Inasmuch as many
have undertaken
to compile
an account
of the things
1 aaccomplished
among
us,
just as they were handed
down
to us by those
who afrom the beginning
1were beyewitnesses
and 2 cservants
of dthe 3word
,
it seemed fitting
for me as well
, ahaving 1investigated
everything
carefully
from the beginning
, to write
it out for you bin consecutive
order
, cmost
excellent
dTheophilus
;
so that you may know
the exact
truth
about
the things
you have been 1 ataught
.
aIn the days of Herod
, king
of Judea
, there was a priest
named
1Zacharias
, of the bdivision
of 2Abijah
; and he had a wife
3from the daughters
of Aaron
, and her name
was Elizabeth
.
They were both arighteous
in the sight
of God
, walking
bblamelessly
in all
the commandments
and requirements
of the Lord
.
But they had no
child
, because
Elizabeth
was barren
, and they were both
advanced
in 1years
.
Now it happened
that while
ahe was performing
his priestly
service
before
God
in the appointed order
of his division
,
according to the custom
of the priestly
office
, he was chosen
by lot
ato enter
the temple
of the Lord
and burn
incense
.
And the whole multitude
of the people
were in prayer
aoutside
at the hour
of the incense
offering.
And aan angel of the Lord
appeared
to him, standing
to the right
of the altar
of incense
.
Zacharias was troubled
when he saw
the angel, and afear
1gripped
him.
But the angel said
to him, " aDo not be afraid
, Zacharias
, for your petition
has been heard
, and your wife
Elizabeth
will bear
you a son
, and byou will 1give
him the name
John
.
"You will have joy and gladness
, and many
will rejoice
at his birth
.
"For he will be great in the sight
of the Lord
; and he will adrink
no
wine
or
liquor
, and he will be filled
with the Holy
Spirit
1while yet
in his mother's
womb
.
"And he will aturn many
of the sons
of Israel
back
to the Lord
their God
.
"It is he who will ago as a forerunner before
Him in the spirit
and power
of bElijah
, cTO TURN
THE HEARTS
OF THE FATHERS
BACK
TO THE CHILDREN
, and the disobedient
to the attitude
of the righteous
, so as to amake
ready
a people
prepared
for the Lord
."
Zacharias said
to the angel
, "How
will I know
this
for certain? For aI am
an old
man
and my wife
is advanced
in 1years
."
The angel answered
and said
to him, "I am
aGabriel
, who 1 bstands
in the presence
of God
, and I have been sent
to speak
to you and to bring
you this
good
news
.
"And behold, you shall be silent
and unable
to speak
until
the day
when
these
things
take
place
, because
you did not believe
my words
, which
will be fulfilled
in their proper
time
."
The people were waiting
for Zacharias
, and were wondering
at his delay
in the temple
.
But when he came out, he was unable
to speak
to them; and they realized
that he had seen
a vision
in the temple
; and he akept 1making
signs
to them, and remained
mute
.
When the days
of his priestly
service
were ended
, he went
back
home
.
After these
days
Elizabeth
his wife
became
pregnant
, and she 1kept
herself
in seclusion
for five
months
, saying
,
"This is the way
the Lord
has dealt
with me in the days
when
He looked
with favor upon me, to atake
away
my disgrace
among
men
."
Now in the sixth
month
the angel
aGabriel
was sent
from God
to a city
in Galilee
called
bNazareth
,
to aa virgin 1engaged
to a man
whose
name
was Joseph
, bof the 2descendants
of David
; and the virgin's
name
was 3Mary
.
And coming in, he said
to her, "Greetings
, 1favored
one! The Lord
2is with you."
But she awas very perplexed
at this statement
, and kept pondering
what
kind
of salutation
this
was.
The angel said
to her, " aDo not be afraid
, Mary
; for you have found
favor
with God
.
"And behold, you will conceive
in your womb
and bear
a son
, and you ashall name
Him Jesus
.
"He will be great and will be called
the Son
of athe Most
High
; and the Lord
God
will give
Him bthe throne
of His father
David
;
aand He will reign over
the house
of Jacob
forever
, band His kingdom
will have no
end
."
Mary said
to the angel
, "How
1can this
be, since
I 2am a virgin
?"
The angel answered
and said
to her, " aThe Holy
Spirit
will come
upon you, and the power
of bthe Most
High
will overshadow
you; and for that reason
cthe 1holy
Child
shall be called
dthe Son
of God
.
"And behold, even
your relative
Elizabeth
has also
conceived
a son
in her old
age
; and 1she who was called
barren
is now in her sixth
month
.
"For 1 anothing will be impossible
with God
."
And Mary said
, "Behold
, the 1bondslave
of the Lord
; may it be done
to me according
to your word
." And the angel
departed
from her.
Now 1at this
time
Mary
arose
and went
in a hurry
to athe hill
country
, to a city
of Judah
,
and entered the house
of Zacharias
and greeted
Elizabeth
.
When Elizabeth
heard
Mary's
greeting
, the baby
leaped
in her womb
; and Elizabeth
was afilled
with the Holy
Spirit
.
And she cried out with a loud
voice
and said
, "Blessed
are you among
women
, and blessed
is the fruit
of your womb
!
"And 1how has it happened to me, that the mother
of amy Lord
would come
to me?
"For behold, when
the sound
of your greeting
reached
my ears
, the baby
leaped
in my womb
for joy
.
"And ablessed is she who 1believed
that there would be a fulfillment
of what had been spoken
to her 2by the Lord
."
And Mary said
: " aMy soul
1 bexalts
the Lord
,
And amy spirit has rejoiced
in bGod
my Savior
.
"For aHe has had regard
for the humble
state
of His 1bondslave
; For behold
, from this
time
on all
generations
will count
me bblessed
.
"For the Mighty One
has done
great
things
for me; And holy
is His name
.
" aAND HIS MERCY IS 1UPON GENERATION
AFTER
GENERATION
TOWARD THOSE
WHO FEAR
HIM.
" aHe has done 1mighty
deeds
with His arm
; He has scattered
those who were proud
in the 2thoughts
of their heart
.
"He has brought down
rulers
from their thrones
, And has aexalted
those who were humble
.
" aHE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY
WITH GOOD
THINGS
; And sent
away
the rich
empty-handed
.
"He has given help
to Israel
His servant
, 1In remembrance
of His mercy
,
aAs He spoke to our fathers
, bTo Abraham
and his 1descendants
forever
."
And Mary stayed
with her about
three
months
, and then returned
to her home
.
Now the time
1had come
for Elizabeth
to give
birth
, and she gave
birth
to a son
.
Her neighbors and her relatives
heard
that the Lord
had 1 adisplayed
His great
mercy
toward
her; and they were rejoicing
with her.
And it happened that on athe eighth
day
they came
to circumcise
the child
, and they were going to call
him Zacharias
, 1after
his father
.
But his mother answered
and said
, "No
indeed
; but ahe shall be called
John
."
And they said to her, "There is no
one
among
your relatives
who
is called
by that name
."
And they amade signs
to his father
, as to what
he wanted
him called
.
And he asked for a tablet
and wrote
as follows
, " aHis name
is John
." And they were all
astonished
.
aAnd at once his mouth
was opened
and his tongue
loosed, and he began to speak
in praise
of God
.
Fear came
on all
those
living
around
them; and all
these
matters
were being talked
about
in all
athe hill
country
of Judea
.
All who heard
them kept
them in mind
, saying
, "What
then
will this
child
turn out to be?" For athe hand
of the Lord
was certainly
with him.
And his father Zacharias
awas filled
with the Holy
Spirit
, and bprophesied
, saying
:
" aBlessed be the Lord
God
of Israel
, For He has visited
us and accomplished
bredemption
for His people
,
And has raised up a ahorn
of salvation
for us In the house
of David
bHis servant
--
aAs He spoke by the mouth
of His holy
prophets
bfrom of old
--
1 aSalvation bFROM OUR ENEMIES
, And FROM THE HAND
OF ALL
WHO HATE
US;
aTo show mercy
toward
our fathers
, bAnd to remember
His holy
covenant
,
aThe oath which
He swore
to Abraham
our father
,
To grant us that we, being rescued
from the hand
of our enemies
, Might serve
Him without
fear
,
aIn holiness and righteousness
before
Him all
our days
.
"And you, child, will be called
the aprophet
of bthe Most
High
; For you will go
on cBEFORE
THE LORD
TO dPREPARE
HIS WAYS
;
To give to His people
the knowledge
of salvation
1By athe forgiveness
of their sins
,
Because of the tender
mercy
of our God
, With which
athe Sunrise
from on high
will visit
us,
aTO SHINE UPON THOSE
WHO SIT
IN DARKNESS
AND THE SHADOW
OF DEATH
, To guide
our feet
into the bway
of peace
."
aAnd the child continued to grow
and to become
strong
in spirit
, and he lived
in the deserts
until
the day
of his public
appearance
to Israel
.