Christmas Story Paraphrase

In those days, a ruling went out from the emperor named Caesar Augustus, that all people should have their names recorded for a census. This was the first time it happened while a man named Quirinius was the Governor of Syria. And each person had to go to his own hometown. So Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David — a little village called Bethlehem, because those were his people in the family of David. And he went to be recorded with Mary, who he was arranged to be married to, and who was expecting to have a baby. While they were there, it became time for her to have her baby. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloth and she laid him in the manger — the area for the animals — because there was no space in the room.

Around that place, there were poor shepherds living in the fields, who had to watch over the sheep at night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were scared. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for look — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in swaddling cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly, with the angel, there was a giant crowd of heavenly servants who were praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.”

And so it was that as the angels had gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem, to see this thing that has happened, which God has told us about.”

So they hurried and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. And when they had seen with their own eyes this thing they had been told about, they told others about the baby Jesus. And everyone who heard what the shepherds told them were amazed. But Mary, treasured all these things and wondered about them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told to them.