< Luke 1 >

1 Forasmuch as many have undertaken to draw up a relation concerning the matters fully believed among us,
Seeing that many have taken it in hand to draw up an account of those matters which have been fully established among us,
2 as those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses of and attendants on the Word have delivered them to us,
just as they reported them to us, who were from beginning eye- witnesses and ministers of the word,
3 it has seemed good to me also, accurately acquainted from the origin with all things, to write to thee with method, most excellent Theophilus,
it seemed good to me also accurately, from the very beginning, to write them to you in order, most excellent Theophilus,
4 that thou mightest know the certainty of those things in which thou hast been instructed.
so that you may know the certainty of the story which you have been taught by the word of mouth.
5 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.
In the reign of Herod, King of Judea, there was a certain priest, named Zachariah, belonging to the class of Abijah. He had a wife named Elizabeth,
6 And they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
who was a descendant of Aaron. They were both righteous in the sight of the Lord, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the law, blameless.
7 And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.
Now they had no child, for Elizabeth was barren, and both were far advanced in years.
8 And it came to pass, as he fulfilled his priestly service before God in the order of his course,
Now while Zachariah was acting as priest before God in the due course of his class, it fell to his lot, according to the custom of priesthood,
9 it fell to him by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense.
to enter into the sanctuary of the Lord and to burn incense.
10 And all the multitude of the people were praying without at the hour of incense.
And the whole multitude of the people were without, praying at the hour of incense.
11 And an angel of [the] Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the altar of incense.
Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 And Zacharias was troubled, seeing [him], and fear fell upon him.
And as he saw him Zachariah was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 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.
But the Angel said to him. "Do not be afraid, Zachariah, because your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.
14 And he shall be to thee joy and rejoicing, and many shall rejoice at his birth.
"And he shall be to you a joy and an exultation, and many shall rejoice over his birth.
15 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.
"For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, "He shall drink neither wine nor strong drink, "He shall be filled with the Holy Spirit from the hour of his birth,
16 And many of the sons of Israel shall he turn to [the] Lord their God.
"And shall win many of the sons of Israel to the Lord, their God.
17 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.
"He shall go before Him in the wisdom and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, and so to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him."
18 And Zacharias said to the angel, How shall I know this, for I am an old man, and my wife advanced in years?
"How shall I be sure of this?" said Zachariah to the Angel. "For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years."
19 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;
"I am Gabriel," answered the angel, "who stand in the presence of God; and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring and to bring you this good news.
20 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.
"And now you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day the day when this has taken place; because you did not believe my words - Words which will be fulfilled at their appointed time."
21 And the people were awaiting Zacharias, and they wondered at his delaying in the temple.
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zachariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the sanctuary.
22 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.
And when he came out he could not speak to them, and then they knew that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept making signs to them and remained dumb.
23 And it came to pass, when the days of his service were completed, he departed to his house.
As soon as his term of priestly service was ended he went home;
24 Now after these days, Elizabeth his wife conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
and after those days Elizabeth, his wife, Conceived, and she hid herself five months, saying.
25 Thus has [the] Lord done to me in [these] days in which he looked upon [me] to take away my reproach among men.
"This has the Lord done for me. He has now deigned to take the away my reproach among men."
26 But in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent of God to a city of Galilee, of which [the] name [was] Nazareth,
Six months later the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee, called Nazareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name [was] Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name [was] Mary.
to a maiden betrothed to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. Her name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in to her, and said, Hail, [thou] favoured one! the Lord [is] with thee: [blessed art thou amongst women].
The angel went in and said to her. "Joy to you, highly favored one! "The Lord is with you."
29 But she, [seeing] [the angel], was troubled at his word, and reasoned in her mind what this salutation might be.
Mary was greatly agitated at his word, and was revolving in her mind what this salutation could mean.
30 And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God;
when the angel said to her. "Fear not Mary, for you have found grace with God.
31 and behold, thou shalt conceive in the womb and bear a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus.
"And behold, you shall conceive in your womb and bear a son; and you shall call his name Jesus.
32 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;
"He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High. "And the Lord God will give him the throne of his forefather David,
33 and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for the ages, and of his kingdom there shall not be an end. (aiōn g165)
"and he shall reign over the House of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (aiōn g165)
34 But Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I know not a man?
And Mary said to the angel. "How can this be? For I have no husband?"
35 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.
"The Holy Spirit shall come upon you," said the angel, "and the power of the most High shall overshadow you, and therefore the holy offspring which is born, shall be called the son of God.
36 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:
"And behold your kinswoman, Elizabeth, she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this was the sixth month with her that was called barren.
37 for nothing shall be impossible with God.
"For no word of God shall be void of power."
38 And Mary said, Behold the bondmaid of [the] Lord; be it to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Then Mary said. "Behold I am Lord’s slave. Let it be to me as you have said." Then the angel departed from her.
39 And Mary, rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,
Soon after this Mary set out and hastened unto the hill-country to a town in Judah;
40 and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elizabeth.
and there she came into the house of Zachariah, and greeted Elizabeth.
41 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,
And when Elizabeth heard her salutation, the babe leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth herself was filled with the Holy Spirit,
42 and cried out with a loud voice and said, Blessed [art] thou amongst women, and blessed the fruit of thy womb.
and called out with a loud cry. "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is your unborn child!
43 And whence [is] this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
"But why is this honor done me, that the mother of my Lord should come me?
44 For behold, as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped with joy in my womb.
"For behold when the sound of your salutation reached my ears, the babe leaped with joy within my womb.
45 And blessed [is] she that has believed, for there shall be a fulfilment of the things spoken to her from [the] Lord.
"And blessed is she who believed that the Lord’s words spoken to her would be fulfilled."
46 And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord,
And Mary said. "My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.
"My spirit exults in the God, who is my Saviour,
48 For he has looked upon the low estate of his bondmaid; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
"For he has regarded the humiliation of his slave, And from this hour all ages will count me blessed.
49 For the Mighty One has done to me great things, and holy [is] his name;
"For he who is mighty has done great things for me; And holy is his name.
50 and his mercy [is] to generations and generations to them that fear him.
"His mercy is unto generations and generations on those who reverence him.
51 He has wrought strength with his arm; he has scattered haughty [ones] in the thought of their heart.
"He has showed strength with his arm. "He has scattered proud in the imagination of their hearts;
52 He has put down rulers from thrones, and exalted the lowly.
"he has put down princes from their thrones, and has exalted those of low degree.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent away the rich empty.
"The hungry he has filled with good things, But the rich he has sent empty away.
54 He has helped Israel his servant, in order to remember mercy,
"He has helped Israel, his servant, that he might remember mercy,
55 (as he spoke to our fathers, ) to Abraham and to his seed for ever. (aiōn g165)
"As he spoke to our forefathers, to Abraham and his offspring forever." (aiōn g165)
56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her house.
So Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and returned home.
57 But the time was fulfilled for Elizabeth that she should bring forth, and she gave birth to a son.
Now when the time of Elizabeth’s delivery was come, she gave birth to a son;
58 And her neighbours and kinsfolk heard that [the] Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her.
and her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy toward her; and they rejoiced with her,
59 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.
and came on the eighth day to circumcise the child. They were about to call him "Zachariah," after his father,
60 And his mother answering said, No; but he shall be called John.
when his mother said, "No, he is to be called John."
61 And they said to her, There is no one among thy kinsfolk who is called by this name.
Said they, "You have no relatives of that name!"
62 And they made signs to his father as to what he might wish it to be called.
Then they asked his father by signs what he wished to call the child.
63 And having asked for a writing-table, he wrote saying, John is his name. And they all wondered.
So he asked for a writing tablet and wrote down, "His name is John."
64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue, and he spake, blessing God.
Every one was surprised, and at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.
65 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.
And there came a great fear upon all in the neighborhood; and throughout the hill country of Judea all these sayings were much talked about.
66 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.
All the story laid it up in their hearts, saying "What, then, will this child be?" For the Lord’s hands was with him.
67 And Zacharias his father was filled with [the] Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
And his father, Zachariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying.
68 Blessed be [the] Lord the God of Israel, because he has visited and wrought redemption for his people,
"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, For he has visited and redeemed his people,
69 and raised up a horn of deliverance for us in the house of David his servant;
"And has raised up a mighty Deliverer for us In the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by [the] mouth of his holy prophets, who have been since the world began; (aiōn g165)
"As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets Which have been since the world began (aiōn g165)
71 deliverance from our enemies and out of the hand of all who hate us;
To deliver us from our enemies, and from the power Of all who hate us.
72 to fulfil mercy with our fathers and remember his holy covenant,
"He showed mercy to our forefathers, He remembered his holy covenant,
73 [the] oath which he swore to Abraham our father,
"The oath which he swore to Abraham, our forefather,
74 to give us, that, saved out of the hand of our enemies, we should serve him without fear
"That he we should be delivered out of the Hand of our enemies, And should serve him without fear,
75 in piety and righteousness before him all our days.
"In holiness and righteousness before him All our days.
76 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;
"And thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Most High, For thou shalt go before the Lord to prepare the way
77 to give knowledge of deliverance to his people by [the] remission of their sins
"To give to his people a knowledge of salvation Through the remission of their sins,
78 on account of [the] bowels of mercy of our God; wherein [the] dayspring from on high has visited us,
"Through the heart of mercy of our God, Whereby the Dayspring from on high shall visit us,
79 to shine upon them who were sitting in darkness and in [the] shadow of death, to guide our feet into [the] way of peace.
"To give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, And to guide our feet into the paths of peace."
80 — And the child grew and was strengthened in spirit; and he was in the deserts until the day of his shewing to Israel.
And the child grew, and became strong in the Spirit, and remained in the desert till the day of his showing to Israel.

< Luke 1 >