1 In those days, a decree came from Augustus, which ordered a census to be carried out throughout the land, and to hand over emperor the taxes due to the treasury, each having to pay annually a tithe calculated on the nominative status of the people belonging to his house. In view of this, Joseph decided to appear with Mary at the census, to be registered in it, as well as the other people in his family. And immediately he harnessed his saddle, and prepared everything necessary for his bodily subsistence. And, taking his youngest son with him, Joseph placed Mary on the donkey, and together they set out, following the route that heads south.
2 And when they were fifteen furlongs from Nazareth, which is nine miles, Joseph looked at Mary, and saw that his countenance was altered, gloomy and melancholy. He thought to himself: She is pregnant, and because of her pregnancy, she cannot stand on her horse well. And he asked Mary: Why is your soul sad and troubled? And Mary replied: How could I be happy, finding myself, as I am, pregnant, and not knowing where I am going? Joseph said: You are right, Mary. But blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has delivered us from the slander and denigration of men. And Mary replied: Did I not tell you some time ago, in the hope that you would believe me, that I was not aware of any fault, and that you judged me with reckless lightness, despite my innocence? But the Lord of all things is the one who has delivered me from mortal dangers.
3 And, after having walked for an hour, Joseph looked again at Mary, and saw with joy that she was trembled with joy. And María questioned him: Why are you looking at me, and why do you insist on asking me? José said: It’s just that I admire the changes in your face, sometimes sad and sometimes happy. Mary said: I exalt myself with joy, because God has preserved me from the ambushes of the enemy. But I want, for your instruction, to reveal something new to you. Joseph said: Let’s see. Mary said: I am glad and I am sad, because I see two armies composed of numerous battalions: one on the right and one on the left. The soldiers of the one on the right appear happy, and those of the one on the left appear sad.
4 When Joseph heard this, he was astonished, and, sinking into reflection, he said to himself: What does this strange vision mean? ? And, at the same moment, an angel addressed Mary, and said to her: Rejoice, virgin and servant of the Lord. Do you see the sign that has appeared? Mary said: Yes. The angel said: Today, the pains of your liberation are near. The troops that you see on the right are made up of all the multitudes of the army of incorporeal angels, who observe and wait for your holy birth, to go and worship the newborn child, son of the divine king and sovereign of Israel. The troops you see on the left are the assembled battalions of the legion of black-clad demons, who await the event with great confusion, because they are going to be defeated. And, having heard these words of the angel, Joseph and Mary were comforted, and they gave lively acts of grace to God.
5 And so they walked, on a cold winter day, on the 21st of the month of Tébéth, which is the 6th of January. And when they came to a desolate passage, which had once been the royal city called Bethlehem, at the sixth hour of the day, which was a Thursday, Mary said to Joseph, Let me down from the donkey, for the child makes me suffer. And José exclaimed: Oh, what black luck is mine! Behold, my wife is going to give birth, not in an inhabited place, but in a deserted and uncultivated place, where there is no inn. Where will I go then? Where will I lead her, so that she may rest? There is no house here, no shelter with a roof, under cover of which I can hide her nakedness.
6 After looking a lot, Joseph found a very large cave, in which shepherds and herdsmen lived and worked. In the surrounding areas, they gathered and locked up their flocks and livestock at night. There they had made a manger for the stable where they fed their animals. But at that time, because it was a harsh winter, the shepherds and herdsmen were not in the cave.
7 Joseph led Mary to her. He brought her inside, and placed her son Joseph near the Virgin, on the threshold of the entrance. And he left to go in search of a midwife.
8 And as he walked, he saw that the earth had risen, and that the sky had descended, and he lifted up his hands. hands, as if to touch the point where earth and sky had met. And he observed, around him, that the elements appeared dull and as if in a raw state. The winds, motionless, had suspended their course, and the birds had stopped their flight. And, looking at the ground, he saw a new jar, near which a potter was kneading clay, making a gesture of joining his two hands, which did not come together. All the other beings had their eyes fixed on high. He also beheld flocks, which a shepherd was leading, but which did not march. The shepherd brandished his staff, but he could not hit the rams, but his hand remained tense and raised upward. A torrent was bursting through a ravine, and some camels that were passing by had placed their lips on the edge of the ravine, but they were not eating. Thus, at the time of the birth of the Holy Virgin, all things remained as if fixed in his attitude.
9 Looking further, Joseph saw a woman coming from the mountain, whose shoulders were covered with a long robe. . And he went to meet him, and they greeted each other. And Joseph asked: Where do you come from, and where are you going, woman? And she replied: And what are you looking for, that you question me like this? Joseph said: I am looking for a Hebrew midwife. The woman said: Who is she who gave birth in the cave? Joseph said: She is Mary, who has been educated in the temple, and whom the priests and all the people granted me in marriage. But she is not my wife according to the flesh, because she conceived of the Holy Spirit. The woman said: She is fine, but tell me where she is. Joseph said: Come and see.
10 And, as they walked, Joseph asked the woman: I will thank you if you would give me your name. And the woman replied: Why do you want to know my name? I am Eve, the first mother of all those born, and I have come to see with my own eyes my redemption, which has just taken place. And when Joseph heard this, he was amazed at the wonders that he had been witnessing, and that they did not allow each other to wander.
11 Having reached the cavern, they stopped some distance from the entrance. And suddenly they saw that the vault of heaven was opened, and that a vivid brilliance spread from top to bottom. A column of burning vapor rose above the cavern, and a luminous cloud covered it. And the chorus of incorporeal beings could be heard, sublime angels and celestial spirits who, singing their songs, made their voices resonate incessantly, and glorified the Most High.