1 I n those days Caesar Augustus sent out word that the name of every person in the Roman nation must be written in the books of the nation.

Naqueles dias César Augusto publicou um decreto ordenando o recenseamento de todo o império romano.

2 T his first writing took place while Quirinius was ruler of Syria.

Este foi o primeiro recenseamento feito quando Quirino era governador da Síria.

3 S o all the people went to their own cities to have their names written in the books of the nation.

E todos iam para a sua cidade natal, a fim de alistar-se.

4 J oseph went up from the town of Nazareth in the country of Galilee to the town of Bethlehem. It was known as the city of David. He went there because he was from the family of David.

Assim, José também foi da cidade de Nazaré da Galiléia para a Judéia, para Belém, cidade de Davi, porque pertencia à casa e à linhagem de Davi.

5 J oseph went to have his and Mary’s names written in the books of the nation. Mary was his promised wife and soon to become a mother.

Ele foi a fim de alistar-se, com Maria, que lhe estava prometida em casamento e esperava um filho.

6 W hile they were there in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to give birth to her baby.

Enquanto estavam lá, chegou o tempo de nascer o bebê,

7 H er first son was born. She put cloth around Him and laid Him in a place where cattle are fed. There was no room for them in the place where people stay for the night. The Shepherds Learn of the Birth of Jesus

e ela deu à luz o seu primogênito. Envolveu-o em panos e o colocou numa manjedoura, porque não havia lugar para eles na hospedaria. Os Pastores e os Anjos

8 I n the same country there were shepherds in the fields. They were watching their flocks of sheep at night.

Havia pastores que estavam nos campos próximos e durante a noite tomavam conta dos seus rebanhos.

9 T he angel of the Lord came to them. The shining-greatness of the Lord shone around them. They were very much afraid.

E aconteceu que um anjo do Senhor apareceu-lhes e a glória do Senhor resplandeceu ao redor deles; e ficaram aterrorizados.

10 T he angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. See! I bring you good news of great joy which is for all people.

Mas o anjo lhes disse: “Não tenham medo. Estou lhes trazendo boas novas de grande alegria, que são para todo o povo:

11 T oday, One Who saves from the punishment of sin has been born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord.

Hoje, na cidade de Davi, lhes nasceu o Salvador, que é Cristo, o Senhor.

12 T here will be something special for you to see. This is the way you will know Him. You will find the Baby with cloth around Him, lying in a place where cattle are fed.”

Isto lhes servirá de sinal: encontrarão o bebê envolto em panos e deitado numa manjedoura”.

13 A t once many angels from heaven were seen, along with the angel, giving thanks to God. They were saying,

De repente, uma grande multidão do exército celestial apareceu com o anjo, louvando a Deus e dizendo:

14 “ Greatness and honor to our God in the highest heaven and peace on earth among men who please Him.” The Shepherds Go to Bethlehem

“Glória a Deus nas alturas, e paz na terra aos homens aos quais ele concede o seu favor”.

15 T he angels went from the shepherds back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see what has happened. The Lord has told us about this.”

Quando os anjos os deixaram e foram para os céus, os pastores disseram uns aos outros: “Vamos a Belém, e vejamos isso que aconteceu, e que o Senhor nos deu a conhecer”.

16 T hey went fast and found Mary and Joseph. They found the Baby lying in a place where cattle are fed.

Então correram para lá e encontraram Maria e José, e o bebê deitado na manjedoura.

17 W hen they saw the Child, they told what the angel said about Him.

Depois de o verem, contaram a todos o que lhes fora dito a respeito daquele menino,

18 A ll who heard it were surprised at what the shepherds told them.

e todos os que ouviram o que os pastores diziam ficaram admirados.

19 B ut Mary hid all these words in her heart. She thought about them much.

Maria, porém, guardava todas essas coisas e sobre elas refletia em seu coração.

20 T he shepherds went back full of joy. They thanked God for all they had heard and seen. It happened as the angel had told them. Jesus Taken to the House of God

Os pastores voltaram glorificando e louvando a Deus por tudo o que tinham visto e ouvido, como lhes fora dito. Jesus é Apresentado no Templo

21 W hen eight days were over, they did the religious act of becoming a Jew on the Child. He was named Jesus. This name was given to Him by the angel when Mary was told He was to be born.

Completando-se os oito dias para a circuncisão do menino, foi-lhe posto o nome de Jesus, o qual lhe tinha sido dado pelo anjo antes de ele nascer.

22 W hen the days were over for her to be made pure as it was written in the Law of Moses, they took Jesus to Jerusalem to give Him to the Lord.

Completando-se o tempo da purificação deles, de acordo com a Lei de Moisés, José e Maria o levaram a Jerusalém para apresentá-lo ao Senhor

23 I t is written in the Law of the Lord, “The first-born male born of a woman will be called holy to the Lord.”

(como está escrito na Lei do Senhor: “Todo primogênito do sexo masculino será consagrado ao Senhor”)

24 T hey were to give a gift of two turtle-doves or two young birds on the altar in worship to the Lord. This was written in the Law of the Lord. Simeon’s Song of Thanks

e para oferecer um sacrifício, de acordo com o que diz a Lei do Senhor: “duas rolinhas ou dois pombinhos”.

25 T here was a man in Jerusalem by the name of Simeon. He was a good man and very religious. He was looking for the time when the Jewish nation would be saved. The Holy Spirit was on him.

Havia em Jerusalém um homem chamado Simeão, que era justo e piedoso, e que esperava a consolação de Israel; e o Espírito Santo estava sobre ele.

26 T he Holy Spirit made it known to Simeon that he would not die before he had seen God’s Chosen One.

Fora-lhe revelado pelo Espírito Santo que ele não morreria antes de ver o Cristo do Senhor.

27 H e came to the house of God being led by the Holy Spirit. The parents took Jesus to the house of God. They came to do what the Law said must be done.

Movido pelo Espírito, ele foi ao templo. Quando os pais trouxeram o menino Jesus para lhe fazerem o que requeria o costume da Lei,

28 T hen Simeon took Jesus in his arms. He gave honor to Him and thanked God, saying,

Simeão o tomou nos braços e louvou a Deus, dizendo:

29 “ Lord, now let me die in peace, as You have said.

“Ó Soberano, como prometeste, agora podes despedir em paz o teu servo.

30 M y eyes have seen the One Who will save men from the punishment of their sins.

Pois os meus olhos já viram a tua salvação,

31 Y ou have made Him ready in the sight of all nations.

que preparaste à vista de todos os povos:

32 H e will be a light to shine on the people who are not Jews. He will be the shining-greatness of Your people the Jews.”

luz para revelação aos gentios e para a glória de Israel, teu povo”.

33 J oseph and the mother of Jesus were surprised and wondered about these words which were said about Jesus.

O pai e a mãe do menino estavam admirados com o que fora dito a respeito dele.

34 S imeon honored them and said to Mary the mother of Jesus, “See! This Child will make many people fall and many people rise in the Jewish nation. He will be spoken against.

E Simeão os abençoou e disse a Maria, mãe de Jesus: “Este menino está destinado a causar a queda e o soerguimento de muitos em Israel, e a ser um sinal de contradição,

35 A sword will cut through your soul. By this the thoughts of many hearts will be understood.” Anna Gives Thanks for Jesus

de modo que o pensamento de muitos corações será revelado. Quanto a você, uma espada atravessará a sua alma”.

36 A nna was a woman who spoke God’s Word. She was the daughter of Phanuel of the family group of Asher. Anna was many years old. She had lived with her husband seven years after she was married.

Estava ali a profetisa Ana, filha de Fanuel, da tribo de Aser. Era muito idosa; tinha vivido com seu marido sete anos depois de se casar

37 H er husband had died and she had lived without a husband eighty-four years. Yet she did not go away from the house of God. She served God day and night, praying and going without food so she could pray better.

e então permanecera viúva até a idade de oitenta e quatro anos. Nunca deixava o templo: adorava a Deus jejuando e orando dia e noite.

38 A t that time she came and gave thanks to God. She told the people in Jerusalem about Jesus. They were looking for the One to save them from the punishment of their sins and to set them free. They Return to Nazareth

Tendo chegado ali naquele exato momento, deu graças a Deus e falava a respeito do menino a todos os que esperavam a redenção de Jerusalém.

39 W hen Joseph and Mary had done everything the Law said to do, they went back to Nazareth in Galilee.

Depois de terem feito tudo o que era exigido pela Lei do Senhor, voltaram para a sua própria cidade, Nazaré, na Galiléia.

40 T he Child grew and became strong in spirit. He was filled with wisdom and the loving-favor of God was on Him.

O menino crescia e se fortalecia, enchendo-se de sabedoria; e a graça de Deus estava sobre ele. O Menino Jesus no Templo

41 H is parents went to Jerusalem every year for the special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt.

Todos os anos seus pais iam a Jerusalém para a festa da Páscoa.

42 W hen He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem as they had done before.

Quando ele completou doze anos de idade, eles subiram à festa, conforme o costume.

43 W hen the days of the special supper were over, they started back to their town. But the boy Jesus was still in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it.

Terminada a festa, voltando seus pais para casa, o menino Jesus ficou em Jerusalém, sem que eles percebessem.

44 T hey thought Jesus was with the others of the group. They walked for one day. Then they looked for Him among their family and friends.

Pensando que ele estava entre os companheiros de viagem, caminharam o dia todo. Então começaram a procurá-lo entre os seus parentes e conhecidos.

45 W hen they could not find Jesus, they turned back to Jerusalem to look for Him.

Não o encontrando, voltaram a Jerusalém para procurá-lo.

46 T hree days later they found Him in the house of God. He was sitting among the teachers. He was hearing what they said and asking questions.

Depois de três dias o encontraram no templo, sentado entre os mestres, ouvindo-os e fazendo-lhes perguntas.

47 A ll those who heard Him were surprised and wondered about His understanding and at what He said.

Todos os que o ouviam ficavam maravilhados com o seu entendimento e com as suas respostas.

48 W hen His parents saw Him, they were surprised. His mother said to Him, “My Son, why have You done this to us? See! Your father and I have had much sorrow looking for You.”

Quando seus pais o viram, ficaram perplexos. Sua mãe lhe disse: “Filho, por que você nos fez isto? Seu pai e eu estávamos aflitos, à sua procura”.

49 H e said to them, “Why were you looking for Me? Do you not know that I must be in My Father’s house?”

Ele perguntou: “Por que vocês estavam me procurando? Não sabiam que eu devia estar na casa de meu Pai?”

50 T hey did not understand the things He said to them.

Mas eles não compreenderam o que lhes dizia.

51 H e went with them to Nazareth and obeyed them. But His mother kept all these words in her heart.

Então foi com eles para Nazaré, e era-lhes obediente. Sua mãe, porém, guardava todas essas coisas em seu coração.

52 J esus grew strong in mind and body. He grew in favor with God and men.

Jesus ia crescendo em sabedoria, estatura e graça diante de Deus e dos homens.