Luke 2:1-7, The Christmas Story Part 1

     1 And it came to pass1 in those days, an official order2 went out from Caesar Augustus that all the Roman Empire3 should be registered4 for a census. 2 This was the first census that happened while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And everyone was traveling5 to be registered for the census; each to his own city. 4 Now Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, into the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was from the house and lineage6 of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him, while she was pregnant7 . 6 And it came to pass8 while they were there, the time came for her to give birth9. 7 And she gave birth to her first-born son, and she wrapped him in strips of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was not a place for them in the inn.  Luke 2:1-7

Introduction

It's that time of the year!  I thought it would be great to translate the Christmas story.  We will be taking Luke's account of it.  There will be two parts.  Enjoy!

1 Ἐγένετο δὲ (And it came to pass) 

Greek: “And it became”.

2 δόγμα (an official order) 

or “a decree”.

3 τὴν οἰκουμένην (Roman Empire) 

Greek: “the inhabited world”.

4 ἀπογράφεσθαι (should be registered) 

or “should be put on a list”.

5 ἐπορεύοντο πάντες (everyone was traveling) 

Greek: “everyone was going”.

6 πατριᾶς (lineage) 

or “family”.

7 οὔσῃ ἐγκύῳ (while she was pregnant)

or, “while being pregnant”. Since the whole clause is in the dative (τῇ ἐμνηστευμένῃ αὐτῷ, οὔσῃ ἐγκύῳ), this could mean that she was promised to Joseph while she was pregnant. So, the passage could be translated, “who was promised in marriage to him while being pregnant”. The comma would have to be removed in order to translate the passage like this, but bear in mind, there was no punctuation in the original writings.

8 See note 1

9 ἐπλήσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ τεκεῖν αὐτήν (the time came for her to give birth)

Greek: “the days of her giving birth completed”.

The Greek

Λουκᾶν 2·1 Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ἐξῆλθεν δόγμα παρὰ Καίσαρος Αὐγούστου ἀπογράφεσθαι πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην. 2 αὕτη ἀπογραφὴ πρώτη ἐγένετο ἡγεμονεύοντος τῆς Συρίας Κυρηνίου. 3 καὶ ἐπορεύοντο πάντες ἀπογράφεσθαι, ἕκαστος εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πόλιν. 4 Ἀνέβη δὲ καὶ Ἰωσὴφ ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ἐκ πόλεως Ναζαρὲθ εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν εἰς πόλιν Δαυὶδ ἥτις καλεῖται Βηθλέεμ, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἐξ οἴκου καὶ πατριᾶς Δαυίδ, 5 ἀπογράψασθαι σὺν Μαριὰμ τῇ ἐμνηστευμένῃ αὐτῷ, οὔσῃ ἐγκύῳ. 6 Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἐκεῖ ἐπλήσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ τεκεῖν αὐτήν, 7 καὶ ἔτεκεν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς τὸν πρωτότοκον, καὶ ἐσπαργάνωσεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἀνέκλινεν αὐτὸν ἐν φάτνῃ, διότι οὐκ ἦν αὐτοῖς τόπος ἐν τῷ καταλύματι.