Luke 2

2 ¹For those days, Caesar Augustus give order say make dem register everybody for di whole world wey people dey live. ^a a v1 Di 'whole world wey people dey live' na di land wey dey under di Roman Empire, no be di whole earth. ²Dis na di first registration, wey Quirinius bin be governor of Syria. ³Everybody go make dem register am, each person go im own town. ⁴Joseph too comot from Galilee, from di town Nazareth, go Judea, go di city of David wey dem dey call Bethlehem, because e be from David house and family, ⁵make dem register am with Mary, di woman wey e wan marry, wey get belle.

⁶As dem dey there, di time reach for her to born. ⁷She born her first pikin, di boy, wrap am for cloth, and lay am for manger, because di inn no get space for dem.

⁸Some shepherd dey for that same area, dey stay for open field, dey watch dem sheep for night. ⁹One angel of our Papa stand for their front; di glory of our Papa shine round dem, and great fear catch dem. ¹⁰Di angel tell dem, “Make una no fear—I bring good news of great joy for everybody: ¹¹Today for di city of David, dem born una one Savior—Christ di Oga. ¹²Dis na di sign for una: una go find one baby wey dem wrap for cloth, wey lay for manger.” ¹³Suddenly, plenty army of heaven join di angel, dey praise our Papa and dey talk say,

¹⁴“Glory to our Papa for di highest place, and for earth peace for those wey e happy with!” ^b b v14 Di praise wey di angel sing name our Papa direct—di Christmas glory na im own, im wey dey send im Pikin come di world.

¹⁵When di angel dem comot from dem go back heaven, di shepherd talk to demself say, “Make we go Bethlehem straight go see dis thing wey happen, wey our Papa don make we know.” ¹⁶Dem rush go and find Mary and Joseph, and di baby wey lay for di manger. ¹⁷When dem see am, dem tell people wetin dem bin tell dem about dis pikin. ¹⁸Everybody wey hear am wonder for wetin di shepherd tell dem. ¹⁹But Mary keep all dis things for mind, dey think am for her heart. ²⁰Di shepherd dem go back, dey glorify and praise our Papa for all wey dem hear and see, just as dem bin tell dem.

Dem Present Am to di Papa

²¹When eight days reach for dem to do im circumcision, dem name am Jesus, di name wey di angel give before im mama carry am for belle.

²²When di days of their cleansing under di Law of Moses finish, dem carry am go Jerusalem to present am to our Papa,

²³(as dem write am for our Papa Law say, “Every first pikin wey be boy dem go call am holy to our Papa”), ²⁴and to give sacrifice as di Law of our Papa talk: two turtledove or two young pigeon.

²⁵For Jerusalem, one man dey wey dem dey call Simeon, correct-and-holy man wey dey fear God, dey wait for di comfort of Israel, and di Holy Spirit dey on am. ²⁶Di Holy Spirit bin don show am say e no go die before e go see di Christ of our Papa. ²⁷As di Spirit lead am, e enter di temple. As di papa and mama carry di pikin Jesus enter to do for am wetin di Law want, ²⁸Simeon carry am for im hand and bless our Papa, dey talk say, ²⁹“Sovereign Papa, now You dey let Your servant go for peace, according to Your word. ³⁰Because my eyes don see Your salvation, ³¹wey You don prepare for di front of all people: ³²one light to reveal truth to di Gentiles, and glory for Your people Israel.”

³³Im papa and mama wonder for wetin dem talk about am. ³⁴And Simeon bless dem and tell Mary, im mama, say, “Dis pikin, dem set am for di fall and rise of plenty people for Israel, and to be sign wey people go fight against, ³⁵and one sword go pierce your own soul too—so that di thoughts wey dey plenty people heart go come show clear.”

³⁶Anna too dey there, one woman prophet, pikin of Phanuel from di tribe of Asher, wey don old well well, wey stay with her husband seven years after she marry as virgin, ³⁷and she be widow reach eighty-four years, wey no dey comot from di temple, dey worship with fasting and prayer, night and day. ³⁸For that same time she come, she give thanks to our Papa and talk about di pikin to all di people wey dey wait for di redemption of Jerusalem.

³⁹When dem don do everything wey our Papa Law want, dem go back Galilee, go their own town Nazareth. ⁴⁰Di pikin grow, dey strong, full with wisdom, and di favor of our Papa dey on am.

Di Small Boy Jesus for Im Papa House

⁴¹Im papa and mama dey go Jerusalem every year for di Feast of Passover. ⁴²When e reach twelve years, dem go up according to di custom of di feast. ⁴³When di feast finish and dem dey go house, di boy Jesus stay back for Jerusalem, but im papa and mama no know. ⁴⁴Dem think say e dey inside di group, so dem waka one day journey, then dem begin look for am among family and people wey dem sabi. ⁴⁵When dem no find am, dem go back Jerusalem, dey look for am. ⁴⁶After three days, dem find am for di temple, wey e siddon among di teacher dem, dey listen to dem and dey ask dem question. ⁴⁷Everybody wey hear am wonder for di way e sabi and di answer wey e dey give. ⁴⁸When im papa and mama see am, dem shock. Im mama talk say, “My pikin, why you do us like dis? See, me and your papa don dey worry well well, dey look for you.”

⁴⁹E tell dem say, “Why una dey look for me? Una no know say I must dey for my Papa house?” ^c c v49 Jesus talk say “my Papa”—im own special, forever relationship. Where di rest of Scripture dey invite us enter “our Papa,” na only Jesus dey call am “my Papa” for dis special way: e be di Pikin by nature; we be pikin because e welcome us.

⁵⁰But dem no understand di word wey e talk to dem. ⁵¹Then e go down with dem come Nazareth, dey obey dem. Im mama keep all dis things for her heart. ⁵²Jesus dey grow for wisdom and for body, and for favor with our Papa and with people.