en_tn/luk/02/01.md

General Information:

This gives background to show why Mary and Joseph have to move at the time of Jesus's birth.

Now

This word marks the beginning of a new part of the story. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent)

it came about that

This phrase is used to show that this is the beginning of an account. If your language has a way of showing the start of an account, you may use that. Some versions do not include this phrase.

Caesar Augustus

"King Augustus" or "Emperor Augustus." Augustus was the first emperor of the Roman Empire. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names and rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-participants)

sent out a decree ordering

This command was probably carried by messengers throughout the empire. Alternate translation: "sent messengers with a decree ordering" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom)

that a census be taken of all the people living in the world

This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "that they register all the people living in the world" or "that they count all the people in the world and write down their names" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive)

the world

Here the word "world" represents only the part of the world that Caesar August ruled. Alternate translation: "the Empire" or "the Roman world" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche)