Luke 1
1 Since many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled amongst us,
SINCE many have been disposed to write narratives of those events, of which we have full assurance,
2 even as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word delivered them to us,
as they delivered them to us, who from the first were eye-witnesses and ministers of the word;
3 it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus;
it seemed proper for me also, as I had examined them all accurately, to write out the whole, methodically, for thee, excellent Theophilus:
4 that you might know the certainty concerning the things in which you were instructed.
that thou mayest know the truth of the statements, which thou hast been taught.
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zechariah, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisheva.
In the days of Herod the king of Judaea, there was a certain priest, whose name was Zachariah, of the ministration of the house of Abijah; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
6 They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
And they were both upright before God, and walked in all his commandments, and in the righteousness of the Lord, without reproach.
7 But they had no child, because Elisheva was barren, and they both were well advanced in years.
But they had no child, because Elisabeth was barren: and they were both advanced in life.
8 Now while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his division
And it occurred, that as he performed the priestly functions in the order of his ministration before the Lord,
9 according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
according to the usage of the priesthood, it fell to him to offer the incense. And he went into the temple of the Lord,
10 The whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
and the whole multitude of the people were praying without, at the time of incense.
11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
And the angel of the Lord appeared to Zachariah, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
And when Zachariah saw him, he was agitated, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah, because your request has been heard. Your wife, Elisheva, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Yochanan.
And the angel said to him: Fear not, Zachariah; for thy prayer is heard, and thy wife Elisabeth will bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
And thou wilt have joy and gladness: and many will rejoice at his birth.
15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
For he will be great before the Lord; and he will not drink wine nor strong drink, and will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb.
16 He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.
And many of the children of Israel will he convert to the Lord their God.
17 He will 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 prepare a people prepared for the Lord.”
And he will go before him, in the spirit and power of Elijah the prophet, and will turn the heart of the fathers unto the children, and them that are disobedient to the knowledge of the righteous, and will prepare a perfect people for the Lord.
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”
And Zachariah said to the angel: How shall I know this? For I am old, and my wife is advanced in life.
19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
The angel answered, and said to him: I am Gabriel, who stand before God; and I am sent to converse with thee, and to tell thee these things.
20 Behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day that these things will happen, because you didn’t believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”
Henceforth thou wilt be dumb, and unable to speak, until the day when these things take place: because thou believedst not my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.
21 The people were waiting for Zechariah, and they marvelled that he delayed in the temple.
And the people were standing and waiting for Zachariah; and they wondered at his tarrying so long in the temple.
22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. He continued making signs to them, and remained mute.
And when Zachariah came forth, he could not speak with them: and they understood that he had seen a vision in the temple: and he made many signs to them, and remained speechless.
23 When the days of his service were fulfilled, he departed to his house.
And when the days of his ministration were accomplished, he came to his house.
24 After these days Elisheva his wife conceived, and she hid herself five months, saying,
And it was after those days, that Elisabeth his wife conceived. And she secluded herself five months; and she said:
25 “Thus has the Lord done to me in the days in which he looked at me, to take away my reproach amongst men.”
These things hath the Lord done for me, in the days when he looked upon me to take away my reproach among men.
26 Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God into Galilee, to a city named Nazareth,
27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Miriam.
to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28 Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favoured one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you amongst women!”
And the angel entered the house, and said to her: Peace to thee, thou full of grace! The Lord is with thee: and blessed art thou among women.
29 But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be.
And when she saw him, she was agitated by his speech; and she pondered, what this salutation could mean.
30 The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Miriam, for you have found favour with God.
And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favor with God.
31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and shall name him ‘Yeshua.’
For lo, thou wilt conceive in thy womb, and wilt bear a son, and wilt call his name Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom.” (aiōn g165)
And he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his reign there will be no end. (aiōn g165)
34 Miriam said to the angel, “How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?”
And Mary said to the angel: How can this be, as I have not known a man?
35 The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God.
The angel replied, and said to her: The Holy Spirit will come, and the power of the Most High will overshadow thee; therefore he that is born of thee is holy, and will be called the Son of God.
36 Behold, Elisheva your relative also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
And lo, Elisabeth thy kinswoman, even she too hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who is called barren.
37 For nothing spoken by God is impossible.”
Because nothing is difficult for God.
38 Miriam said, “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Mary said: Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; be it to me, according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
39 Miriam arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah,
And Mary arose in those days, and went hastily to the mountain district, to a city of Judaea;
40 and entered into the house of Zechariah and greeted Elisheva.
and entered the house of Zachariah, and saluted Elisabeth.
41 When Elisheva heard Miriam’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb; and Elisheva was filled with the Holy Spirit.
And it was so, that when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the child leaped in her womb, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 She called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
And she cried out with a loud voice, and said to Mary: Blessed art thou among women; and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43 Why am I so favoured, 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 behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leapt in my womb for joy!
For lo, as the voice of thy salutation fell upon my ears, with great joy the child leaped in my womb.
45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfilment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!”
And happy is she that believed; for there will be a fulfillment of those things that were told her by the Lord.
46 Miriam said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.
And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord:
47 My spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour,
and my spirit rejoiceth in God the author of my life.
48 for he has looked at the humble state of his servant. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.
For he hath looked upon the humble condition of his hand maid; and lo, henceforth all generations will ascribe blessedness to me.
49 For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name.
And He that is mighty hath done for me great things; and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for generations and generations on those who fear him.
And his mercy is on them that fear him, for generations and posterities.
51 He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath wrought victory with his arm; and hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart.
52 He has put down princes from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly.
He hath cast down the mighty from their thrones, and hath exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things. He has sent the rich away empty.
The hungry hath he satisfied with good things, and the rich hath he sent away empty.
54 He has given help to Israel, his servant, that he might remember mercy,
He hath aided Israel his servant, and remembered his mercy,
(as he spoke with the fathers, ) with Abraham and his seed, for ever. (aiōn g165)
56 Miriam stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house.
And Mary remained with Elisabeth about three months, and returned to her home.
57 Now the time that Elisheva should give birth was fulfilled, and she gave birth to a son.
And Elisabeth's time of bringing forth arrived; and she bore a son.
58 Her neighbours and her relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her, and they rejoiced with her.
And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zechariah, after the name of his father.
And it occurred, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they called him by the name of his father, Zachariah.
60 His mother answered, “Not so; but he will be called Yochanan.”
And his mother answered and said: Not so; but John, shall he be called.
61 They said to her, “There is no one amongst your relatives who is called by this name.”
And they said to her: There is no one among thy kindred called by that name.
62 They made signs to his father, what he would have him called.
And they made signs to his father, how he would have him named.
63 He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is Yochanan.” They all marvelled.
And he asked for a tablet, and wrote, and said: John is his name. And every one was surprised.
64 His mouth was opened immediately and his tongue freed, and he spoke, blessing God.
And immediately his mouth was opened, and his tongue; and he spoke, and praised God.
65 Fear came on all who lived around them, and all these sayings were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea.
And fear came upon all their neighbors; and these things were talked of in all the mountain district of Judaea.
66 All who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, “What then will this child be?” The hand of the Lord was with him.
And all who heard, pondered them in their heart, and said: What will this child be? And the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
And Zachariah his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, and said:
68 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people;
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who hath visited his people, and wrought redemption for them:
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
And hath raised up a horn of redemption for us, in the house of David his servant:
as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, who were of old, (aiōn g165)
71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us;
that he would redeem us from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us.
72 to show mercy towards our fathers, to remember his holy covenant,
And he hath exercised his mercy to our fathers, and hath remembered his holy covenants,
73 the oath which he swore to Abraham our father,
and the oath that he sware to Abraham our father, that he would grant to us,
74 to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear,
to be redeemed from the hand of our enemies; and that we should worship before him, without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
all our days, in rectitude and uprightness.
76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways,
And thou, child, wilt be called a prophet of the Most High; for thou wilt go before the face of the Lord, to prepare his way,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins,
that he may give the knowledge of life to his people, and forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the dawn from on high will visit us,
through the compassion of the mercy of our God; whereby the day-spring from on high will visit us,
79 to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
to give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death; and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80 The child was growing and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
And the child grew, and was strengthened in spirit. And he was in the wilderness, until the day of his manifestation to Israel.
