe; custome of the ^note lawe, then toke he him vp in his armes, ∧ sayd: Lorde, &rhand; now lettest þu; thy seruaunt departe in peace, accordynge to thy promes. For myne eyes haue sene &rhand; þe; saluacion: which thou hast prepared before the face of all people ^note A lyght to lighten þe; gentyls, ∧ the glory of thy people Israel. &cross3;

&cross2; And his father ∧ mother: meruylled at those thinges, whych were spoken of hym. And Simeon blessed them, and sayde vnto Mary his mother: beholde, this chyld is sett to be þe; fall and vprising agayne of many in Israel, ∧ for a sygne which is spok&ebar; agaynst. And moreouer, &rhand; the swearde shall pearce thy soule &rhand; that the thoughtes of manyhertes maye be opened.

F   And ther was a Prophetisse, one Anna, þe; daughter of Phanuel of the trybe of Aser: which was of a greate age, ∧ had lyued with an husbande .vij. yeres from her virginite. And she had bene a wedowe aboute .iiij. scoore ∧ .iiij. yere, which departed not from the temple, but serued God with fastinges and prayers nyght ∧ daye. And she came forth þt; same houre, and praysed the Lorde, ∧ spake of him, to all th&ebar; that loked for redempcyon in Hierusalem.

And whan they had perfourmed all thinges accordyng to the lawe of the Lorde, they returned into Galile, to their awne citie Nazareth. And ^note the chylde grewe, and wexed stronge in sprete, ∧ was fylled with wysdome, ∧ the grace of God was vpon him. &cross3;

And his father ∧ mother went to Hierusalem euery yere ^note at the feaste of easter. &cross2; And when he was .xij. yere olde, they went vp to Hierusalem after the custome of the feast daye. And when they had fulfylled the dayes: as they returned home, the chylde Iesus a bode styll in Ierusalem, G   ∧ hys father ∧ mother knewe not of it: but they supposyng him to haue bene in the c&obar;pany, came a dayes iorney ∧ sought him amonge their kynsfolke ∧ acquayntaunce. And when they founde him not, they went backe agayne to Hierusalem, and sought him. And it fortuned that after .iij. dayes, they founde him in the t&ebar;ple, syttynge in the middes of the doctours, hearyng them, ∧ posynge them ^note And all that hearde him, were astonnyed at his vnderst&obar;ding ∧ answers.

And when they sawe him, they marueyled. And his mother sayde vnto him: sonne, why hast thou thus dealt with vs? Beholde, thy father ∧ I haue sought the, sorow&ebar;ge. And he sayde vnto th&ebar;: how is it þt; ye sought me? Wist ye not, that I must goo aboute my fathers busynes? And ^note they vnderstode not that sayinge which he spake vnto them. And he w&ebar;t downe &wt; them, ∧ came to Nazareth, ∧ was obedient vnto them. But his mother kept all these sayenges together in her hert. And Iesus prospered in wysdome ∧ age, and in fauoure, with God ∧ men. &cross3;

Previous section

Next section