Luke 1
1 Many have undertaken to compose an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,
Seeing, indeed, that, many, had taken in hand to re-arrange for themselves a narrative, concerning the facts which have been fully confirmed amongst us, —
2 just as they were handed down to us by the initial eyewitnesses and servants of the word.
according as they who from the beginning became eye-witnesses and attendants of the Word delivered them unto us,
3 Therefore, having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,
it seemed good, even to me, having closely traced from the outset all things accurately, to write unto thee, in order, most excellent Theophilus:
4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
that, as touching the matters which thou hadst been taught by word of mouth, thou mightest obtain full knowledge, of the certainty.
5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and whose wife Elizabeth was a daughter of Aaron.
It came to pass, in the days of Herod, king of Judaea, that there was a certain priest, by name Zachariah, of the daily course of Abia; and that he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and, her name, was Elizabeth.
6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord.
Now they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and righteous appointments of the Lord, blameless;
7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well along in years.
and they had no child, inasmuch as Elizabeth was barren, and, both, had become, advanced in their days.
8 One day while Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,
But it came to pass, as he was doing priestly service in the order of his daily course, before God,
9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
according to the custom of his priesthood, it fell to his lot to offer incense, entering into the Temple of the Lord;
10 And at the hour of the incense offering, the whole congregation was praying outside.
and, all the throng of the people, was praying outside, at the hour of the incense offering.
11 Just then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
And there appeared unto him a messenger of the Lord, standing on the right hand of the altar of incense;
12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear.
and Zachariah was troubled when he beheld, and, fear, fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.
But the messenger said unto him—Do not fear, Zachariah! Inasmuch as thy supplication hath been hearkened to, —and, thy wife Elizabeth, shall bring forth a son to thee, and thou shalt call his name, John;
14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice at his birth,
And there shall be joy to thee and exulting, and, many, over his birth, shall rejoice;
15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.
For he shall be great before the Lord, and, wine and strong drink, in nowise may he drink, and, with Holy Spirit, shall he be filled, already, from his mother’s womb;
16 Many of the sons of Israel he will turn back to the Lord their God.
And, many of the Sons of Israel, shall he turn towards the Lord their God;
17 And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
And, he, shall go before him, in the spirit and power of Elijah, —To turn the hearts of fathers unto children, and the unyielding, into the prudence of the righteous, and to prepare, for the Lord, a people made ready.
18 “How can I be sure of this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.”
And Zachariah said unto the messenger—Whereby, shall I know this? for, I, am, aged, and, my wife, advanced in her days.
19 “I am Gabriel,” replied the angel. “I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
And the messenger, answering, said unto him—I, am Gabriel, —he that standeth near before God; and have been sent forth to speak unto thee, and to deliver the joyful message unto thee, as touching these things.
20 And now you will be silent and unable to speak until the day this comes to pass, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”
And lo! thou shalt be silent, and not able to speak until the day when these things shall come to pass; because thou didst not believe in my words, —the which shall be fulfilled for their season.
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he took so long in the temple.
And the people were expecting Zachariah, and began to marvel that he should tarry in the Temple;
22 When he came out and was unable to speak to them, they realized he had seen a vision in the temple. He kept making signs to them but remained speechless.
and when he came forth he was not able to speak unto them, and they perceived that, a vision, he had seen in the Temple, —and, he, continued making signs unto them, and remained dumb.
23 And when the days of his service were complete, he returned home.
And it came to pass, when the days of his public ministration were fulfilled, that he departed unto his house.
24 After these days, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. She declared,
And, after these days, Elizabeth his wife conceived, and she disguised herself five months, saying—
25 “The Lord has done this for me. In these days He has shown me favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
Thus, for me, hath the Lord wrought, —in the days in which he looked upon me, to take away my reproach among men.
26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
Now, in the sixth month, was the messenger Gabriel sent forth from God, into a city of Galilee, the name of which was Nazareth, —
27 to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.
unto a virgin, betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and, the name of the virgin, was, Mary;
28 The angel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
and entering in unto her, he said—Joy to thee, favoured one! The Lord, be with thee!
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
And, she, at the word, was greatly troubled, and began to deliberate, of what kind, this salutation, might be.
30 So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
And the messenger said unto her—Do not fear, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God, —
31 Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus.
And lo! thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt 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,
the same, shall be great, and, Son of the Most High, shall be called, and the Lord God, will give unto him, the throne of David his father, —
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob, unto the ages, and, of his kingdom, there shall be, no end. (aiōn g165)
34 “How can this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
But Mary said unto the messenger—How, shall this thing be, seeing that, a man, I know not?
35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.
And answering, the messenger said unto her—The Holy Spirit, shall come upon thee, and, the power of the Most High, shall overshadow thee; wherefore, even that which is to be born, Holy, shall be called, Son of God.
36 Look, even Elizabeth your relative has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is in her sixth month.
And lo! Elizabeth thy kinswoman, even she, hath conceived a son in, her old-age; —and, this month, is, the sixth, to her, the so-called barren one;
37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
Because no declaration from God, shall be void of power.
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.
And Mary said—Lo! the handmaid of the Lord! Might it come to pass unto me, according to thy declaration. And the messenger departed from her.
39 In those days Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah,
And Mary, arising, in these days, journeyed into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah, —
40 where she entered the home of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
and entered into the house of Zachariah, and saluted Elizabeth.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
And it came to pass that, as Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leapt in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with Holy Spirit, —
42 In a loud voice she exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
and lifted up her voice with loud exclamation, and said—Blessed, art thou among women, and, blessed, is the fruit of thy womb;
43 And why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
And, whence, to me is, this, That the mother of my Lord should come, unto me?
44 For as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
For lo! as the sound of thy salutation came into mine ears, the babe in my womb, leapt in exultation.
45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord’s word to her will be fulfilled.”
And, happy, is she who hath believed, that there shall be a perfecting of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!
46 Then Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,
And Mary said—My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
And my spirit hath exulted upon God my saviour;
48 For He has looked with favor on the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed.
Because he hath looked upon the humbling of his handmaid; for lo! from the present time, all the generations, will pronounce me happy.
49 For the Mighty One has done great things for me. Holy is His name.
Because he that is mighty hath done for me great things, and, holy, is his name;
50 His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.
And his mercy is unto generations and generations, to them who revere him;
51 He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He hath wrought strength with his arm, He hath scattered men arrogant in the intention of their heart;
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has exalted the humble.
He hath deposed potentates from thrones, and uplifted the lowly;
53 He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.
The hungry, hath he filled with good things, and, the wealthy, hath he sent empty away;
54 He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful,
He hath laid hold of Israel his servant, to be mindful of mercies:
According as he spake unto our fathers, —To Abraham, and to his seed, —Unto times age-abiding. (aiōn g165)
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned unto her house.
57 When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a son.
And, to Elizabeth, was the time fulfilled, that she should be bringing forth, —and she gave birth to a son.
58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they rejoiced with her.
And her neighbours and kinsfolk heard, that the Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and they were rejoicing with her.
59 On the eighth day, when they came to circumcise the child, they were going to name him after his father Zechariah.
And it came to pass, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child, and were calling it, after the name of its father, Zachariah.
60 But his mother replied, “No! He shall be called John.”
And his mother, answering, said—Nay! but he shall be called, John.
61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who bears this name.”
And they said unto her—There is, no one from among thy kindred, who is called by this name!
62 So they made signs to his father to find out what he wanted to name the child.
And they began making signs unto his father, as to what he might be wishing it to be called.
63 Zechariah asked for a tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed.
And, asking for a small tablet, he wrote, saying—John, is his name! and they marvelled all.
64 Immediately Zechariah’s mouth was opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak, praising God.
And his mouth was opened instantly, and his tongue [loosed], and he began to speak, blessing, God.
65 All their neighbors were filled with awe, and people throughout the hill country of Judea were talking about these events.
And fear came upon all the neighbours themselves; and, throughout all the hill-country of Judaea, were all these matters being much talked of;
66 And all who heard this wondered in their hearts and asked, “What then will this child become?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.
and all who heard laid [them] up in their hearts, saying—What then shall his child be? for, even the hand of the Lord, was with him.
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
And, Zachariah his father, was filled with Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: —
68 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and redeemed His people.
Blessed, be the Lord, the God of Israel! Because he hath visited and wrought redemption for his people,
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David,
And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us, In the house of David his servant:
According as he hath spoken by mouth of his holy ancient prophets, — (aiōn g165)
71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,
Of salvation from among our foes, and out of the hand of all them that hate us:
72 to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant,
To perform mercy with our fathers, and to be mindful of his holy covenant, —
73 the oath He swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
The oath which he sware unto Abraham our father, To grant us,
74 deliverance from hostile hands, that we may serve Him without fear,
without fear, from the hand of enemies rescued, to be rendering divine service unto him,
75 in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our lives.
in lovingkindness and righteousness before him, all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him,
And, even thou, child, prophet of the Most High, shalt be called, —for thou shall march on before the Lord, to prepare his ways,
77 to give to His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
Giving a knowledge of salvation unto his people, by a remission of their sins.
78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the Dawn will visit us from on high,
Because of the yearning compassion of the mercy of our God, wherein shall visit us a day-dawn from on high, —
79 to shine on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
To shine on them who, in the darkness and shade of death, are sitting, to guide our feet into a way of peace.
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until the time of his public appearance to Israel.
And, the child, went on growing, and being strengthened in spirit, and was in the deserts, until the day he was pointed out unto Israel.
