BRETHREN, by faith Abraham sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city which has foundation, whose builder and maker is God.

And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets - who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated - of whom the world was not worthy - wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

يَُّا إِخْوَة، بِالإِيمَانِ إِبْرَاهِيمُ تَغَرَّبَ فِي أَرْضِ الْمَوْعِدِ كَأَنَّهَا غَرِيبَةٌ، سَاكِناً فِي خِيَامٍ مَعَ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ الْوَارِثَيْنِ مَعَهُ لِهَذَا الْمَوْعِدِ عَيْنِهِ. لأَنَّهُ كَانَ يَنْتَظِرُ الْمَدِينَةَ الَّتِي لَهَا الأَسَاسَاتُ، الَّتِي صَانِعُهَا وَبَارِئُهَا اللهُ. وَمَاذَا أَقُولُ أَيْضاً؟ لأَنَّهُ يُعْوِزُنِي الْوَقْتُ إِنْ أَخْبَرْتُ عَنْ جِدْعُونَ، وَبَارَاقَ، وَشَمْشُونَ، وَيَفْتَاحَ، وَدَاوُدَ، وَصَمُوئِيلَ، وَالأَنْبِيَاءِ، الَّذِينَ بِالإِيمَانِ قَهَرُوا مَمَالِكَ، صَنَعُوا بِرّاً، نَالُوا مَوَاعِيدَ، سَدُّوا أَفْوَاهَ أُسُودٍ، أَطْفَأُوا قُوَّةَ النَّارِ، نَجَوْا مِنْ حَدِّ السَّيْفِ، تَقَّوُوا مِنْ ضُعْفٍ، صَارُوا أَشِدَّاءَ فِي الْحَرْبِ، هَزَمُوا جُيُوشَ غُرَبَاءَ، أَخَذَتْ نِسَاءٌ أَمْوَاتَهُنَّ بِقِيَامَةٍ. وَآخَرُونَ عُذِّبُوا وَلَمْ يَقْبَلُوا النَّجَاةَ لِكَيْ يَنَالُوا قِيَامَةً أَفْضَلَ. وَآخَرُونَ تَجَرَّبُوا فِي هُزُءٍ وَجَلْدٍ، ثُمَّ فِي قُيُودٍ أَيْضاً وَحَبْسٍ. رُجِمُوا، نُشِرُوا، جُرِّبُوا، مَاتُوا قَتْلاً بِالسَّيْفِ، طَافُوا فِي جُلُودِ غَنَمٍ وَجُلُودِ مِعْزَى، مُعْتَازِينَ مَكْرُوبِينَ مُذَلِّينَ، وَهُمْ لَمْ يَكُنِ الْعَالَمُ مُسْتَحِقّاً لَهُمْ. تَائِهِينَ فِي بَرَارِيَّ وَجِبَالٍ وَمَغَايِرَ وَشُقُوقِ الأَرْضِ. فَهَؤُلاَءِ كُلُّهُمْ، مَشْهُوداً لَهُمْ بِالإِيمَانِ، لَمْ يَنَالُوا الْمَوْعِدَ، إِذْ سَبَقَ اللهُ فَنَظَرَ لَنَا شَيْئاً أَفْضَلَ، لِكَيْ لاَ يُكْمَلُوا بِدُونِنَا.

The book of the Genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa, and Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel" (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.

¹ كِتَابُ مِيلاَدِ يَسُوعَ الْمَسِيحِ ابْنِ دَاوُدَ ابْنِ إِبْراهِيمَ: ²إِبْراهِيمُ وَلَدَ إِسْحاقَ. وَإِسْحاقُ وَلَدَ يَعْقُوبَ. وَيَعْقُوبُ وَلَدَ يَهُوذَا وَإِخْوَتَهُ. ³وَيَهُوذَا وَلَدَ فَارِصَ وَزَارَحَ مِنْ ثَامَارَ. وَفَارِصُ وَلَدَ حَصْرُونَ. وَحَصْرُونُ وَلَدَ أَرَامَ. ⁴وَأَرَامُ وَلَدَ عَمِّينَادَابَ. وَعَمِّينَادَابُ وَلَدَ نَحْشُونَ. وَنَحْشُونُ وَلَدَ سَلْمُونَ. ⁵وَسَلْمُونُ وَلَدَ بُوعَزَ مِنْ رَاحَابَ. وَبُوعَزُ وَلَدَ عُوبِيدَ مِنْ رَاعُوثَ. وَعُوبِيدُ وَلَدَ يَسَّى.⁶وَيَسَّى وَلَدَ دَاوُدَ الْمَلِكَ. وَدَاوُدُ الْمَلِكُ وَلَدَ سُلَيْمَانَ مِنَ الَّتِي لأُورِيَّا. ⁷وَسُلَيْمَانُ وَلَدَ رَحَبْعَامَ. وَرَحَبْعَامُ وَلَدَ أَبِيَّا. وَأَبِيَّا وَلَدَ آسَا. ⁸وَآسَا وَلَدَ يَهُوشَافَاطَ. وَيَهُوشَافَاطُ وَلَدَ يُورَامَ. وَيُورَامُ وَلَدَ عُزِّيَّا. ⁹وَعُزِّيَّا وَلَدَ يُوثَامَ. وَيُوثَامُ وَلَدَ أَحَازَ. وَأَحَازُ وَلَدَ حَزَقِيَّا. ¹⁰وَحَزَقِيَّا وَلَدَ مَنَسَّى. وَمَنَسَّى وَلَدَ آمُونَ. وَآمُونُ وَلَدَ يُوشِيَّا. ¹¹وَيُوشِيَّا وَلَدَ يَكُنْيَا وَإِخْوَتَهُ عِنْدَ سَبْيِ بَابِلَ. ¹²وَبَعْدَ سَبْيِ بَابِلَ يَكُنْيَا وَلَدَ شَأَلْتِئِيلَ. وَشَأَلْتِئِيلُ وَلَدَ زَرُبَّابِلَ. ¹³وَزَرُبَّابِلُ وَلَدَ أَبِيهُودَ. وَأَبِيهُودُ وَلَدَ أَلِيَاقِيمَ. وَأَلِيَاقِيمُ وَلَدَ عَازُورَ. ¹⁴وَعَازُورُ وَلَدَ صَادُوقَ. وَصَادُوقُ وَلَدَ أَخِيمَ. وَأَخِيمُ وَلَدَ أَلِيُودَ. ¹⁵وَأَلِيُودُ وَلَدَ أَلِيعَازَرَ. وَأَلِيعَازَرُ وَلَدَ مَتَّانَ. وَمَتَّانُ وَلَدَ يَعْقُوبَ. ¹⁶وَيَعْقُوبُ وَلَدَ يُوسُفَ رَجُلَ مَرْيَمَ الَّتِي وُلِدَ مِنْهَا يَسُوعُ الَّذِي يُدْعَى الْمَسِيحَ. ¹⁷فَجَمِيعُ الأَجْيَالِ مِنْ إِبْراهِيمَ إِلَى دَاوُدَ أَرْبَعَةَ عَشَرَ جِيلاً ، وَمِنْ دَاوُدَ إِلَى سَبْيِ بَابِلَ أَرْبَعَةَ عَشَرَ جِيلاً ، وَمِنْ سَبْيِ بَابِلَ إِلَى الْمَسِيحِ أَرْبَعَةَ عَشَرَ جِيلاً. ¹⁸أَمَّا وِلاَدَةُ يَسُوعَ الْمَسِيحِ فَكَانَتْ هَكَذَا: لَمَّا كَانَتْ مَرْيَمُ أُمُّهُ مَخْطُوبَةً لِيُوسُفَ ، قَبْلَ أَنْ يَجْتَمِعَا ، وُجِدَتْ حُبْلَى مِنَ الرُّوحِ الْقُدُسِ. ¹⁹فَيُوسُفُ رَجُلُهَا إِذْ كَانَ بَارّاً ، وَلَمْ يَشَأْ أَنْ يُشْهِرَهَا ، أَرَادَ تَخْلِيَتَهَا سِرّاً. ²⁰وَلَكِنْ فِيمَا هُوَ مُتَفَكِّرٌ فِي هَذِهِ الأُمُورِ ، إِذَا مَلاَكُ الرَّبِّ قَدْ ظَهَرَ لَهُ فِي حُلْمٍ قَائِلاً: ((يَا يُوسُفُ ابْنَ دَاوُدَ ، لاَ تَخَفْ أَنْ تَأْخُذَ مَرْيَمَ امْرَأَتَكَ ، لأَنَّ الَّذِي حُبِلَ بِهِ فِيهَا هُوَ مِنَ الرُّوحِ الْقُدُسِ.²¹فَسَتَلِدُ ابْناً وَتَدْعُو اسْمَهُ يَسُوعَ . لأَنَّهُ يُخَلِّصُ شَعْبَهُ مِنْ خَطَايَاهُمْ)). ²²وَهَذَا كُلُّهُ كَانَ لِكَيْ يَتِمَّ مَا قِيلَ مِنَ الرَّبِّ بِالنَّبِيِّ القَائِلِ : ²³((هُوَذَا الْعَذْرَاءُ تَحْبَلُ وَتَلِدُ ابْناً ، وَيَدْعُونَ اسْمَهُ عِمَّانُوئِيلَ)) الَّذِي تَفْسِيرُهُ: اَللَّهُ مَعَنَا .²⁴فَلَمَّا اسْتَيْقَظَ يُوسُفُ مِنَ النَّوْمِ فَعَلَ كَمَا أَمَرَهُ مَلاَكُ الرَّبِّ ، وَأَخَذَ امْرَأَتَهُ. ²⁵وَلَمْ يَعْرِفْهَا حَتَّى وَلَدَتِ ابْنَهَا الْبِكْرَ. وَدَعَا اسْمَهُ يَسُوعَ.