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.
"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]])
This command was probably carried by messengers throughout the empire. AT: "sent messengers with a decree ordering" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])
This can be stated in active form. AT: "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]])
Here the word "world" represents only the part of the world that Caesar August ruled. AT: "the Empire" or "the Roman world" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche]])
This refers to the cities where people's ancestors lived. People may have lived in a different city. AT: "the city in which his ancestors lived" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])