by Sarah Ruden
“All my being exalts the lord,
47 And my life-breath has delighted in god my rescuer,
48 For he’s looked on his slave’s lowliness.
So look, from now on, all generations will call me happy,
49 Because the one with power has done great things for me;
And his name is holy;
50 And his mercy lasts from generation to generation
Of those who hold him in awe.
51 He’s shown strength with his arm.
He’s scattered those with an arrogant spirit in their hearts.
52 He’s taken the rulers down from their thrones,
And lifted up the lowly.
53 He’s filled the hungry with good things
And sent the rich away empty.
54 He’s come to the aid of Israēl his servant,
Keeping mercy in his mind,
55 Just as he promised to our fathers,
To Abraam and his seed for an endless age.”*15
56 And Mariam stayed with her about three months, then returned to her own home.
57 But for Elisabet the time was ripe for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son. 58 And those who lived around her and her relatives heard that for her the lord had exalted his mercy, and they shared her joy. 59 And it came about that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him by his father’s name Zacharias.*16 60 But the child’s mother answered back, saying, “No, certainly not: he will be called Iōannēs.”*17 61 And they said to her, “But there’s no one in your family who’s called by that name.” 62 And they kept signaling to the child’s father to let them know what he wanted the child called. 63 And he had them give him a tablet, and he wrote these words: “Iōannēs is his name.” And they were all amazed. 64 And his mouth was opened then and there and his tongue freed, and he spoke, blessing god. 65 And awe came over all of those who lived around them, and in the whole of the hill country of Ioudaia talk of all of these things spread around. 66 And everyone who heard stored it in their hearts, saying, “So what will this child turn out to be? Certainly the hand of the lord was with him.”
67 And Zacharias his father was filled with the holy life-breath and prophesied, saying,
68 “Blessed is the lord the god of Israēl,
Because he looked on his people and made good their ransom,*18
69 And he has tossed up his horn that is our rescue*19
In the house of his servant David,
70 As he spoke to us through the mouths of his holy prophets in ages past
71 About rescue from our enemies and from the hands of all who hate us,
72 To show mercy to our fathers
And to be mindful of his holy dispensation,
73 The oath he swore to Abraam our father,*20
To let us, 74 once we were rescued from the hands of our enemies,
Serve him without fear, 75 in piety and lawfulness
Before his eyes throughout our days.
76 But you, child, will be called the prophet of the highest one;
Since you will go ahead of the lord, to prepare his pathways,
77 To give knowledge of rescue to his people
By pardon from their offenses
78 Through mercy from god’s inmost self,
Causing dawn to look on us from the heights,
79 To shine on those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death,
And to guide our feet the right way, on the path of peace.”*21
80 And the child grew and gained strength in the life-breath, and was in the wilderness until the day of his presentation to Israēl.*22
Chapter 2
1 It happened in those days that a decree came out from Kaisar Augoustos*23 that the entire inhabited world must be registered. 2 This registration first happened when Kurēnios was governor of Suria.*24 3 And everyone traveled to be registered, each one to his own town. 4 And Iōsēf too went up from Galilaia, from the town of Nazareth, to Ioudaia and the town of David that is called Bēthle’em—because he was from the house and lineage of David— 5 to be registered, along with Mariam, who was betrothed to him, and who was pregnant.*25 6 And it happened that while they were there, the days reached their full sum for her to give birth, 7 and she gave birth to a son, her firstborn, and she wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him down in a feeding trough, because there was no other place for them where they were staying.*26
8 And there were shepherds in that district, camping out in the field, on guard to safeguard their flock throughout the night. 9 Now a messenger from the lord stood before them, and the lord’s glory shone all around them, and they were fearful on a fearsome scale.*27 10 And the messenger said to them, “Don’t be afraid, since, look, I’m bringing you good news, of a great joy that will be shared with the whole people: 11 today a rescuer has been born for you in the town of David, and he is the lord, the anointed one. 12 And here is the sign for you to recognize him: you’ll find the infant wrapped in cloth bands and lying in a feeding trough.” 13 And instantly there appeared, together with the messenger, a massive assembly of the sky’s army,*28 praising god and speaking these words:
14 “Glory is god’s in the highest places,
and on earth, among human beings,
peace is for those who have found favor with him.”
15 And it happened that, when the messengers had gone away from them into the sky, the shepherds said to each other, “We have to go across to Bēthle’em and see this thing that’s happened, which the lord has revealed to us.” 16 And they went in a hurry and searched, and found Mariam and Iōsēf, and the infant lying in the feeding trough. 17 And once they’d seen, they revealed what had been said to them about this child. 18 And everyone who heard was amazed at the things the shepherds told them. 19 And Mariam kept all these things safe in her memory, considering in her heart what they might mean. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising god for all they had heard and seen, in just the way it had been told to them.
21 And when the eight days before his circumcision were completed, he was called by the name Iēsous, as he was called by the messenger before he was conceived in the womb.
22 And when the days were completed before their purification according to the law of Mōüsēs, they took him up to Hierosoluma to dedicate him to the lord, 23 as it has been written in the lord’s law: “Every male offspring that opens the womb of its mother for the first time will be designated as set aside for the lord”; 24 and a sacrifice must be offered, as it’s stated in the lord’s law: “a pair of turtledoves or two pigeon chicks.”*29
25 And look, there was a man in Ierousalēm by the name of Sumeōn, and he was a lawful and reverent man, awaiting the consolation of Israēl, and the holy life-breath was with him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the holy life-breath that he would not see death before he saw the lord’s anointed one. 27 And under the guidance of the life-breath he came into the temple precinct. When the parents brought the child in to carry out for it what was customary according to the law, 28 Sumeōn took the child in his arms and blessed god and said,
29 “Now, master, you’re letting your slave go
In peace, according to your promise,
30 Since my eyes have seen the rescue you bring,
31 Which you have prepared before the eyes of all peoples,
32 As a light for revelation to other nations,
And glory for your people Israēl.”*30
33 And there were the child’s mother and father, astonished over the things said about the child. 34 And Sumeōn blessed them, and he said to Mariam the child’s mother, “Look, he is destined for the falling and the rising again of many in Israēl,
and for a sign that will be contradicted— 35 [but] a sword will pierce your own life, too—so that the motives in many hearts will be unveiled.”*31
36 And there was Anna, a prophetess, a daughter of Fanouēl, from the tribe of Asēr. She was advanced in age, with many days behind her; she had lived with her husband for seven years after being a young, unmarried girl, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple precinct but served there with fasts and entreaties all night and all day.*32 38 And at this moment she came near and gave thanks to god and spoke about the child to everyone awaiting the ransoming of Ierousalēm.
39 Then when they had completed everything according to the lord’s law, they returned to Galilaia and their own town, Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was full of understanding, and the favor of god was on him.
41 And every year his parents traveled to Ierousalēm for the festival of the pascha. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the days of the festival were over, they turned back toward home, but the boy Iēsous stayed back in Ierousalēm, and his parents didn’t know. 44 Assuming he was in the group of travelers, they traveled for a day and then proceeded to search for him among their relatives and other people they knew.*33 45 And when they didn’t find him, they turned back to Ierousalēm to search for him. 46 And it transpired that after three days they found him in the temple precinct, sitting among the teachers and listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who listened was transported by his understanding and his responses. 48 But when his parents saw him, they were shattered. And his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us this way? Look, your father and I were searching for you frantically all this time.” 49 But he said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be busy with my father’s concerns?”*34 50 But they didn’t understand what he said to them. 51 And he came down with them and went to Nazareth and minded them, but his mother kept all these things safe in her heart. 52 And Iēsous advanced [in] understanding as he advanced [in] age, and [in] the favor he found in the eyes of god and humankind.
Chapter 3
1 And in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberias Kaisar, when Pontios Pilatos was governor of Ioudaia, and Hērōdēs was the client king of Galilaia, and Filippos his brother was client king of the region of Itouraia and Trachōnitis, and Lusanias was client king of Abilēnē, 2 and when Annas and Kaïafas were chief priests,*35 a call of the lord came to Iōannēs the son of Zacharias in the wasteland. 3 And he went through [the] whole region around the Iordanēs, proclaiming baptism for a new purpose and pardon from offenses,*36 4 as it’s been written in the book of Ēsaïas the prophet’s sayings:
“The voice of someone shouting in the wasteland:
‘Prepare the lord’s road,
Make his beaten paths straight.
5 Every ravine will be filled,
And every mountain and hillock will be lowered,
And crooked things will be made straight,
And the rough roads made into smooth ones,
6 And all mortal beings will see the rescue god brings.’ ”*37
7 So he said to the crowds who traveled out to be baptized by him, “You viper hatchlings! Who warned you to run from the anger that’s coming? 8 So produce harvests that are fit for people who’ve changed their purpose, and don’t start to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraam as our father.’ I tell you in fact that god can raise offspring for Abraam from these stones. 9 Already the ax is poised at the roots of the trees. So every tree that doesn’t produce a good harvest is going to be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 Then the crowds questioned him, saying, “So what should we do?” 11 And he answered by telling them, “Whoever has two tunics*38 needs to share with someone who doesn’t have any, and whoever has food should do the same.” 12 Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Don’t collect more than you were assigned to.”*39 14 And those on military service asked him, “And us—what should we do?” And he told them, “Don’t shake down anyone, or blackmail anyone with a threat of false charges, and be content with your pay.”*40
15 The people were looking toward the future, and they were all trying to work it out in their hearts about Iōannēs, as to whether he might possibly be the anointed one, 16 but Iōannēs responded to them all by saying, “I baptize you with water, but someone more powerful than me is coming; I’m not fit to untie a thong on his sandals.*41 He’ll baptize you with the holy life-breath, and with fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clean his threshing floor out thoroughly and gather the grain into his barn, and he’ll burn the chaff with a fire that can’t be put out.”
18 So then he was proclaiming the good news to the people, urging many other things besides these. 19 But Hērōdēs the client king, who was condemned by him because of Hērōdias his brother’s wife, and because of all the other crimes Hērōdēs had committed, 20 added this on top of everything: he locked Iōannēs away in prison.*42
21 But first it happened that when all the people had been baptized, and when Iēsous had been baptized and was praying, the sky opened, 22 and the holy life-breath came down to alight on him in a form with a body, appearing as a dove,*43 and a voice came from the sky: “You are my beloved son; I’ve taken delight in you.”*44
23 And for him, Iēsous was about thirty years old when he started, and he was the son, it was supposed, of Iōsēf, the son of Ēli, 24 the son of Maththat, the son of Leui, the son of Melchi, the son of Iannai, the son of Iōsēf, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amōs, the son of Naoum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semeïn, the son of Iōsēch, the son of Iōda, 27 the son of Iōanan, the son of Rēsa, the son of Zorobabel, the son of Salathiēl, the son of Nēri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Kōsam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Ēr, 29 the son of Iēsous, the son of Eliezer, the son of Iōrim, the son of Maththat, the son of Leui, 30 the son of Sumeōn, the son of Ioudas, the son of Iōsēf, the son of Iōnam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Natham, the son of David, 32 the son of Iessai, the son of Iōbēd, the son of Bo’os, the son of Sala, the son of Naassōn, 33 the son of Aminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hesrōm, the son of Fares, the son of Ioudas, 34 the son of Iakōb, the son of Isaak, the son of Abraam, the son of Thara, the son of Nachōr, 35 the son of Serouch, the son of Ragau, the son of Falek, the son of Eber, the son of Sala, 36 the son of Kaïnam, the son of Arfaxad, the son of Sēm, the son of Nōe, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Mathousala, the son of Enōch, the son of Iaret, the son of Maleleēl, the son of Kaïnam, 38 the son of Enōs, the son of Sēth, the son of Adam, the son of god.*45
Chapter 4
1 Then Iēsous, full of the holy life-breath, returned from the Iordanēs and was led by the life-breath to the wasteland, 2 and for forty days he was tested by the slanderer,*46 and he ate nothing at all during those days, and when they came to an end, he was starving. 3 Then the slanderer said to him, “If you’re god’s son, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4 But Iēsous gave him this answer: “It has been written: ‘A human being is not to live through bread alone.’ ”*47 5 Then he took him to a high place and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in an instant of time, 6 and the slanderer said to him, “I’ll give you all this power and their glory, because it’s been handed over to me, and I can give it to whoever I want. 7 So if you prostrate yourself in front of me, it will all be yours.” 8 But Iēsous answered by saying to him, “It’s been written: ‘You are to prostrate yourself to worship the lord your god and serve him alone in his rites.’ ”*48 9 Then he took him into Ierousalēm and stood him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you’re god’s son, throw yourself d
own from here. 10 It’s been written, you know, that
“ ‘He’ll assign your care to his messengers,
And they’ll guard you carefully,’
11 “And that
“ ‘In their arms they’ll lift you,
So that you don’t slam your foot against a stone.’ ”
12 But Iēsous told him in response, “It’s been said: ‘You are not to test the lord your god.’ ”*49 13 Then the slanderer, having done all he could with every test, left him until the right moment.
14 Then, in the power of the life-breath, Iēsous returned to Galilaia, and word of him went out to the whole surrounding region. 15 And he taught in their synagogues and was praised by everybody.
16 Then he came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and he went into the synagogue on the day of the sabbata, as he was used to doing, and he stood up to read out loud. 17 And he was given the scroll of the prophet Ēsaïas, and when he unrolled the scroll, he found the passage where it’s been written:
18 “The life-breath of the lord is on me,
Because he anointed me
To bring good news to the destitute;
He has sent me
To announce to captives their freedom
And to the blind the return of their sight,
To send the oppressed off in freedom,
19 To proclaim a welcome year of the lord.”*50
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, handed it off to the attendant, and sat down; and all the people in the synagogue had their eyes fixed on him. 21 And he spoke up to tell them, “Today this writing has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
22 And they all spoke approvingly of him, and they were greatly impressed by the words of goodwill that came out of his mouth, but they said, “Isn’t this Iōsēf’s son?” 23 But he said to them, “By all means, you’re going to quote me that saying: ‘Doctor, heal yourself! All the things we’ve heard were done in Kafarnaoum—do them here in your hometown too!’ ” 24 But he added, “Amēn I tell you that no prophet is welcome in his hometown. 25 In truth I tell you, there were plenty of widows in Israēl in the days of Ēlias, when the sky was locked up for three years and six months and there was a terrible famine in the whole land, 26 but Ēlias wasn’t sent to a single one of them, only to a widow woman at Sarepta in Sidōnia.*51 27 And there were plenty of lepers in Israēl at the time of Elisaios the prophet, but no one was cleansed of the disease but Naiman the Suros.”*52 28 But having heard that, everyone in the synagogue was filled with rage, 29 and they got to their feet and threw him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, to try to hurl him off a cliff. 30 But he went right through the middle of the crowd and continued on his way.