122:0.1 (1344.1) IT WILL hardly be possible fully to explain the many reasons which led to the selection of Palestine as the land for Michael’s bestowal, and especially as to just why the family of Joseph and Mary should have been chosen as the immediate setting for the appearance of this Son of God on Urantia.
122:0.1 (1344.1) 要完全解釋導致選擇巴勒斯坦作為邁克爾贈與之地的許多原因幾乎是不可能的，尤其是對於為何約瑟夫和瑪利亞的家庭應被選為這位神之聖子在玉苒廈上出現的直接環境。
122:0.2 (1344.2) After a study of the special report on the status of segregated worlds prepared by the Melchizedeks, in counsel with Gabriel, Michael finally chose Urantia as the planet whereon to enact his final bestowal. Subsequent to this decision Gabriel made a personal visit to Urantia, and, as a result of his study of human groups and his survey of the spiritual, intellectual, racial, and geographic features of the world and its peoples, he decided that the Hebrews possessed those relative advantages which warranted their selection as the bestowal race. Upon Michael’s approval of this decision, Gabriel appointed and dispatched to Urantia the Family Commission of Twelve—selected from among the higher orders of universe personalities—which was intrusted with the task of making an investigation of Jewish family life. When this commission ended its labors, Gabriel was present on Urantia and received the report nominating three prospective unions as being, in the opinion of the commission, equally favorable as bestowal families for Michael’s projected incarnation.
122:0.2 (1344.2) 在研究默基瑟德們所準備關於被隔離世界狀況的特別報告後，邁克爾與加百列商議並最終選擇了玉苒廈作為他進行最終贈與的行星。繼這一決定之後，加百列親自造訪了玉苒廈，基於他對人類族群之研究和對這世界及其各民族之靈性、智性、種族和地理特徵的調查，他決定希伯來人擁有那些足以使他們被選為贈與種族的相對優勢。在邁克爾批准這一決定之際，加百列任命並派遣了從更高類別宇宙人格體中間所選出的十二名家庭委員會前往玉苒廈，它被委以對猶太家庭生活進行調查的任務。當這一委員會結束其工作時，加百列出現在玉苒廈上，並收到了提名三對潛在夫婦的報告，就委員會的見解來說，他們作為邁克爾計劃化身的贈與家庭是同樣有利的。
122:0.3 (1344.3) From the three couples nominated, Gabriel made the personal choice of Joseph and Mary, subsequently making his personal appearance to Mary, at which time he imparted to her the glad tidings that she had been selected to become the earth mother of the bestowal child.
122:0.3 (1344.3) 從被提名的三對夫婦中，加百列親自選定了約瑟夫和瑪利亞，隨後親自向瑪利亞顯現，在那時他向她傳遞了一個喜訊，即她已被選定成為贈與嬰兒的世間母親。
122:1.1 (1344.4) Joseph, the human father of Jesus (Joshua ben Joseph), was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, albeit he carried many non-Jewish racial strains which had been added to his ancestral tree from time to time by the female lines of his progenitors. The ancestry of the father of Jesus went back to the days of Abraham and through this venerable patriarch to the earlier lines of inheritance leading to the Sumerians and Nodites and, through the southern tribes of the ancient blue man, to Andon and Fonta. David and Solomon were not in the direct line of Joseph’s ancestry, neither did Joseph’s lineage go directly back to Adam. Joseph’s immediate ancestors were mechanics—builders, carpenters, masons, and smiths. Joseph himself was a carpenter and later a contractor. His family belonged to a long and illustrious line of the nobility of the common people, accentuated ever and anon by the appearance of unusual individuals who had distinguished themselves in connection with the evolution of religion on Urantia.
122:1.1 (1344.4) 耶穌（約書亞·本·約瑟夫）的人類父親約瑟夫是希伯来人所生的希伯来人，儘管他攜帶了許多不時由他的女系祖先添加到他祖譜的非猶太人種族血統。耶穌父親的祖先可追溯到亞伯拉罕的時代，並經由這一令人尊敬的族長追溯到通向蘇美爾人和諾德族人的更早遺傳家系，並經由古代藍種人的南方部族回溯到安東和芳達。大衛和所羅門並未在約瑟夫的祖先直系中，約瑟夫的世系也並未直接回溯到亞當。約瑟夫的直系祖先們是技工——建築工、木匠、石匠和鐵匠。約瑟夫本身是一個木匠，後來是一個承包商。他的家族屬於平民中一個長期而又顯赫的貴族家系，此貴族家系不時因那些與玉苒廈上宗教演進相關的出類拔萃之非凡個體的出現而更加凸顯。
122:1.2 (1345.1) Mary, the earth mother of Jesus, was a descendant of a long line of unique ancestors embracing many of the most remarkable women in the racial history of Urantia. Although Mary was an average woman of her day and generation, possessing a fairly normal temperament, she reckoned among her ancestors such well-known women as Annon, Tamar, Ruth, Bathsheba, Ansie, Cloa, Eve, Enta, and Ratta. No Jewish woman of that day had a more illustrious lineage of common progenitors or one extending back to more auspicious beginnings. Mary’s ancestry, like Joseph’s, was characterized by the predominance of strong but average individuals, relieved now and then by numerous outstanding personalities in the march of civilization and the progressive evolution of religion. Racially considered, it is hardly proper to regard Mary as a Jewess. In culture and belief she was a Jew, but in hereditary endowment she was more a composite of Syrian, Hittite, Phoenician, Greek, and Egyptian stocks, her racial inheritance being more general than that of Joseph.
122:1.2 (1345.1) 耶穌的世間母親瑪利亞，是一個獨特祖先之久遠家系的後裔，這些祖先擁有玉苒廈種族歷史上許多最傑出的女性。儘管瑪利亞是她的時代和世代中的一個普通女性，擁有相當正常的性情，她的祖先中包含了如安儂、塔瑪爾、路得、拔示巴、安西、克洛阿、夏娃、恩塔和拉塔這些有名的女性。那個時代沒有哪位猶太女性擁有更為顯赫的平民祖先世系，或是擁有一個可追溯到比這更具吉兆開端的世系。瑪利亞的祖先像約瑟夫的祖先一樣，其特點是以堅強但一般的個體為主，不時因在文明進程和宗教漸進演變中的許多傑出人格體而凸顯。從種族角度來看，將瑪利亞視為猶太婦人是極不恰當的。在文化和信仰上，她是猶太人，不過在遺傳稟賦方面，她更為是敘利亞人、西臺人、腓尼基人、希臘人和埃及人血統的一種綜合體，她的種族遺傳比約瑟夫的更為全面。
122:1.3 (1345.2) Of all couples living in Palestine at about the time of Michael’s projected bestowal, Joseph and Mary possessed the most ideal combination of widespread racial connections and superior average of personality endowments. It was the plan of Michael to appear on earth as an average man, that the common people might understand him and receive him; wherefore Gabriel selected just such persons as Joseph and Mary to become the bestowal parents.
122:1.3 (1345.2) 大約在邁克爾計劃贈與之際，居住在巴勒斯坦的所有夫婦中，約瑟夫和瑪利亞擁有由廣泛種族關係和優於平均人格稟賦所組成的最理想組合。邁克爾的計劃正是在世上作為一個普通人出現，這樣一般人可以理解他和接受他；為此加百列選擇了像約瑟夫和瑪利亞這樣的人成為贈與的父母。
122:2.1 (1345.3) Jesus’ lifework on Urantia was really begun by John the Baptist. Zacharias, John’s father, belonged to the Jewish priesthood, while his mother, Elizabeth, was a member of the more prosperous branch of the same large family group to which Mary the mother of Jesus also belonged. Zacharias and Elizabeth, though they had been married many years, were childless.
122:2.1 (1345.3) 耶穌在玉苒廈上的畢生事業實際上是由施洗約翰開始的。約翰的父親撒迦利亞屬於猶太人祭司階層，而他的母親，伊莉莎白，則是耶穌母親瑪利亞也所屬的同一大家族中更為富裕分支的成員。儘管撒迦利亞和伊莉莎白結婚許多年，但他們沒有孩子。
122:2.2 (1345.4) It was late in the month of June, 8 b.c., about three months after the marriage of Joseph and Mary, that Gabriel appeared to Elizabeth at noontide one day, just as he later made his presence known to Mary. Said Gabriel:
122:2.2 (1345.4) 西元前8年6月下旬，也就是大約在約瑟夫和瑪利亞結婚後三個月，加百列在一天正午向伊莉莎白顯現，正如他之後讓瑪利亞知道他的存在一樣。加百列說道：
122:2.3 (1345.5) “While your husband, Zacharias, stands before the altar in Jerusalem, and while the assembled people pray for the coming of a deliverer, I, Gabriel, have come to announce that you will shortly bear a son who shall be the forerunner of this divine teacher, and you shall call your son John. He will grow up dedicated to the Lord your God, and when he has come to full years, he will gladden your heart because he will turn many souls to God, and he will also proclaim the coming of the soul-healer of your people and the spirit-liberator of all mankind. Your kinswoman Mary shall be the mother of this child of promise, and I will also appear to her.”
122:2.3 (1345.5) 「當你的丈夫撒迦利亞站在耶路撒冷的祭壇前，當聚集起來的人們祈禱一位拯救者的到來時，我，加百列，已前來宣佈，你不久將會生下一個兒子，他將會是這一神聖導師的先行者，而你應稱你的兒子為約翰。他將成長為獻身於上主、你們的神，當他成年後，他將使妳心中充滿喜悅，因為他將使許多靈魂歸向神，他也將宣稱你們民族靈魂治癒者和全人類靈性解放者的到來。你的親屬瑪利亞將會是這一應許之子的母親，我也將向她顯現。 」
122:2.4 (1345.6) This vision greatly frightened Elizabeth. After Gabriel’s departure she turned this experience over in her mind, long pondering the sayings of the majestic visitor, but did not speak of the revelation to anyone save her husband until her subsequent visit with Mary in early February of the following year.
122:2.4 (1345.6) 這一顯現令伊莉莎白極為驚嚇。在加百列離開後，她在心中反覆思考這一經歷，長時間細思這位威嚴造訪者的話語，但除了她丈夫以外，她並未向任何人提及這一啟示，直到她隨後於次年的二月上旬造訪瑪利亞。
122:2.5 (1345.7) For five months, however, Elizabeth withheld her secret even from her husband. Upon her disclosure of the story of Gabriel’s visit, Zacharias was very skeptical and for weeks doubted the entire experience, only consenting halfheartedly to believe in Gabriel’s visit to his wife when he could no longer question that she was expectant with child. Zacharias was very much perplexed regarding the prospective motherhood of Elizabeth, but he did not doubt the integrity of his wife, notwithstanding his own advanced age. It was not until about six weeks before John’s birth that Zacharias, as the result of an impressive dream, became fully convinced that Elizabeth was to become the mother of a son of destiny, one who was to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah.
122:2.5 (1345.7) 然而，伊莉莎白甚至向她丈夫隱瞞了她的秘密達五個月之久。當她透露加百列造訪的故事時，撒加利亞非常懷疑，數周來一直不相信這整個經歷，當他無法再質疑她已經懷孕時，才勉強相信加百列造訪過他的妻子。撒迦利亞對伊莉莎白即將成為母親感到非常困惑，但他並未懷疑他妻子的正直，儘管他自己年事已高。直到約翰誕生前大約六周時，撒迦利亞因為一個印象深刻的夢，才完全確信伊莉莎白將要成為一個天命之子的母親，這個孩子將要為彌賽亞的到來開路。
122:2.6 (1346.1) Gabriel appeared to Mary about the middle of November, 8 b.c., while she was at work in her Nazareth home. Later on, after Mary knew without doubt that she was to become a mother, she persuaded Joseph to let her journey to the City of Judah, four miles west of Jerusalem, in the hills, to visit Elizabeth. Gabriel had informed each of these mothers-to-be of his appearance to the other. Naturally they were anxious to get together, compare experiences, and talk over the probable futures of their sons. Mary remained with her distant cousin for three weeks. Elizabeth did much to strengthen Mary’s faith in the vision of Gabriel, so that she returned home more fully dedicated to the call to mother the child of destiny whom she was so soon to present to the world as a helpless babe, an average and normal infant of the realm.
122:2.6 (1346.1) 加百列大約在西元前8年11月中旬向瑪利亞顯現，那時她在其拿撒勒家中工作。後來，在瑪利亞毫無疑問地知道她將要成為一位母親後，她說服約瑟夫讓她前往耶路撒冷以西六公里多山區中的猶大城拜訪伊莉莎白。加百列已告知每一位這些即將成為母親的人，他對於另外一位的顯現。自然的，她們急於聚在一起參照經歷，商討他們兒子可能的未來。瑪利亞與她的這位遠房親戚待在一起三個星期，伊莉莎白為增強瑪利亞對加百列顯現的信心費了不少心思，因此瑪利亞返回家園更加全心全意致力於養育天命之子的召喚中，她不久便將他作為一個無助的嬰兒，一個該領域普通而又正常的嬰兒，呈獻給這個世界。
122:2.7 (1346.2) John was born in the City of Judah, March 25, 7 b.c. Zacharias and Elizabeth rejoiced greatly in the realization that a son had come to them as Gabriel had promised, and when on the eighth day they presented the child for circumcision, they formally christened him John, as they had been directed aforetime. Already had a nephew of Zacharias departed for Nazareth, carrying the message of Elizabeth to Mary proclaiming that a son had been born to her and that his name was to be John.
122:2.7 (1346.2) 約翰於西元前7年3月25日誕生於猶大城。撒迦利亞和伊莉莎白意識到一個兒子已如加百列所應許的那樣來到他們身邊而極為歡喜，在第八天時他們為這孩子進行割禮時，他們正式將他命名為約翰，正如他們先前所被指示的那樣。撒迦利亞的一個侄子已動身前往拿撒勒，帶著伊莉莎白給瑪利亞的消息，宣布她已經生下一個兒子，並且他的名字將是約翰。
122:2.8 (1346.3) From his earliest infancy John was judiciously impressed by his parents with the idea that he was to grow up to become a spiritual leader and religious teacher. And the soil of John’s heart was ever responsive to the sowing of such suggestive seeds. Even as a child he was found frequently at the temple during the seasons of his father’s service, and he was tremendously impressed with the significance of all that he saw.
122:2.8 (1346.3) 從約翰最早嬰兒期，他的父母就明智地灌輸他長大要成為一個靈性領袖和宗教導師的觀念。約翰的內心土壤對這種暗示性種子的播種總是積極反應。即便在孩童時期，他也被發現在他父親服侍的季節期間經常出現在聖殿，他也對他所見一切的重要意義有著極為深刻的印象。
122:3.1 (1346.4) One evening about sundown, before Joseph had returned home, Gabriel appeared to Mary by the side of a low stone table and, after she had recovered her composure, said: “I come at the bidding of one who is my Master and whom you shall love and nurture. To you, Mary, I bring glad tidings when I announce that the conception within you is ordained by heaven, and that in due time you will become the mother of a son; you shall call him Joshua, and he shall inaugurate the kingdom of heaven on earth and among men. Speak not of this matter save to Joseph and to Elizabeth, your kinswoman, to whom I have also appeared, and who shall presently also bear a son, whose name shall be John, and who will prepare the way for the message of deliverance which your son shall proclaim to men with great power and deep conviction. And doubt not my word, Mary, for this home has been chosen as the mortal habitat of the child of destiny. My benediction rests upon you, the power of the Most Highs will strengthen you, and the Lord of all the earth shall overshadow you.”
122:3.1 (1346.4) 大約日落時分的一天傍晚，在約瑟夫返家之前，加百列在一個低矮石桌旁向瑪利亞顯現，在她恢復鎮定後，他說道：「我奉我主之命前來，他是妳將會愛護和養育的那一位。對於妳瑪利亞，我帶來了好消息，我宣佈妳身內的胎兒是由上天命定，妳適時將成為一個兒子的母親；妳要稱他為約書亞，他將在世上和人們中開創天國。 除了對約瑟夫和妳的遠親伊莉莎白以外，不要提及這件事，我也向伊莉莎白顯現過，她不久也將生下一個兒子，他的名字將是約翰，他將為拯救的訊息預備道路，你的兒子將以強大的力量和深深的信念向人們宣告這拯救的訊息。不要懷疑我的話語，瑪利亞，因為這個家庭已被選為天命之子的凡間居住地。我的祝福與妳同在，極高者的力量將使妳強大，大地之主將會庇護妳。 」
122:3.2 (1346.5) Mary pondered this visitation secretly in her heart for many weeks until of a certainty she knew she was with child, before she dared to disclose these unusual events to her husband. When Joseph heard all about this, although he had great confidence in Mary, he was much troubled and could not sleep for many nights. At first Joseph had doubts about the Gabriel visitation. Then when he became well-nigh persuaded that Mary had really heard the voice and beheld the form of the divine messenger, he was torn in mind as he pondered how such things could be. How could the offspring of human beings be a child of divine destiny? Never could Joseph reconcile these conflicting ideas until, after several weeks of thought, both he and Mary reached the conclusion that they had been chosen to become the parents of the Messiah, though it had hardly been the Jewish concept that the expected deliverer was to be of divine nature. Upon arriving at this momentous conclusion, Mary hastened to depart for a visit with Elizabeth.
122:3.2 (1346.5) 瑪利亞在她心中暗自思索了這次的探訪好幾個星期，直到確定自己懷孕了，她才敢將這些非比尋常之事透露給她的丈夫。當約瑟夫聽到這一切時，儘管他對瑪利亞有極大信心，但他卻極為困擾，許多晚都無法入睡。起初，約瑟夫懷疑加百列的探訪。然後當他幾乎被說服瑪利亞真的聽到這位神的使者的聲音並見到其身形時，當他思考這種事如何會發生時，心中感到不知所措。人類的後代怎麼可能是神聖天命之子？約瑟夫從未能調和這些衝突的觀念，直到經過幾個星期的思考後，他和瑪利亞都得出結論，他們被選為彌賽亞的父母，儘管期待的拯救者將具有神的本性這件事幾乎不在猶太人的概念裡。在達成這一重大結論之際，瑪利亞便急忙動身前去拜訪伊莉莎白。
122:3.3 (1347.1) Upon her return, Mary went to visit her parents, Joachim and Hannah. Her two brothers and two sisters, as well as her parents, were always very skeptical about the divine mission of Jesus, though, of course, at this time they knew nothing of the Gabriel visitation. But Mary did confide to her sister Salome that she thought her son was destined to become a great teacher.
122:3.3 (1347.1) 在瑪利亞返回後，她去拜訪了她的父母約阿希姆和安妮。她的兩個兄弟和兩個姐妹，以及她的父母對於耶穌的神聖使命總是感到非常懷疑，當然他們此時對加百列的探訪一無所知。不過瑪利亞的確向她的妹妹撒羅米透露，她認為她的兒子註定會成為一名偉大的導師。
122:3.4 (1347.2) Gabriel’s announcement to Mary was made the day following the conception of Jesus and was the only event of supernatural occurrence connected with her entire experience of carrying and bearing the child of promise.
122:3.4 (1347.2) 加百列向瑪利亞的宣告是在耶穌的受孕次日進行的，這是與她懷孕和生下應許之子的整個經歷相關的唯一超自然事件。
122:4.1 (1347.3) Joseph did not become reconciled to the idea that Mary was to become the mother of an extraordinary child until after he had experienced a very impressive dream. In this dream a brilliant celestial messenger appeared to him and, among other things, said: “Joseph, I appear by command of Him who now reigns on high, and I am directed to instruct you concerning the son whom Mary shall bear, and who shall become a great light in the world. In him will be life, and his life shall become the light of mankind. He shall first come to his own people, but they will hardly receive him; but to as many as shall receive him to them will he reveal that they are the children of God.” After this experience Joseph never again wholly doubted Mary’s story of Gabriel’s visit and of the promise that the unborn child was to become a divine messenger to the world.
122:4.1 (1347.3) 直到約瑟夫經歷了一場非常深刻的夢境後，他才接受了瑪利亞將要成為一個非凡之子母親的想法。在這場夢中，一位光輝奪目的天界使者向他顯現，除了其它事之外，說道：「約瑟夫，我奉此時天上的支配者之命顯現，我受指示告知你關於瑪利亞將要生的兒子，他將在世界上成為一道偉大之光。在他之內將有生命，而他的生命將會成為人類的光。他將首先來到他自己的民族，但他們幾乎不會接受他；然而對於接受他之人，他將向他們揭示他們是神的兒女。」在這次經歷之後，約瑟夫再也不會完全地懷疑瑪利亞關於加百列造訪的故事，以及關於未出生的孩子將成為世界之神聖使者的應許。
122:4.2 (1347.4) In all these visitations nothing was said about the house of David. Nothing was ever intimated about Jesus’ becoming a “deliverer of the Jews,” not even that he was to be the long-expected Messiah. Jesus was not such a Messiah as the Jews had anticipated, but he was the world’s deliverer. His mission was to all races and peoples, not to any one group.
122:4.2 (1347.4) 在所有這些探訪中，都沒有提及大衛家族。也從未暗示過關於耶穌成為「猶太人的拯救者」，甚至未暗示過他將是期待已久的彌賽亞。耶穌並不是如猶太人所預期那樣的彌賽亞，但他卻是世界的拯救者。他的使命是針對所有種族和民族，而不是針對任何一個群體。
122:4.3 (1347.5) Joseph was not of the line of King David. Mary had more of the Davidic ancestry than Joseph. True, Joseph did go to the City of David, Bethlehem, to be registered for the Roman census, but that was because, six generations previously, Joseph’s paternal ancestor of that generation, being an orphan, was adopted by one Zadoc, who was a direct descendant of David; hence was Joseph also accounted as of the “house of David.”
122:4.3 (1347.5) 約瑟夫並不是大衛王的後裔。瑪利亞比約瑟夫擁有更多的大衛血統。確實，約瑟夫的確去過大衛城伯利恆，為羅馬人口普查做登記，但那是因為，六代以前，約瑟夫的那一代的父系祖先是個孤兒，被大衛的一個直繫後代撒督（Zadoc）所收養；因此約瑟夫也被算作「大衛家族」的人。
122:4.4 (1347.6) Most of the so-called Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament were made to apply to Jesus long after his life had been lived on earth. For centuries the Hebrew prophets had proclaimed the coming of a deliverer, and these promises had been construed by successive generations as referring to a new Jewish ruler who would sit upon the throne of David and, by the reputed miraculous methods of Moses, proceed to establish the Jews in Palestine as a powerful nation, free from all foreign domination. Again, many figurative passages found throughout the Hebrew scriptures were subsequently misapplied to the life mission of Jesus. Many Old Testament sayings were so distorted as to appear to fit some episode of the Master’s earth life. Jesus himself onetime publicly denied any connection with the royal house of David. Even the passage, “a maiden shall bear a son,” was made to read, “a virgin shall bear a son.” This was also true of the many genealogies of both Joseph and Mary which were constructed subsequent to Michael’s career on earth. Many of these lineages contain much of the Master’s ancestry, but on the whole they are not genuine and may not be depended upon as factual. The early followers of Jesus all too often succumbed to the temptation to make all the olden prophetic utterances appear to find fulfillment in the life of their Lord and Master.
122:4.4 (1347.6) 《舊約》中大多數所謂的彌賽亞預言，都是在耶穌生活在世上很久之後才被應用到他身上。多個世紀以來，希伯來先知們宣稱了一個拯救者的到來，這些應許被相繼世代編造為有關一個將坐上大衛的寶座的新猶太統治者，藉由傳說的摩西奇跡方式，著手將巴勒斯坦的猶太人建立為一個強有力的國家，免於所有外來統治。再次地，希伯來經文中所找到的許多比喻性段落，隨後也被誤用到耶穌的人生使命。許多舊約語錄被如此扭曲以至於看似與主世間生活的某些情節相符。耶穌本身曾公開否認與大衛王室的任何關聯。甚至「一個少女將生子」這段話也被改為「一個處女將生子。」約瑟夫和瑪利亞的許多家譜也是如此，它們是在邁克爾世上生涯之後才被構建。許多這些譜系包含了主的大部分祖先，但整體上它們不是真實的，也不可被作為事實依據。耶穌的早期追隨者們往往過於屈服一種誘惑，那就是把所有古時先知話語看為在他們上主和主的生活中得到應驗。
122:5.1 (1348.1) Joseph was a mild-mannered man, extremely conscientious, and in every way faithful to the religious conventions and practices of his people. He talked little but thought much. The sorry plight of the Jewish people caused Joseph much sadness. As a youth, among his eight brothers and sisters, he had been more cheerful, but in the earlier years of married life (during Jesus’ childhood) he was subject to periods of mild spiritual discouragement. These temperamental manifestations were greatly improved just before his untimely death and after the economic condition of his family had been enhanced by his advancement from the rank of carpenter to the role of a prosperous contractor.
122:5.1 (1348.1) 約瑟夫是一個性情溫和的人，極為盡責，並在各方面完全忠於其民族的宗教習俗和實踐。他話不多，但想得很多。猶太民族的悲慘困境給約瑟夫帶來了許多悲傷。年輕時，在他八個兄弟姐妹中，他較為開朗，但在婚後生活的早期（在耶穌童年期間），他遭受到輕微的精神沮喪期。就在他不幸早逝之前，和在他的家庭經濟狀況因爲他從木匠身份晉升到富裕承包商職位而得到提高之後，這些性情上的表現得到了極大改善。
122:5.2 (1348.2) Mary’s temperament was quite opposite to that of her husband. She was usually cheerful, was very rarely downcast, and possessed an ever-sunny disposition. Mary indulged in free and frequent expression of her emotional feelings and was never observed to be sorrowful until after the sudden death of Joseph. And she had hardly recovered from this shock when she had thrust upon her the anxieties and questionings aroused by the extraordinary career of her eldest son, which was so rapidly unfolding before her astonished gaze. But throughout all this unusual experience Mary was composed, courageous, and fairly wise in her relationship with her strange and little-understood first-born son and his surviving brothers and sisters.
122:5.2 (1348.2) 瑪利亞的性情則和她的丈夫的完全相反。她通常是愉快的，很少沮喪，擁有一種始終樂觀的性情。瑪利亞盡情於自由且頻繁的表達她情感，直到約瑟夫突然死亡前，從未有人看到她是悲傷的。她還未從這種震驚中恢復過來時，她就因被她大兒子的非凡生涯而引起的焦慮和質疑壓得喘不過氣，那非凡生涯在她驚訝的目光下迅速展開。但在這一整個不尋常的經歷中，瑪利亞在與她奇特又難以理解的長子和他倖存的兄弟姐妹間的關係上是鎮靜、勇敢和相當明智的。
122:5.3 (1348.3) Jesus derived much of his unusual gentleness and marvelous sympathetic understanding of human nature from his father; he inherited his gift as a great teacher and his tremendous capacity for righteous indignation from his mother. In emotional reactions to his adult-life environment, Jesus was at one time like his father, meditative and worshipful, sometimes characterized by apparent sadness; but more often he drove forward in the manner of his mother’s optimistic and determined disposition. All in all, Mary’s temperament tended to dominate the career of the divine Son as he grew up and swung into the momentous strides of his adult life. In some particulars Jesus was a blending of his parents’ traits; in other respects he exhibited the traits of one in contrast with those of the other.
122:5.3 (1348.3) 耶穌非比尋常的溫順和不可思議的對於人類本性之同情理解來自於他的父親；他則從他的母親那裡繼承了他作為一名偉大導師的天賦以及其巨大的義憤填膺能力。在對他成年生活環境的情緒反應方面，耶穌一度像他父親，冥想且虔誠，有時以明顯的悲傷為特點；但更多時候他以他母親樂觀堅定的性格向前邁進。總的說來，在他長大並邁向他成年生活的重大進展時，瑪利亞的性格往往主導這個神性聖子的生涯。在某些細節上，耶穌是他父母特質的一種混合；在其它方面，他展現出了與另一方特質形成對比的這一方特質。
122:5.4 (1348.4) From Joseph Jesus secured his strict training in the usages of the Jewish ceremonials and his unusual acquaintance with the Hebrew scriptures; from Mary he derived a broader viewpoint of religious life and a more liberal concept of personal spiritual freedom.
122:5.4 (1348.4) 從約瑟夫身上，耶穌獲得了他在猶太儀式習俗的嚴格培訓，以及他對希伯來經文的非比尋常的了解；從瑪利亞身上，他得到了對宗教生活的一種更廣闊的視野，以及對個人靈性自由的一種更為開放的概念。
122:5.5 (1349.1) The families of both Joseph and Mary were well educated for their time. Joseph and Mary were educated far above the average for their day and station in life. He was a thinker; she was a planner, expert in adaptation and practical in immediate execution. Joseph was a black-eyed brunet; Mary, a brown-eyed well-nigh blond type.
122:5.5 (1349.1) 約瑟夫和瑪利亞的家族在他們時代都是受過良好教育的。約瑟夫和瑪利亞受的教育遠高於他們時代和生活中地位的平均水平。他是一個思考者；她是一個規劃者，善於適應並慣於立即執行。約瑟夫是黑眼睛深褐色頭髮；瑪利亞則是褐色眼睛幾近金髮類型。
122:5.6 (1349.2) Had Joseph lived, he undoubtedly would have become a firm believer in the divine mission of his eldest son. Mary alternated between believing and doubting, being greatly influenced by the position taken by her other children and by her friends and relatives, but always was she steadied in her final attitude by the memory of Gabriel’s appearance to her immediately after the child was conceived.
122:5.6 (1349.2) 假如約瑟夫還活著的話，他無疑將會成為他長子神聖使命的堅定信徒。瑪利亞在相信和懷疑之間搖擺，受到她其他孩子和她朋友及親戚所持立場的極大影響，但她總是藉由在她懷孕後加百列立即向她顯現的記憶，得以在最終的態度上穩定下來。
122:5.7 (1349.3) Mary was an expert weaver and more than averagely skilled in most of the household arts of that day; she was a good housekeeper and a superior homemaker. Both Joseph and Mary were good teachers, and they saw to it that their children were well versed in the learning of that day.
122:5.7 (1349.3) 瑪利亞是個熟練的織布工，對那個時代的大多家事技藝也超過一般人的技能；她是一位好的管家和優秀的家庭主婦。約瑟夫和瑪利亞都是好的老師，他們確保他們的孩子精通那個時代的學識。
122:5.8 (1349.4) When Joseph was a young man, he was employed by Mary’s father in the work of building an addition to his house, and it was when Mary brought Joseph a cup of water, during a noontime meal, that the courtship of the pair who were destined to become the parents of Jesus really began.
122:5.8 (1349.4) 當約瑟夫是一個年輕人時，瑪利亞的父親雇用約瑟夫來擴建他的房子，正是當瑪利亞在午飯期間遞給約瑟夫一杯水時，這對註定要成為耶穌父母的伴侶其戀愛期真正開始了。
122:5.9 (1349.5) Joseph and Mary were married, in accordance with Jewish custom, at Mary’s home in the environs of Nazareth when Joseph was twenty-one years old. This marriage concluded a normal courtship of almost two years’ duration. Shortly thereafter they moved into their new home in Nazareth, which had been built by Joseph with the assistance of two of his brothers. The house was located near the foot of the near-by elevated land which so charmingly overlooked the surrounding countryside. In this home, especially prepared, these young and expectant parents had thought to welcome the child of promise, little realizing that this momentous event of a universe was to transpire while they would be absent from home in Bethlehem of Judea.
122:5.9 (1349.5) 當約瑟夫二十一歲時，約瑟夫和瑪利亞在拿撒勒近郊瑪利亞的家中依照猶太人習俗結婚了。這場婚禮結束了近兩年的戀愛期。在那之後不久，他們搬進了他們在拿撒勒的新家，這是約瑟夫在他兩個兄弟幫助下興建的。房子位於附近高地山麓下不遠處，這高地如此迷人地俯瞰著周圍鄉間。在這個特別準備的家中，這對年輕的準父母本要歡迎這個應許之子，卻沒有意識到這一宇宙性重大事件將會在他們離家時，在猶太的伯利恆發生。
122:5.10 (1349.6) The larger part of Joseph’s family became believers in the teachings of Jesus, but very few of Mary’s people ever believed in him until after he departed from this world. Joseph leaned more toward the spiritual concept of the expected Messiah, but Mary and her family, especially her father, held to the idea of the Messiah as a temporal deliverer and political ruler. Mary’s ancestors had been prominently identified with the Maccabean activities of the then but recent times.
122:5.10 (1349.6) 大部分約瑟夫家族都成為耶穌教導的信徒，但在耶穌離開這個世界之前，瑪利亞的家人卻很少有人相信他。約瑟夫更為傾向於期待中的彌賽亞之靈性概念，但瑪利亞和她的家族，尤其她的父親，堅持將彌賽亞視為一個世俗的拯救者和政治的統治者。 瑪利亞的祖先對那時近期的馬加比活動有著密切的關聯。
122:5.11 (1349.7) Joseph held vigorously to the Eastern, or Babylonian, views of the Jewish religion; Mary leaned strongly toward the more liberal and broader Western, or Hellenistic, interpretation of the law and the prophets.
122:5.11 (1349.7) 約瑟夫極力堅持猶太人宗教的東方巴比倫觀點；瑪利亞則強烈傾向於對律法和先知更為自由和廣泛的西方希臘闡釋。
122:6.1 (1349.8) The home of Jesus was not far from the high hill in the northerly part of Nazareth, some distance from the village spring, which was in the eastern section of the town. Jesus’ family dwelt in the outskirts of the city, and this made it all the easier for him subsequently to enjoy frequent strolls in the country and to make trips up to the top of this near-by highland, the highest of all the hills of southern Galilee save the Mount Tabor range to the east and the hill of Nain, which was about the same height. Their home was located a little to the south and east of the southern promontory of this hill and about midway between the base of this elevation and the road leading out of Nazareth toward Cana. Aside from climbing the hill, Jesus’ favorite stroll was to follow a narrow trail winding about the base of the hill in a northeasterly direction to a point where it joined the road to Sepphoris.
122:6.1 (1349.8) 耶穌的家離拿撒勒北部高山不遠，離城東邊區域的村莊水源有些距離。耶穌的家庭居住在城市郊區，這使他隨後更容易享受在鄉間經常散步，並前往這一附近高地的山頂，這山頂是除了東面的塔沃爾山脈和大約同樣高度的拿因山丘之外，南加利利所有山丘中最高的。他們家位於這山丘南部岬角的偏東南一點，大約位於這一高地底部和從拿撒勒通向迦拿道路的中間。除了爬山外，耶穌最喜愛的漫步是沿著一條在山底蜿蜒的狹窄小徑，它朝向東北方直到與通往塞佛瑞斯道路相接之處。
122:6.2 (1350.1) The home of Joseph and Mary was a one-room stone structure with a flat roof and an adjoining building for housing the animals. The furniture consisted of a low stone table, earthenware and stone dishes and pots, a loom, a lampstand, several small stools, and mats for sleeping on the stone floor. In the back yard, near the animal annex, was the shelter which covered the oven and the mill for grinding grain. It required two persons to operate this type of mill, one to grind and another to feed the grain. As a small boy Jesus often fed grain to this mill while his mother turned the grinder.
122:6.2 (1350.1) 約瑟夫和瑪利亞的家是一個平屋頂的單房石造建築物和一個用於收容動物的相鄰建築。傢俱包括一個低矮石桌，陶器和石製餐具和盆罐，一架織布機，一個燈檯，幾個小凳子，以及用於在石地板上睡覺的墊子。在後院靠近動物附屬建築的地方，是一個用來遮蓋爐灶和研磨穀物的磨臼的棚子。這種類型的磨臼需要兩個人來操作，一個人磨，另外一個人供給穀物。作為一個小孩，耶穌經常把穀物投入到這磨臼中，而他的母親則轉動磨床。
122:6.3 (1350.2) In later years, as the family grew in size, they would all squat about the enlarged stone table to enjoy their meals, helping themselves from a common dish, or pot, of food. During the winter, at the evening meal the table would be lighted by a small, flat clay lamp, which was filled with olive oil. After the birth of Martha, Joseph built an addition to this house, a large room, which was used as a carpenter shop during the day and as a sleeping room at night.
122:6.3 (1350.2) 在後來年月中，隨著家庭規模增長，他們都蹲在加大的石桌旁享受他們的飯菜，自己從共同的餐具盆罐中拿取食物。 在冬天期間，晚餐時，桌上會點亮一盞扁平的小陶燈，燈中裝滿了橄欖油。在馬大（Martha）出生後，約瑟夫為這個家增建了一個大房間，它在白天被用作木匠鋪，晚上則作為一個臥室。
122:7.1 (1350.3) In the month of March, 8 b.c. (the month Joseph and Mary were married), Caesar Augustus decreed that all inhabitants of the Roman Empire should be numbered, that a census should be made which could be used for effecting better taxation. The Jews had always been greatly prejudiced against any attempt to “number the people,” and this, in connection with the serious domestic difficulties of Herod, King of Judea, had conspired to cause the postponement of the taking of this census in the Jewish kingdom for one year. Throughout all the Roman Empire this census was registered in the year 8 b.c., except in the Palestinian kingdom of Herod, where it was taken in 7 b.c., one year later.
122:7.1 (1350.3) 西元前8年3月（約瑟夫和瑪利亞結婚的那個月），凱撒·奧古斯都下令羅馬帝國的所有居民應被清點，應進行人口普查以便用來達到更好的稅收。猶太人一直對任何試圖「清點人口」都存有極大偏見，這一點再加上猶太國王希律的嚴重國內困難，共同導致延遲一年才在猶太王國進行這一人口普查。整個羅馬帝國的這人口普查是在西元前8年進行登記，但希律的巴勒斯坦王國除外，在那裡的人口普查是在一年後的西元前7年進行。
122:7.2 (1350.4) It was not necessary that Mary should go to Bethlehem for enrollment—Joseph was authorized to register for his family—but Mary, being an adventurous and aggressive person, insisted on accompanying him. She feared being left alone lest the child be born while Joseph was away, and again, Bethlehem being not far from the City of Judah, Mary foresaw a possible pleasurable visit with her kinswoman Elizabeth.
122:7.2 (1350.4) 瑪利亞並不需要前往伯利恆註冊——約瑟夫有權代他家人登記——但瑪利亞是一個愛冒險和積極行動的人，堅持陪他一起。她害怕被獨自留下，唯恐孩子在約瑟夫離開時出生，再者，伯利恆離猶大城不遠，瑪利亞預見可能會與她親戚伊莉莎白有一次愉快的探訪。
122:7.3 (1350.5) Joseph virtually forbade Mary to accompany him, but it was of no avail; when the food was packed for the trip of three or four days, she prepared double rations and made ready for the journey. But before they actually set forth, Joseph was reconciled to Mary’s going along, and they cheerfully departed from Nazareth at the break of day.
122:7.3 (1350.5) 約瑟夫幾乎禁止瑪利亞隨行，但是無濟於事；當收拾為期三四天旅行的食物時，瑪利亞準備了雙份口糧，並為旅行做好了準備。不過在他們實際出發之前，約瑟夫接受了瑪利亞的陪同，他們在破曉時分興高采烈地從拿撒勒出發。
122:7.4 (1350.6) Joseph and Mary were poor, and since they had only one beast of burden, Mary, being large with child, rode on the animal with the provisions while Joseph walked, leading the beast. The building and furnishing of a home had been a great drain on Joseph since he had also to contribute to the support of his parents, as his father had been recently disabled. And so this Jewish couple went forth from their humble home early on the morning of August 18, 7 b.c., on their journey to Bethlehem.
122:7.4 (1350.6) 約瑟夫和瑪利亞很貧窮，由於他們只有一頭役畜，瑪利亞在懷孕後期，帶著糧食騎在牲畜上，而約瑟夫則牽著牲畜步行。建造和裝飾房子對約瑟夫是一個巨大的負擔，因為他還要提供對他父母的贍養，因為他父親最近殘疾了。於是這對猶太夫婦在西元前7年8月18日清早從他們簡陋的家中出發，踏上前往伯利恆的旅程。
122:7.5 (1351.1) Their first day of travel carried them around the foothills of Mount Gilboa, where they camped for the night by the river Jordan and engaged in many speculations as to what sort of a son would be born to them, Joseph adhering to the concept of a spiritual teacher and Mary holding to the idea of a Jewish Messiah, a deliverer of the Hebrew nation.
122:7.5 (1351.1) 他們第一天的旅行繞過了基利波山的山麓，在那裡他們在約旦河邊露營過夜，並就他們將會生下怎樣的孩子進行了許多臆測，約瑟夫堅持一位靈性導師的概念，瑪利亞則支持猶太彌賽亞的觀念，即一位希伯來民族的拯救者。
122:7.6 (1351.2) Bright and early the morning of August 19, Joseph and Mary were again on their way. They partook of their noontide meal at the foot of Mount Sartaba, overlooking the Jordan valley, and journeyed on, making Jericho for the night, where they stopped at an inn on the highway in the outskirts of the city. Following the evening meal and after much discussion concerning the oppressiveness of Roman rule, Herod, the census enrollment, and the comparative influence of Jerusalem and Alexandria as centers of Jewish learning and culture, the Nazareth travelers retired for the night’s rest. Early in the morning of August 20 they resumed their journey, reaching Jerusalem before noon, visiting the temple, and going on to their destination, arriving at Bethlehem in midafternoon.
122:7.6 (1351.2) 8月19日清早，約瑟夫和瑪利亞再次上路。他們在薩塔巴山腳下享用了他們的午餐，俯瞰約旦河谷，接著繼續旅程，抵達耶利哥過夜，他們在城市郊區公路上的一家旅店停留。晚餐後，在討論了許多關於羅馬統治的壓迫、希律王、人口普查登記以及耶路撒冷和亞歷山卓作為猶太學習和教化中心的相對影響之後，這對拿撒勒的旅行者休息就寢。8月20日一大早，他們繼續他們的旅程，在中午前到達了耶路撒冷，參觀了聖殿，然後繼續前往他們的目的地，在下午3點左右抵達伯利恆。
122:7.7 (1351.3) The inn was overcrowded, and Joseph accordingly sought lodgings with distant relatives, but every room in Bethlehem was filled to overflowing. On returning to the courtyard of the inn, he was informed that the caravan stables, hewn out of the side of the rock and situated just below the inn, had been cleared of animals and cleaned up for the reception of lodgers. Leaving the donkey in the courtyard, Joseph shouldered their bags of clothing and provisions and with Mary descended the stone steps to their lodgings below. They found themselves located in what had been a grain storage room to the front of the stalls and mangers. Tent curtains had been hung, and they counted themselves fortunate to have such comfortable quarters.
122:7.7 (1351.3) 旅店人滿為患，約瑟夫於是尋求寄宿遠親，但伯利恆的每個房間都擠滿了人。在回到旅店院子時，他被告知位於旅店下方從岩石邊鑿出的商隊馬廄已清除了動物，並打掃好準備接待寄住客。約瑟夫把驢子留在院子，扛起衣服和食物包裹，與瑪利亞一同走下石階來到他們下方的住處。他們發現自己身處一個曾經是穀物儲存間，就在牲畜隔欄和馬槽前面。帳簾已掛好，他們認為自己很幸運擁有這樣舒適的住處。
122:7.8 (1351.4) Joseph had thought to go out at once and enroll, but Mary was weary; she was considerably distressed and besought him to remain by her side, which he did.
122:7.8 (1351.4) 約瑟夫原想立刻出去登記，但瑪利亞很疲倦；她感到相當不適，並懇求他留在她身旁，他也這樣做了。
122:8.1 (1351.5) All that night Mary was restless so that neither of them slept much. By the break of day the pangs of childbirth were well in evidence, and at noon, August 21, 7 b.c., with the help and kind ministrations of women fellow travelers, Mary was delivered of a male child. Jesus of Nazareth was born into the world, was wrapped in the clothes which Mary had brought along for such a possible contingency, and laid in a near-by manger.
122:8.1 (1351.5) 那一整夜瑪利亞都焦躁不安，以致他們兩人都沒睡好。黎明時分，分娩的陣痛已經非常明顯，在西元前7年8月21日中午，在女性同行旅客的幫助和親切照顧下，瑪利亞生了一個男孩。拿撒勒的耶穌降生到世上，被包裹在瑪利亞為這樣一種可能情況所帶來的衣服裡，並被放到附近的馬槽中。
122:8.2 (1351.6) In just the same manner as all babies before that day and since have come into the world, the promised child was born; and on the eighth day, according to the Jewish practice, he was circumcised and formally named Joshua (Jesus).
122:8.2 (1351.6) 就像那天之前及之後所有嬰兒來到這個世界的方式一樣，應許之子誕生了；在第八日，依照猶太人慣例，他受了割禮並被正式取名為約書亞（耶穌）。
122:8.3 (1351.7) The next day after the birth of Jesus, Joseph made his enrollment. Meeting a man they had talked with two nights previously at Jericho, Joseph was taken by him to a well-to-do friend who had a room at the inn, and who said he would gladly exchange quarters with the Nazareth couple. That afternoon they moved up to the inn, where they lived for almost three weeks until they found lodgings in the home of a distant relative of Joseph.
122:8.3 (1351.7) 在耶穌誕生後隔天，約瑟夫進行了他的登記。約瑟夫遇到一個前兩晚他們在耶利哥交談過的一名男子，他帶約瑟夫去見一位在旅店有個房間的富有朋友，這位富有朋友說到他很高興與這對拿撒勒夫婦交換住處。那天下午，他們搬到上面的旅店，在那裡住了幾近三個星期，直到他們在約瑟夫的一個遠親家中找到住處。
122:8.4 (1351.8) The second day after the birth of Jesus, Mary sent word to Elizabeth that her child had come and received word in return inviting Joseph up to Jerusalem to talk over all their affairs with Zacharias. The following week Joseph went to Jerusalem to confer with Zacharias. Both Zacharias and Elizabeth had become possessed with the sincere conviction that Jesus was indeed to become the Jewish deliverer, the Messiah, and that their son John was to be his chief of aides, his right-hand man of destiny. And since Mary held these same ideas, it was not difficult to prevail upon Joseph to remain in Bethlehem, the City of David, so that Jesus might grow up to become the successor of David on the throne of all Israel. Accordingly, they remained in Bethlehem more than a year, Joseph meantime working some at his carpenter’s trade.
122:8.4 (1351.8) 耶穌誕生後第二天，瑪利亞傳話給伊莉莎白，她的孩子已經到來，並收到回復邀請約瑟夫前往耶路撒冷與撒迦利亞詳談所有他們的事務。接下來的一周約瑟夫前往耶路撒冷與撒迦利亞商討。撒迦利亞和伊莉莎白都真誠地相信耶穌的確會成為猶太人的拯救者——彌賽亞，而他們的兒子約翰會成為他的首席助手，他天命的得力助手。由於瑪利亞持有這些同樣的觀念，說服約瑟夫留在大衛之城伯利恆也就不困難了，這樣耶穌可以長大成為大衛的繼承者，坐在全以色列的寶座上。因此，他們待在伯利恆一年多，約瑟夫同時做一些他的木匠工作。
122:8.5 (1352.1) At the noontide birth of Jesus the seraphim of Urantia, assembled under their directors, did sing anthems of glory over the Bethlehem manger, but these utterances of praise were not heard by human ears. No shepherds nor any other mortal creatures came to pay homage to the babe of Bethlehem until the day of the arrival of certain priests from Ur, who were sent down from Jerusalem by Zacharias.
122:8.5 (1352.1) 在耶穌誕生的正午時分，玉苒廈的熾天使們在他們主管者召集下，的確在伯利恆馬槽上唱過榮耀的讚美詩，但這些讚美的話語並未被人類的耳朵聽到。沒有牧羊人或任何其他凡人受造物前來向伯利恆的嬰兒致敬，直到撒迦利亞從耶路撒冷派來的來自烏爾的某些祭司抵達的那一天。
122:8.6 (1352.2) These priests from Mesopotamia had been told sometime before by a strange religious teacher of their country that he had had a dream in which he was informed that “the light of life” was about to appear on earth as a babe and among the Jews. And thither went these three teachers looking for this “light of life.” After many weeks of futile search in Jerusalem, they were about to return to Ur when Zacharias met them and disclosed his belief that Jesus was the object of their quest and sent them on to Bethlehem, where they found the babe and left their gifts with Mary, his earth mother. The babe was almost three weeks old at the time of their visit.
122:8.6 (1352.2) 這些來自美索不達米亞的祭司，之前某個時候曾被他們國家一個奇特的宗教導師告知，說他做了一個夢，夢中得知「生命之光」即將作為一個嬰兒出現在世上，並出現在猶太人之間。這三位導師就去那尋找這「生命之光」。在耶路撒冷徒勞搜尋了幾個星期之後，當他們即將返回烏爾時，撒迦利亞遇到他們並透露了他相信耶穌就是他們要尋找的對象，並將他們送往伯利恆，在那裡，他們找到了嬰兒並將他們的禮物留給了他的世間母親瑪利亞。在他們探望時，嬰兒已經快三周大了。
122:8.7 (1352.3) These wise men saw no star to guide them to Bethlehem. The beautiful legend of the star of Bethlehem originated in this way: Jesus was born August 21 at noon, 7 b.c. On May 29, 7 b.c., there occurred an extraordinary conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces. And it is a remarkable astronomic fact that similar conjunctions occurred on September 29 and December 5 of the same year. Upon the basis of these extraordinary but wholly natural events the well-meaning zealots of the succeeding generation constructed the appealing legend of the star of Bethlehem and the adoring Magi led thereby to the manger, where they beheld and worshiped the newborn babe. Oriental and near-Oriental minds delight in fairy stories, and they are continually spinning such beautiful myths about the lives of their religious leaders and political heroes. In the absence of printing, when most human knowledge was passed by word of mouth from one generation to another, it was very easy for myths to become traditions and for traditions eventually to become accepted as facts.
122:8.7 (1352.3) 這些智者並未看到任何星星引導他們來到伯利恆。 關於伯利恆之星的美好傳說是這樣產生的：耶穌生於西元前7年8月21日中午。在西元前7年5月29日，木星和土星在雙魚座中發生了一次非凡的合相。類似的合相發生在同年的9月29日和12月5日，而這一個令人驚奇的天文事實。在這些非凡然卻完全自然事件的基礎上，後繼世代的善意狂熱者構建了伯利恆之星以及敬慕的東方三博士（Magi）受其指引來到馬槽並在那裡他們見到並崇拜新生嬰兒之引人入聖的傳說。東方和近東（near-Oriental）的智者喜歡神話故事，他們不斷編織這類有關他們宗教領袖和政治英雄生活的優美神話。在沒有印刷的情況下，當大多人類知識是靠世世代代口口相傳時，神話很容易變成傳說，而傳說很容易最終被接受為事實。
122:9.1 (1352.4) Moses had taught the Jews that every first-born son belonged to the Lord, and that, in lieu of his sacrifice as was the custom among the heathen nations, such a son might live provided his parents would redeem him by the payment of five shekels to any authorized priest. There was also a Mosaic ordinance which directed that a mother, after the passing of a certain period of time, should present herself (or have someone make the proper sacrifice for her) at the temple for purification. It was customary to perform both of these ceremonies at the same time. Accordingly, Joseph and Mary went up to the temple at Jerusalem in person to present Jesus to the priests and effect his redemption and also to make the proper sacrifice to insure Mary’s ceremonial purification from the alleged uncleanness of childbirth.
122:9.1 (1352.4) 摩西教導過猶太人，每個長子都屬於上主，而為了代替異族國家中用長子祭獻的習俗，只要他的父母向任何一個經授權的祭司支付五個舍克勒來贖回他，這樣的一個兒子便可以存活。還有一條摩西法令，指示一位母親在過一段時間後應該到聖殿凈化（或是讓某人為她做出適當的祭獻）。習慣上這兩種儀式會同時進行。因此，約瑟夫和瑪利亞親自前往耶路撒冷聖殿，將耶穌呈給祭司，實現了他的贖回，同時也做出適當祭獻，以確保瑪利亞從所謂分娩的不潔中得到儀式性凈化。
122:9.2 (1353.1) There lingered constantly about the courts of the temple two remarkable characters, Simeon a singer and Anna a poetess. Simeon was a Judean, but Anna was a Galilean. This couple were frequently in each other’s company, and both were intimates of the priest Zacharias, who had confided the secret of John and Jesus to them. Both Simeon and Anna longed for the coming of the Messiah, and their confidence in Zacharias led them to believe that Jesus was the expected deliverer of the Jewish people.
122:9.2 (1353.1) 有兩個引人注目的人物經常在聖殿庭院周圍徘徊，歌者西面和女詩人亞拿。西面是一個猶大人，亞拿則是一個加利利人。這兩個人經常在一起，兩者都是祭司撒迦利亞的密友，撒迦利亞向他們透露了約翰和耶穌的秘密。西面和亞拿都渴望彌賽亞的到來，他們對撒迦利亞的信任使他們相信耶穌就是猶太人期盼的拯救者。
122:9.3 (1353.2) Zacharias knew the day Joseph and Mary were expected to appear at the temple with Jesus, and he had prearranged with Simeon and Anna to indicate, by the salute of his upraised hand, which one in the procession of first-born children was Jesus.
122:9.3 (1353.2) 撒迦利亞知道約瑟夫和瑪利亞將帶著耶穌出現在聖殿的日子，他已經與西面和亞拿預先安排好，透過他的舉手示意指出在長子隊伍中哪一個是耶穌。
122:9.4 (1353.3) For this occasion Anna had written a poem which Simeon proceeded to sing, much to the astonishment of Joseph, Mary, and all who were assembled in the temple courts. And this was their hymn of the redemption of the first-born son:
122:9.4 (1353.3) 亞拿已為這個場合寫了一首詩，西面繼而唱了起來，這令約瑟夫、瑪利亞及所有聚集在聖殿庭院的人都感到極為驚訝。而以下就是他們對於長子贖回的讚美詩：
122:9.5 (1353.4) Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
122:9.5 (1353.4) 上主––以色列的神是應當稱頌的，
122:9.6 (1353.5) For he has visited us and wrought redemption for his people;
122:9.6 (1353.5) 因他眷顧我們並為他的子民帶來了救贖；
122:9.7 (1353.6) He has raised up a horn of salvation for all of us
122:9.7 (1353.6) 他已為我們興起了拯救的角
122:9.8 (1353.7) In the house of his servant David.
122:9.8 (1353.7) 在他的僕人大衛家中。
122:9.9 (1353.8) Even as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets —
122:9.9 (1353.8) 正如他藉著他的聖先知們的口所說的——
122:9.10 (1353.9) Salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us;
122:9.10 (1353.9) 拯救我們脫離我們的仇敵和一切恨我們之人的手；
122:9.11 (1353.10) To show mercy to our fathers, and remember his holy covenant —
122:9.11 (1353.10) 向我們列祖施憐悯，記得他的聖約——
122:9.12 (1353.11) The oath which he swore to Abraham our father,
122:9.12 (1353.11) 他對我們祖先亞伯拉罕所起的誓，
122:9.13 (1353.12) To grant us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies,
122:9.13 (1353.12) 要把我們從我們仇敵手中拯救出來，
122:9.14 (1353.13) Should serve him without fear,
122:9.14 (1353.13) 就可以無所畏懼地事奉他，
122:9.15 (1353.14) In holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
122:9.15 (1353.14) 終身在他面前，以聖潔與公義。
122:9.16 (1353.15) Yes, and you, child of promise, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
122:9.16 (1353.15) 是的，你，應許之子，應被稱為極高者的先知；
122:9.17 (1353.16) For you shall go before the face of the Lord to establish his kingdom;
122:9.17 (1353.16) 因為你要走在上主的面前去建立他的王國;
122:9.18 (1353.17) To give knowledge of salvation to his people
122:9.18 (1353.17) 把救恩的知識傳給他的子民，
122:9.19 (1353.18) In the remission of their sins.
122:9.19 (1353.18) 藉由赦免他們的罪。
122:9.20 (1353.19) Rejoice in the tender mercy of our God because the dayspring from on high has now visited us
122:9.20 (1353.19) 在神的溫柔憐憫中欣喜吧，因為從高天來的黎明以降臨到我們
122:9.21 (1353.20) To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death;
122:9.21 (1353.20) 要照亮那些位於在黑暗中和死亡陰影下的人；
122:9.22 (1353.21) To guide our feet into ways of peace.
122:9.22 (1353.21) 引導我們雙腳走上平安的路。
122:9.23 (1353.22) And now let your servant depart in peace, O Lord, according to your word,
122:9.23 (1353.22) 上主啊，照你的話，讓你的僕人安然去吧，
122:9.24 (1353.23) For my eyes have seen your salvation,
122:9.24 (1353.23) 因為我的眼睛已經看見你的救恩，
122:9.25 (1353.24) Which you have prepared before the face of all peoples;
122:9.25 (1353.24) 就是你在萬民面前所預備的；
122:9.26 (1353.25) A light for even the unveiling of the gentiles
122:9.26 (1353.25) 乃至為外邦人揭示的光，
122:9.27 (1353.26) And the glory of your people Israel.
122:9.27 (1353.26) 以及你的子民以色列的榮耀。
122:9.28 (1353.27) On the way back to Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary were silent—confused and overawed. Mary was much disturbed by the farewell salutation of Anna, the aged poetess, and Joseph was not in harmony with this premature effort to make Jesus out to be the expected Messiah of the Jewish people.
122:9.28 (1353.27) 在返回伯利恆的路上，約瑟夫和瑪利亞沉默不語——感到困惑和敬畏。瑪利亞對年長女詩人亞拿的告別致意感到不安，約瑟夫也不同意這種過早將耶穌描繪成猶太人民期盼的彌賽亞的努力。
122:10.1 (1353.28) 然而希律的監看者們並沒有閒著。當他們向他報告烏爾的祭司拜訪伯利恆時，希律傳喚這些迦勒底人來到他面前。他費盡心思地訊問這些智者有關「猶太人的國王」，但對於他們說這個嬰兒是由一個和她丈夫前來伯利恆進行人口普查登記的婦女所生的解釋，他並不滿意。因希律對這個回答不滿意，他給他們酬金並指示他們應找到孩子，這樣他也可以前來敬拜他，因為他們已宣稱他的王國將是屬靈的，而非世俗的。但當智者並未返回時，希律變得懷疑。當他在心中反覆思量這些事時，他的密探們返回並對聖殿的最近發生的事情做了詳細報告，帶給他西面在耶穌的贖回儀式上所唱讚歌的部分抄本。但他們未能跟蹤約瑟夫和瑪利亞，希律對他們無法告訴他這對夫婦帶嬰兒前往哪裡，感到非常憤怒。他隨後派遣搜查人員去尋找約瑟夫和瑪利亞。因知道希律在追捕這一拿撒勒家庭，撒迦利亞和伊莉莎白繼續遠離伯利恆。這男嬰被隱藏在約瑟夫的親戚處所。
122:10.2 (1354.1) 約瑟夫不敢找工作，他們微薄的積蓄迅速耗盡。甚至在聖殿凈化儀式時，約瑟夫認為他自己窮到足以證明他為瑪利亞獻上兩隻雛鴿的正當性，正如同摩西為貧窮母親之凈化所指示的。
122:10.3 (1354.2) 當希律的密探在一年多的搜查後還未能找到耶穌時，加上由於懷疑嬰兒仍被藏匿在伯利恆，他準備了一個命令，指示對伯利恆的每一家庭進行系統性搜查，並殺死所有兩歲以下的男嬰。 希律希望以這種方式確保這個將要成為「猶太人的國王」的嬰兒被消滅。就這樣，猶大的伯利恆在一天內有十六名男嬰喪生。不過，陰謀和謀殺在希律的宮廷中是司空見慣，即便是在他自己的直系家族中。
122:10.4 (1354.3) The massacre of these infants took place about the middle of October, 6 B.C., when Jesus was a little over one year of age. But there were believers in the coming Messiah even among Herod’s court attachés, and one of these, learning of the order to slaughter the Bethlehem boy babies, communicated with Zacharias, who in turn dispatched a messenger to Joseph; and the night before the massacre Joseph and Mary departed from Bethlehem with the babe for Alexandria in Egypt. In order to avoid attracting attention, they journeyed alone to Egypt with Jesus. They went to Alexandria on funds provided by Zacharias, and there Joseph worked at his trade while Mary and Jesus lodged with well-to-do relatives of Joseph’s family. They sojourned in Alexandria two full years, not returning to Bethlehem until after the death of Herod.
122:10.4 (1354.3) 這些嬰兒的大屠殺大約發生在西元前6年10月中旬，當時耶穌一歲多一點。但即便在希律的宮廷侍從中，也有人相信即將到來的彌賽亞，其中一人得知了屠殺伯利恆男嬰的命令便與撒迦利亞聯絡，撒迦利亞進而派遣信使去見約瑟夫；在大屠殺的前一晚，約瑟夫和瑪利亞帶著嬰兒離開伯利恆，前往埃及亞歷山卓。 為了避免引起注意，他們獨自帶著耶穌前往埃及。他們靠撒迦利亞所提供的資金前往亞歷山卓，約瑟夫在那裡做他的工作，而瑪利亞和耶穌則與約瑟夫家族的富有親戚們住在一起。他們在亞歷山卓旅居了整整兩年，直到希律死後才返回伯利恆。