9. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord was shining around them. The shepherds were very afraid.
10. The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid. I have some very good news for you—news that will make everyone happy.
11. Today your Savior was born in David’s town. He is the Messiah, the Lord.
12. This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.”
13. Then a huge army of angels from heaven joined the first angel, and they were all praising God, saying,
14. “Praise God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace to the people who please him.”
15. The angels left the shepherds and went back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this great event the Lord has told us about.”
16. So they went running and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the feeding box.
17. When they saw the baby, they told what the angels said about this child.
18. Everyone was surprised when they heard what the shepherds told them.
19. Mary continued to think about these things, trying to understand them.
20. The shepherds went back to their sheep, praising God and thanking him for everything they had seen and heard. It was just as the angel had told them.
21. When the baby was eight days old, he was circumcised, and he was named Jesus. This name was given by the angel before the baby began to grow inside Mary.
22. The time came for Mary and Joseph to do the things the Law of Moses taught about being made pure. They brought Jesus to Jerusalem so that they could present him to the Lord.
23. It is written in the law of the Lord: “When a mother’s first baby is a boy, he shall be called ‘special for the Lord.’”
24. The law of the Lord also says that people must give a sacrifice: “You must sacrifice two doves or two young pigeons.” So Joseph and Mary went to Jerusalem to do this.
25. A man named Simeon lived in Jerusalem. He was a good man who was devoted to God. He was waiting for the time when God would come to help Israel. The Holy Spirit was with him.
26. The Holy Spirit told him that he would not die before he saw the Messiah from the Lord.