Mary’s Song of Praise: The Magnificat
46 And Mary said,
m“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me nblessed;
49 for he who is mighty has odone great things for me,
and pholy is his name.
50 And his qmercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has rscattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has sfilled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has thelped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
uto Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
The Birth of Jesus Christ
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when1 Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his rbetrothed,2 who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.3
