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Luke 2:1

King James Version (KJV)

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

Translations

Luke 2:1 - Amplified Bible

IN THOSE days it occurred that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole Roman empire should be registered.

Luke 2:1 - American Standard Version

Now it came to pass in those days, there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be enrolled.

Luke 2:1 - Bible in Basic English

Now it came about in those days that an order went out from Caesar Augustus that there was to be a numbering of all the world.

Luke 2:1 - Darby Bible

But it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census should be made of all the habitable world.

Luke 2:1 - English Standard Version

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

Luke 2:1 - King James Version

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

Luke 2:1 - La Biblia de las Americas

Y aconteciò en aquellos dìas que saliò un edicto de César Augusto, para que se hiciera un censo de todo el mundo habitado (I.e., el Imperio Romano).

Luke 2:1 - The Message

About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.

Luke 2:1 - New American Standard Bible

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all (I.e. the Roman empire) the inhabited earth.

Luke 2:1 - Nueva Biblia Latinoamericana de Hoy

Aconteciò en aquellos dìas que saliò un edicto de César Augusto, para que se hiciera un censo de todo el mundo habitado (el Imperio Romano).

Luke 2:1 - World English Bible

Now it happened in those days, that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.

Luke 2:1 - Young's Living Translation

And it came to pass in those days, there went forth a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world be enrolled --

Luke 2:1 - Additional Comments

Luke is the only gospel writer who gave a detailed account of the place & circumstances of Jesus' birth. As a historian, he establishes the birth of Jesus as an event in history by giving the date & location of these happenings.
During the reign of Caesar Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD) census taking occurred about every 5 years. Since Herod the Great's rule (see Matthew 2:1-20, and notes on Herod in Acts 12:1) was from 37-4 BC, this places the birth of Christ from 6-4 BC.
Note that Rome had control of the civilized world at that time. In fact, it was during the reign of Caesar Augustus that Rome's rule reached it farthest points in its history.

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