Luke 1
1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed 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 Even as they delivered them to us, who from the beginning were 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, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to thee 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 That thou mayest know the certainty of those things in which thou hast been instructed.
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 There was in the days of Herod the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife [was] of the daughters of Aaron, and her name [was] Elisabeth.
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 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
They were both righteous people, who lived blameless lives, guiding their steps by all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
7 And they had no child, because Elisabeth was barren, and they both were far advanced in years.
But they had no child, Elizabeth being barren; and both of them were advanced in years.
8 And it came to pass, that, while he executed the priests' office before God in the order of his course,
One day, when Zechariah was officiating as priest before God, during the turn of his division,
9 According to the custom of the priests' office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
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 praying without, at the time of incense.
and, as it was the Hour of Incense, the people were all praying outside.
11 And 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 when Zacharias saw [him], he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
Zechariah was startled at the sight and was awe-struck.
13 But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name 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 thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at 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, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.
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 many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
and will reconcile many of the Israelites to the Lord their God.
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
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 And Zacharias said to the angel, By what shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife far 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 And the angel answering, said to him, I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak to thee, and to show thee these glad tidings.
“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 behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words which shall be fulfilled in their season.
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 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple.
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 they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple; for he beckoned to them, and remained speechless.
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 And it came to pass, that as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
And, as soon as his term of service was finished, he returned home.
24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and secluded herself five months, saying,
After this his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and lived in seclusion for five months.
25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days in which he looked on [me], to take 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 And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
Six months later the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name [was] Mary.
to a maiden there who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. Her name was Mary.
28 And the angel came to her, and said, Hail, [thou that art] highly favored, the Lord [is] with thee: blessed [art] thou among women.
Gabriel came into her presence and greeted her, saying, “You have been shown great favor – the Lord is with you.”
29 And when she saw [him], she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
Mary was much disturbed at his words, and was wondering to herself what such a greeting could mean,
30 And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God.
when the angel spoke again, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt 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 will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father 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 will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will 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 Then said Mary to the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
“How can this be?” Mary asked the angel. “For I have no husband.”
35 And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon thee, and the power of the Highest will overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee 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, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who 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 with God nothing will be impossible.
for no promise from God will fail to be fulfilled.”
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it to me according to thy word. And 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 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill-country with haste, into a city of Judah,
Soon after this Mary set out, and made her way quickly into the hill-country, to a town in Judah;
40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
and there she went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.
41 And it came to pass, that when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb: and Elisabeth 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 she spoke with a loud voice, and said, Blessed [art] thou among women, and blessed [is] the fruit of thy womb.
and cried aloud, “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 how have I this honor, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
For, as soon as your greeting reached my ears, the child moved within me with delight!
45 And blessed [is] she that believed that there will be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
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 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
and my spirit delights in God my Savior,
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for behold, from henceforth all generations will call 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 that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy [is] his name.
“For the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy [is] on them that fear him, from generation to generation.
He has mercy on those who revere him in every generation.
51 He hath shown strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
“Mighty are the deeds of his arm! He has scattered the self-satisfied proud,
52 He hath put down the mighty from [their] seats, and exalted them of low degree.
he has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and he uplifts the humble,
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent away empty.
he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He hath sustained his servant Israel, in remembrance of [his] 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 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months, and then returned to her home.
57 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
When Elizabeth’s time came, she gave birth to a son;
58 And her neighbors and her cousins heard that the Lord had shown great mercy upon 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 it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
A week later they met to circumcise the child, and were about to call him Zechariah after his father,
60 And his mother answered and said, Not [so]; but he shall be called John.
when his mother spoke up, “No, he is to be called John.”
61 And they said to her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
“You have no relation of that name!” they exclaimed;
62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
and they made signs to the child’s father, to find out what he wished the child to be called.
63 And he asked for a writing-table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they all wondered.
Asking for a writing tablet, he wrote the words – ‘His name is John.’ Everyone was surprised
64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue [loosed], and he spoke, and praised God.
and immediately Zechariah recovered his voice and the use of his tongue, and began to bless God.
65 And fear came on all that dwelt around them; and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill-country of Judea.
All their neighbors were awe-struck at this, and throughout the hill-country of Judea the whole story was much talked about.
66 And all they that had heard [them], laid [them] up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child will this be! And the hand of the Lord 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 Zacharias 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 God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people.
“Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, who has visited his people and wrought their deliverance,
69 And hath raised up a horn of salvation 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 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
salvation from our enemies and from the hands of all who hate us,
72 To perform the mercy [promised] to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant:
showing mercy to our ancestors, and mindful of his sacred covenant.
73 The oath which he swore to our father Abraham,
This was the oath which he swore to our ancestor Abraham –
74 That he would grant to us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear,
that we should be rescued from the hands of our enemies,
75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
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 Highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
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 knowledge of salvation to his people, by the remission of their sins,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God; by which the day-spring from on high hath visited us,
through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dawn will break on us from heaven,
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and [in] the shades of death, to guide our feet into the way 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 spirit, and was in the deserts 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.
