The Birth of Jesus.^* 18Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,^* but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit. 19Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,^* yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. 20^j Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord^* appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. 21She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,^* because he will save his people from their sins.” 22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

23^{* k} “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,

and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

which means “God is with us.” 24When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. 25He had no relations with her until she bore a son,^* and he named him Jesus.^l

11Do not ridicule the embittered;

Remember: there is One who exalts and humbles.^*

12Do not plot mischief against your relative

or against your friend and companion.

13Refuse to tell lie after lie,

for it never results in good.

14Do not babble in the assembly of the elders

or repeat the words of your prayer.^{* d}

15Do not hate hard work;

work was assigned by God.^e

16Do not esteem yourself more than your compatriots;

remember, his wrath will not delay.

17More and more, humble your pride;

what awaits mortals is worms.^{* f}

20Come and assemble, gather together,

you fugitives from among the nations!

They are without knowledge who bear wooden idols^*

and pray to gods that cannot save.

21Come close and declare;

let them take counsel together:

Who announced this from the beginning,

declared it from of old?

Was it not I, the LORD,

besides whom there is no other God?

There is no just and saving God but me.

22Turn to me and be safe,

all you ends of the earth,

for I am God; there is no other!

23By myself I swear,

uttering my just decree,

a word that will not return:

To me every knee shall bend;

by me every tongue shall swear,^g

24Saying, “Only in the LORD

are just deeds and power.

Before him in shame shall come

all who vent their anger against him.

25In the LORD all the descendants of Israel

shall have vindication and glory.”

His Call by Christ. 11^h Now I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. 12For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.^*

13^* For you heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it,ⁱ 14and progressed in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my race, since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions.^j 15But when [God], who from my mother’s womb had set me apart and called me through his grace, was pleased^k 16to reveal his Son to me,^l so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult flesh and blood,^* 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; rather, I went into Arabia^* and then returned to Damascus.

18^* Then after three years^* I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas and remained with him for fifteen days.^m 19But I did not see any other of the apostles,ⁿ only James the brother of the Lord.^* 20(As to what I am writing to you, behold, before God, I am not lying.)^o 21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.^p 22And I was unknown personally to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; 23they only kept hearing that “the one who once was persecuting us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”^q 24So they glorified God because of me.