lūkaḥ 1
1 prathamato ye sākṣiṇo vākyapracārakāścāsan te'smākaṁ madhye yadyat sapramāṇaṁ vākyamarpayanti sma
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 tadanusārato'nyepi bahavastadvṛttāntaṁ racayituṁ pravṛttāḥ|
just as they were reported to us by those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses, and afterward became bearers of the message.
3 ataeva he mahāmahimathiyaphil tvaṁ yā yāḥ kathā aśikṣyathāstāsāṁ dṛḍhapramāṇāni yathā prāpnoṣi
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 tadarthaṁ prathamamārabhya tāni sarvvāṇi jñātvāhamapi anukramāt sarvvavṛttāntān tubhyaṁ lekhituṁ matimakārṣam|
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 yihūdādeśīyaherodnāmake rājatvaṁ kurvvati abīyayājakasya paryyāyādhikārī sikhariyanāmaka eko yājako hāroṇavaṁśodbhavā ilīśevākhyā
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 tasya jāyā dvāvimau nirdoṣau prabhoḥ sarvvājñā vyavasthāśca saṁmanya īśvaradṛṣṭau dhārmmikāvāstām|
They were both righteous people, who lived blameless lives, guiding their steps by all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
7 tayoḥ santāna ekopi nāsīt, yata ilīśevā bandhyā tau dvāveva vṛddhāvabhavatām|
But they had no child, Elizabeth being barren; and both of them were advanced in years.
8 yadā svaparyyānukrameṇa sikhariya īśvāsya samakṣaṁ yājakīyaṁ karmma karoti
One day, when Zechariah was officiating as priest before God, during the turn of his division,
9 tadā yajñasya dinaparipāyyā parameśvarasya mandire praveśakāle dhūpajvālanaṁ karmma tasya karaṇīyamāsīt|
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 taddhūpajvālanakāle lokanivahe prārthanāṁ kartuṁ bahistiṣṭhati
and, as it was the Hour of Incense, the people were all praying outside.
11 sati sikhariyo yasyāṁ vedyāṁ dhūpaṁ jvālayati taddakṣiṇapārśve parameśvarasya dūta eka upasthito darśanaṁ dadau|
And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the Altar of Incense.
12 taṁ dṛṣṭvā sikhariya udvivije śaśaṅke ca|
Zechariah was startled at the sight and was awe-struck.
13 tadā sa dūtastaṁ babhāṣe he sikhariya mā bhaistava prārthanā grāhyā jātā tava bhāryyā ilīśevā putraṁ prasoṣyate tasya nāma yohan iti kariṣyasi|
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 kiñca tvaṁ sānandaḥ saharṣaśca bhaviṣyasi tasya janmani bahava ānandiṣyanti ca|
He will be to you a joy and a delight; and many will rejoice over his birth.
15 yato hetoḥ sa parameśvarasya gocare mahān bhaviṣyati tathā drākṣārasaṁ surāṁ vā kimapi na pāsyati, aparaṁ janmārabhya pavitreṇātmanā paripūrṇaḥ
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 san isrāyelvaṁśīyān anekān prabhoḥ parameśvarasya mārgamāneṣyati|
and will reconcile many of the Israelites to the Lord their God.
17 santānān prati pitṛṇāṁ manāṁsi dharmmajñānaṁ pratyanājñāgrāhiṇaśca parāvarttayituṁ, prabhoḥ parameśvarasya sevārtham ekāṁ sajjitajātiṁ vidhātuñca sa eliyarūpātmaśaktiprāptastasyāgre gamiṣyati|
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 tadā sikhariyo dūtamavādīt kathametad vetsyāmi? yatohaṁ vṛddho mama bhāryyā ca vṛddhā|
“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 tato dūtaḥ pratyuvāca paśyeśvarasya sākṣādvarttī jibrāyelnāmā dūtohaṁ tvayā saha kathāṁ gadituṁ tubhyamimāṁ śubhavārttāṁ dātuñca preṣitaḥ|
“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 kintu madīyaṁ vākyaṁ kāle phaliṣyati tat tvayā na pratītam ataḥ kāraṇād yāvadeva tāni na setsyanti tāvat tvaṁ vaktuṁmaśakto mūko bhava|
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 tadānīṁ ye ye lokāḥ sikhariyamapaikṣanta te madhyemandiraṁ tasya bahuvilambād āścaryyaṁ menire|
Meanwhile the people were watching for Zechariah, wondering at his remaining so long in the Temple.
22 sa bahirāgato yadā kimapi vākyaṁ vaktumaśaktaḥ saṅketaṁ kṛtvā niḥśabdastasyau tadā madhyemandiraṁ kasyacid darśanaṁ tena prāptam iti sarvve bubudhire|
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 anantaraṁ tasya sevanaparyyāye sampūrṇe sati sa nijagehaṁ jagāma|
And, as soon as his term of service was finished, he returned home.
24 katipayadineṣu gateṣu tasya bhāryyā ilīśevā garbbhavatī babhūva
After this his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and lived in seclusion for five months.
25 paścāt sā pañcamāsān saṁgopyākathayat lokānāṁ samakṣaṁ mamāpamānaṁ khaṇḍayituṁ parameśvaro mayi dṛṣṭiṁ pātayitvā karmmedṛśaṁ kṛtavān|
“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 aparañca tasyā garbbhasya ṣaṣṭhe māse jāte gālīlpradeśīyanāsaratpure
Six months later the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
27 dāyūdo vaṁśīyāya yūṣaphnāmne puruṣāya yā mariyamnāmakumārī vāgdattāsīt tasyāḥ samīpaṁ jibrāyel dūta īśvareṇa prahitaḥ|
to a maiden there who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. Her name was Mary.
28 sa gatvā jagāda he īśvarānugṛhītakanye tava śubhaṁ bhūyāt prabhuḥ parameśvarastava sahāyosti nārīṇāṁ madhye tvameva dhanyā|
Gabriel came into her presence and greeted her, saying, “You have been shown great favor – the Lord is with you.”
29 tadānīṁ sā taṁ dṛṣṭvā tasya vākyata udvijya kīdṛśaṁ bhāṣaṇamidam iti manasā cintayāmāsa|
Mary was much disturbed at his words, and was wondering to herself what such a greeting could mean,
30 tato dūto'vadat he mariyam bhayaṁ mākārṣīḥ, tvayi parameśvarasyānugrahosti|
when the angel spoke again, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 paśya tvaṁ garbbhaṁ dhṛtvā putraṁ prasoṣyase tasya nāma yīśuriti kariṣyasi|
And now, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will give him the name Jesus.
32 sa mahān bhaviṣyati tathā sarvvebhyaḥ śreṣṭhasya putra iti khyāsyati; aparaṁ prabhuḥ parameśvarastasya piturdāyūdaḥ siṁhāsanaṁ tasmai dāsyati;
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 tathā sa yākūbo vaṁśopari sarvvadā rājatvaṁ kariṣyati, tasya rājatvasyānto na bhaviṣyati| (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 tadā mariyam taṁ dūtaṁ babhāṣe nāhaṁ puruṣasaṅgaṁ karomi tarhi kathametat sambhaviṣyati?
“How can this be?” Mary asked the angel. “For I have no husband.”
35 tato dūto'kathayat pavitra ātmā tvāmāśrāyiṣyati tathā sarvvaśreṣṭhasya śaktistavopari chāyāṁ kariṣyati tato hetostava garbbhād yaḥ pavitrabālako janiṣyate sa īśvaraputra iti khyātiṁ prāpsyati|
“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 aparañca paśya tava jñātirilīśevā yāṁ sarvve bandhyāmavadan idānīṁ sā vārddhakye santānamekaṁ garbbhe'dhārayat tasya ṣaṣṭhamāsobhūt|
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 kimapi karmma nāsādhyam īśvarasya|
for no promise from God will fail to be fulfilled.”
38 tadā mariyam jagāda, paśya prabherahaṁ dāsī mahyaṁ tava vākyānusāreṇa sarvvametad ghaṭatām; ananataraṁ dūtastasyāḥ samīpāt pratasthe|
“I am the servant of the Lord,” exclaimed Mary. “Let it be with me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
39 atha katipayadināt paraṁ mariyam tasmāt parvvatamayapradeśīyayihūdāyā nagaramekaṁ śīghraṁ gatvā
Soon after this Mary set out, and made her way quickly into the hill-country, to a town in Judah;
40 sikhariyayājakasya gṛhaṁ praviśya tasya jāyām ilīśevāṁ sambodhyāvadat|
and there she went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.
41 tato mariyamaḥ sambodhanavākye ilīśevāyāḥ karṇayoḥ praviṣṭamātre sati tasyā garbbhasthabālako nanartta| tata ilīśevā pavitreṇātmanā paripūrṇā satī
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child moved within her, and Elizabeth herself was filled with the Holy Spirit,
42 proccairgaditumārebhe, yoṣitāṁ madhye tvameva dhanyā, tava garbbhasthaḥ śiśuśca dhanyaḥ|
and cried aloud, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is your unborn child!
43 tvaṁ prabhormātā, mama niveśane tvayā caraṇāvarpitau, mamādya saubhāgyametat|
But how have I this honor, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 paśya tava vākye mama karṇayoḥ praviṣṭamātre sati mamodarasthaḥ śiśurānandān nanartta|
For, as soon as your greeting reached my ears, the child moved within me with delight!
45 yā strī vyaśvasīt sā dhanyā, yato hetostāṁ prati parameśvaroktaṁ vākyaṁ sarvvaṁ siddhaṁ bhaviṣyati|
Happy indeed is she who believed that the promise which she received from the Lord would be fulfilled.”
46 tadānīṁ mariyam jagāda| dhanyavādaṁ pareśasya karoti māmakaṁ manaḥ|
And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord,
47 mamātmā tārakeśe ca samullāsaṁ pragacchati|
and my spirit delights in God my Savior,
48 akarot sa prabhu rduṣṭiṁ svadāsyā durgatiṁ prati| paśyādyārabhya māṁ dhanyāṁ vakṣyanti puruṣāḥ sadā|
for he has looked with favor on his humble servant girl. From now on all generations will call me blessed!
49 yaḥ sarvvaśaktimān yasya nāmāpi ca pavitrakaṁ| sa eva sumahatkarmma kṛtavān mannimittakaṁ|
“For the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
50 ye bibhyati janāstasmāt teṣāṁ santānapaṁktiṣu| anukampā tadīyā ca sarvvadaiva sutiṣṭhati|
He has mercy on those who revere him in every generation.
51 svabāhubalatastena prākāśyata parākramaḥ| manaḥkumantraṇāsārddhaṁ vikīryyante'bhimāninaḥ|
“Mighty are the deeds of his arm! He has scattered the self-satisfied proud,
52 siṁhāsanagatāllokān balinaścāvarohya saḥ| padeṣūcceṣu lokāṁstu kṣudrān saṁsthāpayatyapi|
he has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and he uplifts the humble,
53 kṣudhitān mānavān dravyairuttamaiḥ paritarpya saḥ| sakalān dhanino lokān visṛjed riktahastakān|
he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 ibrāhīmi ca tadvaṁśe yā dayāsti sadaiva tāṁ| smṛtvā purā pitṛṇāṁ no yathā sākṣāt pratiśrutaṁ| (aiōn g165)
“He has stretched out his hand to his servant Israel, ever mindful of his mercy,
55 isrāyelsevakastena tathopakriyate svayaṁ||
as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and his descendants for ever.” (aiōn g165)
56 anantaraṁ mariyam prāyeṇa māsatrayam ilīśevayā sahoṣitvā vyāghuyya nijaniveśanaṁ yayau|
Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months, and then returned to her home.
57 tadanantaram ilīśevāyāḥ prasavakāla upasthite sati sā putraṁ prāsoṣṭa|
When Elizabeth’s time came, she gave birth to a son;
58 tataḥ parameśvarastasyāṁ mahānugrahaṁ kṛtavān etat śrutvā samīpavāsinaḥ kuṭumbāścāgatya tayā saha mumudire|
and her neighbors and relatives, hearing of the great goodness of the Lord to her, came to share her joy.
59 tathāṣṭame dine te bālakasya tvacaṁ chettum etya tasya pitṛnāmānurūpaṁ tannāma sikhariya iti karttumīṣuḥ|
A week later they met to circumcise the child, and were about to call him Zechariah after his father,
60 kintu tasya mātākathayat tanna, nāmāsya yohan iti karttavyam|
when his mother spoke up, “No, he is to be called John.”
61 tadā te vyāharan tava vaṁśamadhye nāmedṛśaṁ kasyāpi nāsti|
“You have no relation of that name!” they exclaimed;
62 tataḥ paraṁ tasya pitaraṁ sikhariyaṁ prati saṅketya papracchuḥ śiśoḥ kiṁ nāma kāriṣyate?
and they made signs to the child’s father, to find out what he wished the child to be called.
63 tataḥ sa phalakamekaṁ yācitvā lilekha tasya nāma yohan bhaviṣyati| tasmāt sarvve āścaryyaṁ menire|
Asking for a writing tablet, he wrote the words – ‘His name is John.’ Everyone was surprised
64 tatkṣaṇaṁ sikhariyasya jihvājāḍye'pagate sa mukhaṁ vyādāya spaṣṭavarṇamuccāryya īśvarasya guṇānuvādaṁ cakāra|
and immediately Zechariah recovered his voice and the use of his tongue, and began to bless God.
65 tasmāccaturdiksthāḥ samīpavāsilokā bhītā evametāḥ sarvvāḥ kathā yihūdāyāḥ parvvatamayapradeśasya sarvvatra pracāritāḥ|
All their neighbors were awe-struck at this, and throughout the hill-country of Judea the whole story was much talked about.
66 tasmāt śrotāro manaḥsu sthāpayitvā kathayāmbabhūvuḥ kīdṛśoyaṁ bālo bhaviṣyati? atha parameśvarastasya sahāyobhūt|
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 tadā yohanaḥ pitā sikhariyaḥ pavitreṇātmanā paripūrṇaḥ san etādṛśaṁ bhaviṣyadvākyaṁ kathayāmāsa|
Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and, speaking under inspiration, said:
68 isrāyelaḥ prabhu ryastu sa dhanyaḥ parameśvaraḥ| anugṛhya nijāllokān sa eva parimocayet|
“Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, who has visited his people and wrought their deliverance,
69 vipakṣajanahastebhyo yathā mocyāmahe vayaṁ| yāvajjīvañca dharmmeṇa sāralyena ca nirbhayāḥ|
and has raised up for us the strength of our salvation in the house of his servant David –
70 sevāmahai tamevaikam etatkāraṇameva ca| svakīyaṁ supavitrañca saṁsmṛtya niyamaṁ sadā|
as he promised by the lips of his holy prophets of old – (aiōn g165)
71 kṛpayā puruṣān pūrvvān nikaṣārthāttu naḥ pituḥ| ibrāhīmaḥ samīpe yaṁ śapathaṁ kṛtavān purā|
salvation from our enemies and from the hands of all who hate us,
72 tameva saphalaṁ karttaṁ tathā śatrugaṇasya ca| ṛtīyākāriṇaścaiva karebhyo rakṣaṇāya naḥ|
showing mercy to our ancestors, and mindful of his sacred covenant.
This was the oath which he swore to our ancestor Abraham –
74 yathoktavān tathā svasya dāyūdaḥ sevakasya tu|
that we should be rescued from the hands of our enemies,
75 vaṁśe trātāramekaṁ sa samutpāditavān svayam|
and should serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness, in his presence all our days.
76 ato he bālaka tvantu sarvvebhyaḥ śreṣṭha eva yaḥ| tasyaiva bhāvivādīti pravikhyāto bhaviṣyasi| asmākaṁ caraṇān kṣeme mārge cālayituṁ sadā| evaṁ dhvānte'rthato mṛtyośchāyāyāṁ ye tu mānavāḥ|
And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to make ready his way,
77 upaviṣṭāstu tāneva prakāśayitumeva hi| kṛtvā mahānukampāṁ hi yāmeva parameśvaraḥ|
to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
78 ūrdvvāt sūryyamudāyyaivāsmabhyaṁ prādāttu darśanaṁ| tayānukampayā svasya lokānāṁ pāpamocane|
through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dawn will break on us from heaven,
79 paritrāṇasya tebhyo hi jñānaviśrāṇanāya ca| prabho rmārgaṁ pariṣkarttuṁ tasyāgrāyī bhaviṣyasi||
to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, and guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 atha bālakaḥ śarīreṇa buddhyā ca varddhitumārebhe; aparañca sa isrāyelo vaṁśīyalokānāṁ samīpe yāvanna prakaṭībhūtastāstāvat prāntare nyavasat|
The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he lived in the wilds until the time came for his appearance before Israel.
