Luke 1
1 To his Excellency, Theophilus. Many attempts have been already made to draw up an account of those events which have reached their conclusion among us,
Forasmuch as many have undertaken to draw up a relation concerning the matters fully believed among us,
2 just as they were reported to us by those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses, and afterwards became bearers of the Message.
as those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses of and attendants on the Word have delivered them to us,
3 And, therefore, I also, since I have investigated all these events with great care from their very beginning, have resolved to write a connected history of them for you,
it has seemed good to me also, accurately acquainted from the origin with all things, to write to thee with method, most excellent Theophilus,
4 in order that you may be able to satisfy yourself of the accuracy of the story which you have heard from the lips of others.
that thou mightest know the certainty of those things in which thou hast been instructed.
5 In the reign of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the Division called after Abijah. His wife, whose name was Elizabeth, was also a descendant of Aaron.
There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest, by name Zacharias, of the course of Abia, and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth.
6 They were both righteous people, who lived blameless lives, guiding their steps by all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
And they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7 But they had no child, Elizabeth being barren; and both of them were advanced in years.
And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.
8 One day, when Zechariah was officiating as priest before God, during the turn of his Division,
And it came to pass, as he fulfilled his priestly service before God in the order of his course,
9 it fell to him by lot, in accordance with the practice among the priests, to go into the Temple of the Lord and burn incense;
it fell to him by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense.
10 and, as it was the Hour of Incense, the people were all praying outside.
And all the multitude of the people were praying without at the hour of incense.
11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the Altar of Incense.
And an angel of [the] Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the altar of incense.
12 Zechariah was startled at the sight and was awe-struck.
And Zacharias was troubled, seeing [him], and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, whom you shall call by the name John.
But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias, because thy supplication has been heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14 He shall be to you a joy and a delight; and many shall rejoice over his birth.
And he shall be to thee joy and rejoicing, and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord; he shall not drink any wine or strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit from the very hour of his birth,
For he shall be great before [the] Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with [the] Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.
16 and shall reconcile many of the Israelites to the Lord their God.
And many of the sons of Israel shall he turn to [the] Lord their God.
17 He shall go before him in the spirit and with the power of Elijah, ‘to reconcile fathers to their children’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, and so make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.”
And he shall go before him in [the] spirit and power of Elias, to turn hearts of fathers to children, and disobedient ones to [the] thoughts of just [men], to make ready for [the] Lord a prepared people.
18 “How can I be sure of this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”
And Zacharias said to the angel, How shall I know this, for I am an old man, and my wife advanced in years?
19 “I am Gabriel,” the angel answered, “who stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
And the angel answering, said to him, I am Gabriel, who stand before God, and I have been sent to speak to thee, and to bring these glad tidings to thee;
20 And now you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when this takes place, because you did not believe what I said, though my words will be fulfilled in due course.”
and behold, thou shalt be silent and not able to speak, till the day in which these things shall take place, because thou hast not believed my words, the which shall be fulfilled in their time.
21 Meanwhile the people were watching for Zechariah, wondering at his remaining so long in the Temple.
And the people were awaiting Zacharias, and they wondered at his delaying in the temple.
22 When he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision there. But Zechariah kept making signs to them, and remained dumb.
But when he came out he could not speak to them, and they recognised that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was making signs to them, and continued dumb.
23 And, as soon as his term of service was finished, he returned home.
And it came to pass, when the days of his service were completed, he departed to his house.
24 After this his wife, Elizabeth, expecting to become a mother, lived in seclusion for five months.
Now after these days, Elizabeth his wife conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
25 “This is what the Lord has done for me,” she said, “now that he has deigned to take away the reproach under which I have been living.”
Thus has [the] Lord done to me in [these] days in which he looked upon [me] to take away my reproach among men.
26 Six months later the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
But in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent of God to a city of Galilee, of which [the] name [was] Nazareth,
27 to a maiden there who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. Her name was Mary.
to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name [was] Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name [was] Mary.
28 Gabriel came into her presence and said: “Hail, you who have been highly favoured! The Lord is with you.”
And the angel came in to her, and said, Hail, [thou] favoured one! the Lord [is] with thee: [blessed art thou amongst women].
29 Mary was much disturbed at his words, and was wondering to herself what such a greeting could mean,
But she, [seeing] [the angel], was troubled at his word, and reasoned in her mind what this salutation might be.
30 when the angel spoke again: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God.
And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God;
31 And now, you shall be with child and give birth to a son, and you shall give him the name Jesus.
and behold, thou shalt conceive in the womb and bear a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus.
32 The child shall be great and shall be called ‘Son of the Most High,’ and the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David,
He shall be great, and shall be called Son of [the] Highest; and [the] Lord God shall give him the throne of David his father;
33 and he shall reign over the descendants of Jacob for ever; And to his kingdom there shall be no end.” (aiōn g165)
and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for the ages, and of his kingdom there shall not be an end. (aiōn g165)
34 “How can this be?” Mary asked the angel. “For I have no husband.”
But Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I know not a man?
35 “The Holy Spirit shall descend upon you,” answered the angel, “and the Power of the Most High shall overshadow you; and therefore the child will be called ‘holy,’ and ‘Son of God.’
And the angel answering said to her, [The] Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and power of [the] Highest overshadow thee, wherefore the holy thing also which shall be born shall be called Son of God.
36 And Elizabeth, your cousin, is herself also expecting a son in her old age; and it is now the sixth month with her, though she is called barren;
And behold, Elizabeth, thy kinswoman, she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month to her that was called barren:
37 for no promise from God shall fail to be fulfilled.”
for nothing shall be impossible with God.
38 “I am the servant of the Lord,” exclaimed Mary; “let it be with me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
And Mary said, Behold the bondmaid of [the] Lord; be it to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
39 Soon after this Mary set out, and made her way quickly into the hill-country, to a town in Judah;
And Mary, rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,
40 and there she went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.
and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elizabeth.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child moved within her, and Elizabeth herself was filled with the Holy Spirit,
And it came to pass, as Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with [the] Holy Spirit,
42 and cried aloud: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is your unborn child!
and cried out with a loud voice and said, Blessed [art] thou amongst women, and blessed the fruit of thy womb.
43 But how have I this honour, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
And whence [is] this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, as soon as your greeting reached my ears, the child moved within me with delight!
For behold, as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped with joy in my womb.
45 Happy indeed is she who believed that the promise which she received from the Lord would be fulfilled.”
And blessed [is] she that has believed, for there shall be a fulfilment of the things spoken to her from [the] Lord.
46 And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord,
And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 my spirit delights in God my Saviour;
and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 for he has remembered his servant in her lowliness; And from this hour all ages will count me happy!
For he has looked upon the low estate of his bondmaid; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 Great things has the Almighty done for me; And holy is his name.
For the Mighty One has done to me great things, and holy [is] his name;
50 From age to age his mercy rests On those who reverence him.
and his mercy [is] to generations and generations to them that fear him.
51 Mighty are the deeds of his arm; He scatters the proud with their own devices,
He has wrought strength with his arm; he has scattered haughty [ones] in the thought of their heart.
52 he casts down princes from their thrones, and the lowly he uplifts,
He has put down rulers from thrones, and exalted the lowly.
53 the hungry he loads with gifts, and the rich he sends empty away.
He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent away the rich empty.
54 He has stretched out his hand to his servant Israel, Ever mindful of his mercy
He has helped Israel his servant, in order to remember mercy,
(as he spoke to our fathers, ) to Abraham and to his seed for ever. (aiōn g165)
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months, and then returned to her home.
And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her house.
57 When Elizabeth’s time came, she gave birth to a son;
But the time was fulfilled for Elizabeth that she should bring forth, and she gave birth to a son.
58 and her neighbours and relations, hearing of the great goodness of the Lord to her, came to share her joy.
And her neighbours and kinsfolk heard that [the] Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 A week later they met to circumcise the child, and were about to call him ‘Zechariah’ after his father,
And it came to pass on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they called it after the name of his father, Zacharias.
60 when his mother interposed: “No, he is to be called John.”
And his mother answering said, No; but he shall be called John.
61 “You have no relation of that name!” they exclaimed;
And they said to her, There is no one among thy kinsfolk who is called by this name.
62 and they made signs to the child’s father, to find out what he wished the child to be called.
And they made signs to his father as to what he might wish it to be called.
63 Asking for a writing-tablet, he wrote the words — ‘His name is John.’ Every one was surprised;
And having asked for a writing-table, he wrote saying, John is his name. And they all wondered.
64 and immediately Zechariah recovered his voice and the use of his tongue, and began to bless God.
And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue, and he spake, blessing God.
65 All their neighbours were awe-struck at this; and throughout the hill-country of Judea the whole story was much talked about;
And fear came upon all who dwelt round about them; and in the whole hill-country of Judaea all these things were the subject of conversation.
66 and all who heard it kept it in mind, asking one another — “What can this child be destined to become?” For the Power of the Lord was with him.
And all who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then will this child be? And [the] Lord's hand was with him.
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and, speaking under inspiration, said:
And Zacharias his father was filled with [the] Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
68 “Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Who has visited his people and wrought their deliverance,
Blessed be [the] Lord the God of Israel, because he has visited and wrought redemption for his people,
69 and has raised up for us the Strength of our Salvation In the House of his servant David —
and raised up a horn of deliverance for us in the house of David his servant;
as he spoke by [the] mouth of his holy prophets, who have been since the world began; (aiōn g165)
71 Salvation from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate us,
deliverance from our enemies and out of the hand of all who hate us;
72 showing mercy to our forefathers, And mindful of his sacred Covenant.
to fulfil mercy with our fathers and remember his holy covenant,
73 This was the oath which he swore to our forefather Abraham —
[the] oath which he swore to Abraham our father,
74 That we should be rescued from the hands of our enemies,
to give us, that, saved out of the hand of our enemies, we should serve him without fear
75 and should serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness, In his presence all our days.
in piety and righteousness before him all our days.
76 And thou, Child, shalt be called Prophet of the Most High, For thou shalt go before the Lord to make ready his way,
And thou, child, shalt be called [the] prophet of [the] Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of [the] Lord to make ready his ways;
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation In the forgiveness of their sins,
to give knowledge of deliverance to his people by [the] remission of their sins
78 through the tender mercy of our God, Whereby the Dawn will break on us from Heaven,
on account of [the] bowels of mercy of our God; wherein [the] dayspring from on high has visited us,
79 to give light to those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, And guide our feet into the way of peace.”
to shine upon them who were sitting in darkness and in [the] shadow of death, to guide our feet into [the] way of peace.
80 The child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the Wilds till the time came for his appearance before Israel.
— And the child grew and was strengthened in spirit; and he was in the deserts until the day of his shewing to Israel.
