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Matthew 1:18

King James Version (KJV)

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Translations

Matthew 1:18 - Amplified Bible

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place under these circumstances: When His mother Mary had been promised in marriage to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be pregnant [through the power] of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:18 - American Standard Version

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:18 - Bible in Basic English

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was in this way: when his mother Mary was going to be married to Joseph, before they came together the discovery was made that she was with child by the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:18 - Darby Bible

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was thus: His mother, Mary, that is, having been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child of [the] Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:18 - English Standard Version

Now the birth of Jesus Christ to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:18 - King James Version

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Matthew 1:18 - La Biblia de las Americas

Y el nacimiento de Jesucristo fue como sigue. Estando su madre Marìa desposada con José, antes de que se consumara el matrimonio, se hallò que habìa concebido por obra del Espìritu Santo.

Matthew 1:18 - The Message

The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn’t know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.

Matthew 1:18 - New American Standard Bible

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:18 - Nueva Biblia Latinoamericana de Hoy

El nacimiento de Jesucristo fue como sigue: estando Su madre Marìa comprometida para casarse con José, antes de que se llevara a cabo el matrimonio, se hallò que habìa concebido por obra del Espìritu Santo.

Matthew 1:18 - World English Bible

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this; because when his mother, Mary, had been engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:18 - Young's Living Translation

And of Jesus Christ, the birth was thus: For his mother Mary having been betrothed to Joseph, before their coming together she was found to have conceived from the Holy Spirit,

Matthew 1:18 - Additional Comments

Before Mary and Joseph consummated their marriage, Mary found herself with child.
Jewish marriages in that day consisted of three stages:
1. The agreement to be married, which was often made by the father when his children were young.
2. The betrothal, which was a formal binding pledge made by the man and the woman. It was much more than engagement is today - there was a commitment that could only be broken through a formal divorce.
3. The marriage, after which the husband and the wife lived together as a marriage couple.
Jewish couples were engaged for a long while before they had the wedding ceremony. This period was legally binding and could only be broken with a formal divorce proceeding.
It was important that Mary was still a virgin, because this allowed Jesus to be born via the Holy Spirit, without a trace of the sin carried forth from Adam. Yet, Jesus was born of Mary, allowing Him to be human.

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