1 FORASMUCH as many have taken in hand to draw up a narrative concerning the matters which have been established among us,
2 even as they delivered them to us, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word,
3 it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from above, to write to thee in order, excellent Theophilus;
4 that thou mightest know the certainty concerning the words wherein thou wast instructed.
Zacharias Ministers in the Temple
5 There was in the days of Herod, king of: Judæa, a certain priest, Zacharias by name, of the course of Abijah: and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her: name was Elisabeth.
6 And both were righteous before: God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7 And they had no child, because that: Elisabeth was barren, and both were now advanced in their: days.
8 Now it came to pass, while he ministered as priest before: God in the order of his: course,
9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot was to enter into the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.
10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying without at the hour of: incense.
Angel Announces the Birth of John
11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right of the altar of: incense.
12 And Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: because thy: supplication is heard, and thy: wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his: name John.
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his: birth.
15 For he shall be great before the Lord, and shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s: womb.
16 And many of the sons of Israel shall he turn unto the Lord their: God.
17 And HE shall go before his face in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the fathers’ hearts to the children, and the disobedient to walk in the wisdom of the just; to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.
Zacharias Is Not Able to Speak
18 And Zacharias said to the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my: wife advanced in her: days.
19 And the angel answered and said to him, I am Gabriel, that stand in: God’s presence; and I was sent to speak unto thee, and bring thee these good tidings.
20 And lo, thou shalt be silent and unable to speak, until the day that these things shall come to pass, because thou believedst not my: words, which shall be fulfilled unto their: season.
21 And the people was waiting for: Zacharias, and marvelled while he tarried in the sanctuary.
22 And when he came out, he could not speak to them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary: and HE continued making signs to them, and remained dumb.
23 And it came to pass, when the days of his: ministration were fulfilled, he departed unto his: house.
24 And after these: days Elisabeth his: wife conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, [that]
25 Thus hath the Lord done to me in the days wherein he looked upon me, to take away my reproach among men.
Gabriel Announces the Birth of Christ
26 Now in the sixth: month the angel Gabriel was sent from: God unto a city of: Galilee, Nazareth by name,
27 unto a virgin betrothed to a man Joseph by name of David’s house; and the name of the virgin was Mariam.
28 And he came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou grace-endued, the Lord is with thee.
29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and cast in her mind what manner of: salutation this might be.
30 And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mariam: for thou hast found grace with: God.
31 And lo, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bear a Son, and shalt call his: name JESUS.
32 HE shall be great, and shall be called Son of the Most High: and the Lord: God shall give him the throne of his: father David:
33 and he shall reign over the house of Jacob unto the ages; and of his: kingdom shall be no end.
34 And Mariam said unto the angel, How shall this be, since I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also what is begotten shall be called holy, Son of God.
36 And lo, Elisabeth thy: kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren.
37 Because no word from: God shall be void of power.
38 And Mariam said, Lo, the bondmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy: word. And the angel departed from her.
Visitation of Mary to Elisabeth
39 And Mariam arose in these: days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah;
40 and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted: Elisabeth.
41 And it came to pass, when: Elisabeth heard the greeting of: Mariam, the babe leaped in her: womb; and: Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit;
42 and she lifted up her voice with a loud cry, and said, Blessed thou among women, and blessed the fruit of thy: womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my: Lord should come unto me?
44 For lo, when the voice of thy: greeting came into mine: ears, the babe leaped in my: womb for joy.
45 And blessed she that believed that there shall be a fulfillment of the things spoken to her from the Lord.
46 And Mariam said, My: soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my: spirit hath rejoiced in: God my: Savior.
48 Because he hath looked upon the low estate of his: bondmaid: For lo, from: now on all: generations shall call me blessed.
49 Because the Mighty one hath done to me great things; And holy is his: name.
50 And his: mercy is unto generations and generations On them that fear him.
51 He hath showed strength with his arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart.
52 He hath put down princes from thrones, And exalted the lowly.
53 The hungry he hath filled with good things; And the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 He hath given help to Israel his servant, To remember mercy
55 (As he spake unto our: fathers) To: Abraham and his: seed unto the age.
56 And Mariam abode with her about three months, and returned to her: house.
Elizabeth Gives Birth to John
57 Now: Elisabeth’s time was fulfilled that she should be delivered; and she gave birth to a son.
58 And the neighbors and her: 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 would have called him Zacharias, after the name of his: father.
60 And his: mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
61 And they said unto her [that], There is none of thy: kindred that is called by this: name.
62 And they made signs to his: father, what he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And all marvelled.
64 And his: mouth was opened immediately, and his: tongue, and he spake, blessing: God.
65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these: sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judæa.
66 And all that heard laid them up in their: heart, saying, What then shall this: child be? For the Lord’s hand was also with him.
Zacharias Prophecies the Ministry of John
67 And his: father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
68 Blessed the Lord, the God of: Israel; Because he hath visited and wrought redemption for his: people,
69 And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us In his servant David’s house.
70 (As he spake by the mouth of his holy: prophets from the age),
71 Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
72 To show mercy toward our: fathers, And to remember his holy covenant;
73 The oath which he sware unto Abraham our: father,
74 To: grant unto us that we, delivered out of our enemies’ hand, Should serve him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before him all our: days.
76 Yea and thou, child, shalt be called prophet of the Most High: For thou shalt go before the Lord to make ready his ways;
77 To: give knowledge of salvation to his: people In remission of their sins,
78 Because of the bowels of mercy of our God, Wherein the dayspring from on high shall visit us,
79 To shine upon them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death; To guide our: feet into the way of peace.
80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto: Israel.