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said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord! be it unto me according to thy word. And the Angel departed from her.

And an Angel appeared unto Joseph her husband in a dream, saying unto him, Joseph thou Son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife. She shall have a Son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS, for he shall save his people from their sins.

Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the Angel of the Lord had bidden him.

And before the birth of the HOLY INFANT, Joseph, being of the family of king David, went with Mary his wife, from Nazareth in Galilee to

Bethlehem* in Judea, which was the City of David, to be taxed by command of Augustus Cæsar the Roman Emperor. But the City being full of people, who came to be taxed, Joseph and Mary were obliged to lodge in a stable, because there was no room for them in the inn; and in this mean place the HOLY CHILD, whose birth the Angel Gabriel had foretold, was born; and his mother wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger.

* Map of Canaan, 1 A.

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The Shepherds relating to JOSEPH and MARY what the Angel had revealed to them concerning the HOLY INFANT.

IN the country of Judea, near to the city of Bethlehem, there were certain Shepherds watching their flocks by

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night. And, lo! the angel of the LORD stood by them, and the glory of the LORD shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the Angel said unto them, Fear not; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to you and to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a SAVIOUR, which is CHRIST the LORD. And this shall be a sign for you, ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, AND ON

EARTH, PEACE, GOOD WILL TOWARDS ΜΕΝ.

And it came to pass, as the Angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the LORD hath made known unto us. And going to Bethlehem,* they found Mary and Joseph, with the HOLY BABE, who was lying in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. And when the

Shepherds had related to Joseph and Mary what they had seen and heard, they departed, and made known

Map of Canaan, 1 A.

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