Luke 2:2 - An Understandable Version (2005 edition) This was the first registration made while Quirinius was governor of Syria. More versionsKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) Amplified Bible - Classic Edition This was the first enrollment, and it was made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. American Standard Version (1901) This was the first enrolment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Common English Bible This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria. Catholic Public Domain Version This was the first enrollment; it was made by the ruler of Syria, Quirinius. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version This enrolling was first made by Cyrinus, the governor of Syria. |
The news [of what Jesus was doing] spread all over [the country of] Syria and they brought to Him all those who were sick, stricken with various diseases and pains, dominated by evil spirits, and afflicted with seizures and paralysis, and He healed them [all].
Now it happened in those days that a decree was sent out from Caesar Augustus [the Emperor of the Roman Empire] requiring [people from] the whole empire to be registered [i.e., for taxation purposes].
Now it was the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was ruler of Galilee, his brother Philip was ruler of the regions of Ituraea and Trachonitus [Note: These two men were sons of Herod the Great (See Matt. 2:1) and ruled over provinces east of the Jordan River] and Lysanias was ruler of Abilene [Note: This was a province just north of the two previously mentioned ones].
He was with an intelligent governor, [a Roman official named] Sergius Paulus. This man called for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the message of God.
But when Gallio was magistrate of Achaia [i.e., the southern province of Greece] the Jews joined forces to attack Paul and brought him before the court of justice,
“Claudius Lysias, [commander of the battalion, is writing] to His Excellency, Governor Felix. Greetings:
Then King Agrippa, [his wife] Bernice, Governor [Festus] and [the commanders and leading men of the city, 25:23] all rose up,
Later on another man, named Judas of Galilee, appeared during the census [Note: The time and circumstances of this census were probably known to the original readers], and led [a group of] people away after him, but he also was killed and all of his followers were scattered.