Luke 1
1 Seeing that many have taken it in hand to draw up an account of those matters which have been fully established among us,
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,
2 just as they reported them to us, who were from beginning eye- witnesses and ministers of the word,
just as they were reported to us by those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses, and afterward became bearers of the message.
3 it seemed good to me also accurately, from the very beginning, to write them to you in order, most excellent Theophilus,
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,
4 so that you may know the certainty of the story which you have been taught by the word of mouth.
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.
5 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,
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.
6 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.
They were both righteous people, who lived blameless lives, guiding their steps by all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
7 Now they had no child, for Elizabeth was barren, and both were far advanced in years.
But they had no child, Elizabeth being barren; and both of them were advanced in years.
8 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,
One day, when Zechariah was officiating as priest before God, during the turn of his division,
9 to enter into the sanctuary of the Lord and to burn incense.
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;
10 And the whole multitude of the people were without, praying at the hour of incense.
and, as it was the Hour of Incense, the people were all praying outside.
11 Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the Altar of Incense.
12 And as he saw him Zachariah was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
Zechariah was startled at the sight and was awe-struck.
13 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.
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, whom you will call by the name John.
14 "And he shall be to you a joy and an exultation, and many shall rejoice over his birth.
He will be to you a joy and a delight; and many will rejoice over his birth.
15 "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,
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he will not drink any wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the very hour of his birth,
16 "And shall win many of the sons of Israel to the Lord, their God.
and will reconcile many of the Israelites to the Lord their God.
17 "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."
He will 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.”
18 "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."
“How can I be sure of this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”
19 "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.
“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.
20 "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."
And now you will 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.”
21 Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zachariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the sanctuary.
Meanwhile the people were watching for Zechariah, wondering at his remaining so long in the Temple.
22 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.
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.
23 As soon as his term of priestly service was ended he went home;
And, as soon as his term of service was finished, he returned home.
24 and after those days Elizabeth, his wife, Conceived, and she hid herself five months, saying.
After this his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and lived in seclusion for five months.
25 "This has the Lord done for me. He has now deigned to take the away my reproach among men."
“The Lord has done this for me,” she said, “he has shown me kindness and taken away the public disgrace of childlessness under which I have been living.”
26 Six months later the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee, called Nazareth,
Six months later the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
27 to a maiden betrothed to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. Her name was Mary.
to a maiden there who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. Her name was Mary.
28 The angel went in and said to her. "Joy to you, highly favored one! "The Lord is with you."
Gabriel came into her presence and greeted her, saying, “You have been shown great favor – the Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly agitated at his word, and was revolving in her mind what this salutation could mean.
Mary was much disturbed at his words, and was wondering to herself what such a greeting could mean,
30 when the angel said to her. "Fear not Mary, for you have found grace with God.
when the angel spoke again, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 "And behold, you shall conceive in your womb and bear a son; and you shall call his name Jesus.
And now, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will give him the name Jesus.
32 "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,
The child will be great and will be called ‘Son of the Most High,’ and the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David,
33 "and he shall reign over the House of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (aiōn g165)
and he will reign over the descendants of Jacob for ever; And to his kingdom there will be no end.” (aiōn g165)
34 And Mary said to the angel. "How can this be? For I have no husband?"
“How can this be?” Mary asked the angel. “For I have no husband.”
35 "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.
“The Holy Spirit will descend on you,” answered the angel, “and the Power of the Most High will overshadow you; and therefore the child will be called ‘holy,’ and ‘Son of God.’
36 "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.
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;
37 "For no word of God shall be void of power."
for no promise from God will fail to be fulfilled.”
38 Then Mary said. "Behold I am Lord’s slave. Let it be to me as you have said." Then the angel departed from her.
“I am the servant of the Lord,” exclaimed Mary. “Let it be with me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
39 Soon after this Mary set out and hastened unto the hill-country to a town in Judah;
Soon after this Mary set out, and made her way quickly into the hill-country, to a town in Judah;
40 and there she came into the house of Zachariah, and greeted Elizabeth.
and there she went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.
41 And when Elizabeth heard her salutation, the babe leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth herself was filled with the Holy Spirit,
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child moved within her, and Elizabeth herself was filled with the Holy Spirit,
42 and called out with a loud cry. "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is your unborn child!
and cried aloud, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is your unborn child!
43 "But why is this honor done me, that the mother of my Lord should come me?
But how have I this honor, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 "For behold when the sound of your salutation reached my ears, the babe leaped with joy within my womb.
For, as soon as your greeting reached my ears, the child moved within me with delight!
45 "And blessed is she who believed that the Lord’s words spoken to her would be fulfilled."
Happy indeed is she who believed that the promise which she received from the Lord would be fulfilled.”
46 And Mary said. "My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord,
47 "My spirit exults in the God, who is my Saviour,
and my spirit delights in God my Savior,
48 "For he has regarded the humiliation of his slave, And from this hour all ages will count me blessed.
for he has looked with favor on his humble servant girl. From now on all generations will call me blessed!
49 "For he who is mighty has done great things for me; And holy is his name.
“For the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
50 "His mercy is unto generations and generations on those who reverence him.
He has mercy on those who revere him in every generation.
51 "He has showed strength with his arm. "He has scattered proud in the imagination of their hearts;
“Mighty are the deeds of his arm! He has scattered the self-satisfied proud,
52 "he has put down princes from their thrones, and has exalted those of low degree.
he has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and he uplifts the humble,
53 "The hungry he has filled with good things, But the rich he has sent empty away.
he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 "He has helped Israel, his servant, that he might remember mercy,
“He has stretched out his hand to his servant Israel, ever mindful of his mercy,
as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and his descendants for ever.” (aiōn g165)
56 So Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and returned home.
Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months, and then returned to her home.
57 Now when the time of Elizabeth’s delivery was come, she gave birth to a son;
When Elizabeth’s time came, she gave birth to a son;
58 and her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy toward her; and they rejoiced with her,
and her neighbors and relatives, hearing of the great goodness of the Lord to her, came to share her joy.
59 and came on the eighth day to circumcise the child. They were about to call him "Zachariah," after his father,
A week later they met to circumcise the child, and were about to call him Zechariah after his father,
60 when his mother said, "No, he is to be called John."
when his mother spoke up, “No, he is to be called John.”
61 Said they, "You have no relatives of that name!"
“You have no relation of that name!” they exclaimed;
62 Then they asked his father by signs what he wished to call the child.
and they made signs to the child’s father, to find out what he wished the child to be called.
63 So he asked for a writing tablet and wrote down, "His name is John."
Asking for a writing tablet, he wrote the words – ‘His name is John.’ Everyone was surprised
64 Every one was surprised, and at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.
and immediately Zechariah recovered his voice and the use of his tongue, and began to bless God.
65 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.
All their neighbors were awe-struck at this, and throughout the hill-country of Judea the whole story was much talked about.
66 All the story laid it up in their hearts, saying "What, then, will this child be?" For the Lord’s hands was with him.
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.
67 And his father, Zachariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying.
Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and, speaking under inspiration, said:
68 "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, For he has visited and redeemed his people,
“Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, who has visited his people and wrought their deliverance,
69 "And has raised up a mighty Deliverer for us In the house of his servant David,
and has raised up for us the strength of our salvation in the house of his servant David –
as he promised by the lips of his holy prophets of old – (aiōn g165)
71 To deliver us from our enemies, and from the power Of all who hate us.
salvation from our enemies and from the hands of all who hate us,
72 "He showed mercy to our forefathers, He remembered his holy covenant,
showing mercy to our ancestors, and mindful of his sacred covenant.
73 "The oath which he swore to Abraham, our forefather,
This was the oath which he swore to our ancestor Abraham –
74 "That he we should be delivered out of the Hand of our enemies, And should serve him without fear,
that we should be rescued from the hands of our enemies,
75 "In holiness and righteousness before him All our days.
and should serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness, in his presence all our days.
76 "And thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Most High, For thou shalt go before the Lord to prepare the way
And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to make ready his way,
77 "To give to his people a knowledge of salvation Through the remission of their sins,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
78 "Through the heart of mercy of our God, Whereby the Dayspring from on high shall visit us,
through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dawn will break on us from heaven,
79 "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."
to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, and guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 And the child grew, and became strong in the Spirit, and remained in the desert till the day of his showing to Israel.
The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he lived in the wilds until the time came for his appearance before Israel.
