< Luke 1 >

1 Forasmuch as many have undertaken to compose a narrative of those things, which have been accomplished amongst us,
Given that many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those things that really did take place among us,
2 as they, who were from the beginning, eye-witnesses, and afterwards ministers of the word, delivered them to us;
just as those who became eyewitnesses, from the beginning, and ministers of the Word delivered them to us,
3 I have also determined, having exactly traced everything from the first, to write a particular account for you, most excellent Theophilus;
it seemed good to me also, most excellent Theophilus, having taken careful note of everything from Above, to write to you with precision and in sequence,
4 that you might know the certainty of those matters wherein you have been instructed.
so that you may know the certainty of the things in which you were instructed.
5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah; and his wife, named Elizabeth, was of the daughters of Aaron.
In the days of Herod, the king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron and her name was Elizabeth.
6 They were both righteous before God, blameless observers of all the Lord's commandments and ordinances.
They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
7 And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were advanced in years.
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren; and they both were well advanced in years.
8 Now when he came to officiate as priest in the order of his course,
Now it happened, as he was officiating as priest before God in the order of his division,
9 it fell to him by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to offer incense in the sanctuary.
according to the custom of the priesthood, that his lot was to burn incense, upon entering the sanctuary of the Lord;
10 And while the incense was burning, the whole congregation were praying without.
and the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.
11 Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense;
12 And Zacharias was discomposed at the sight, and in great terror.
and upon seeing him Zacharias was shaken, and a fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias; for your prayer is heard, and Elizabeth your wife shall bear you a son, whom you shall name John.
But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, because your prayer was heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
14 He shall be to you matter of joy and transport; and many shall rejoice because of his birth.
And you will have joy and exultation, and many will rejoice over his birth.
15 For he shall be great before the Lord; he shall not drink wine nor any fermented liquor; but he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he must not drink either wine or strong drink; indeed, he will be filled with Holy Spirit already from his mother's womb.
16 And many of the sons of Israel he shall bring back to the Lord their God.
And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God;
17 Moreover, he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to reconcile fathers to their children, and by the wisdom of the righteous, to render the disobedient a people well disposed for the Lord.
in fact he himself will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of fathers to children’ and the disobedient to the mindset of the righteous, to prepare a people made ready for the Lord.”
18 And Zacharias said to the angel, How shall I know this: for I am old man, and my wife is advanced in years?
But Zacharias 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.”
19 The angel answering, said to him, I am Gabriel, who attend in the presence of God, and am sent to tell you this joyful news.
So in answer the angel said to him: “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God; I was sent to speak to you and bring you this good news.
20 But know that you shall be dumb, and shall not recover your speech, till the day when these things happen, because you have not believed my words, which shall be fulfilled in due time.
Now look, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day in which these things happen, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”
21 Meanwhile the people waited for Zacharias, and wondered that he staid so long in the sanctuary.
Now the people were waiting for Zacharias and wondering at his delay in the sanctuary.
22 But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary; for he made them understand by signs, and remained speechless.
But when he came out he was unable to speak to them, and they understood that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary—he kept gesturing to them while remaining mute.
23 And when his days of officiating were expired, he returned home.
And so, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he took off for home.
24 Soon after, Elizabeth his wife conceived, and lived in retirement five months, and said,
Well after those days his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and stayed in seclusion five months. She kept saying,
25 The Lord has done this for me, purposing now to deliver me from the reproach I lay under among men.
“So that's what the Lord has done for me in the days when He concerned Himself to take away my reproach among the people!”
26 Now, in the sixth month, God sent Gabriel his angel, to Nazareth, a city of Galilee;
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee named Natsareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man called Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary.
to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; the virgin's name was Mary.
28 When the angel entered, he said to her, Hail, favorite of heaven! the Lord be with you, happiest of women!
So upon entering where she was the angel said, “Rejoice, recipient of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
29 At his appearance and words, she was perplexed, and revolved in her mind what this salutation could mean.
But upon seeing him she was perplexed at his word and was trying to figure out what sort of greeting it might be.
30 And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
The angel said to her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, because you have found favor with God.
31 And behold, you shall conceive and bear a son, whom you shall name Jesus.
Now then, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God will give him the throne of David his Father.
He will be great, and will be called ‘Son of the Most High’; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David,
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever: his reign shall never end. (aiōn g165)
and He will reign over the house of Jacob into the ages; indeed, of His kingdom there will be no end!” (aiōn g165)
34 Then said Mary to the angel, How shall this be, since I have no intercourse with man?
So Mary said to the angel, “How shall this be, since I do not know a man?”
35 The angel answering, said to her, The Holy Spirit will descend upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore the holy progeny shall be called the Son of God.
In answer the angel said to her: “Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will hover over you; precisely for this reason the holy One who is to be born will be called ‘Son of God’!
36 And lo! your cousin Elizabeth also has conceived, a son in her old age; and she who is called barren, is now in her sixth month;
Furthermore, your relative Elizabeth, she has actually conceived a son in her old age and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren;
37 for nothing is impossible with God.
because any word spoken by God will be possible.”
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it to me according to your word. Then the angel departed.
So Mary said: “Yes, I am the Lord's slave! Let it happen to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
39 In those days Mary set out, and traveled expeditiously into the hill country; to a city of Judah;
Then Mary quickly got ready and went into the hill country in those days, to a town of Judah,
40 where having entered the house of Zacharias, she saluted Elizabeth.
and entered the house of Zacharias and saluted Elizabeth.
41 As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's salutation, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,
Well it happened that as Elizabeth heard Mary's salutation the babe bounced up and down in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with Holy Spirit.
42 and cried with a loud voice, You are the most blessed of women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And she cried out with a great voice and said: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the Fruit of your womb!
43 But how have I deserved this honor, to be visited by the mother of my Lord!
Why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 for know, that as soon as the sound of your salutation reached my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
Yes indeed, because as the sound of your salutation came into my ears the babe bounced up and down in my womb for joy.
45 And happy is she who believed that the things which the Lord has promised her, shall be performed.
Blessed is she who believed, because there will be a fulfillment of the things that have been spoken to her from the Lord.”
46 Then Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord,
So Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
and my spirit has exulted over God my Savior,
48 because he has not disdained the low condition of his handmaid; for henceforth, all posterity will pronounce me happy.
in that He paid attention to the humble station of His slave (f). Yes indeed, because from now on all generations will declare me to be highly favored,
49 For the Almighty, whose name is venerable, has done wonders for me.
in that the Mighty One did sublime things for me, and Holy is His name.
50 His mercy on them who fear him, extends to generations of generations.
His mercy is for generations of generations to those fearing Him.
51 He displays the strength of his arm, and dispels the vain imaginations of the proud.
He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has dispersed the arrogant in the reasoning of their hearts.
52 He pulls down potentates from their thrones, and exalts the lowly.
He has dethroned rulers and exalted the lowly.
53 The needy he loads with benefits; but the rich he spoils of everything.
He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.
54 He supports Israel his servant, ever inclined to mercy,
He has taken the part of His servant Israel, in remembrance of mercy,
55 (as he promised to our fathers) toward Abraham and his race. (aiōn g165)
just as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed while there is an age.” (aiōn g165)
56 And Mary, after staying with Elizabeth about three months, returned home.
So Mary stayed with her about three months, and returned to her house.
57 When the time for Elizabeth's delivery was come, she brought forth a son;
Now the time for Elizabeth to give birth was completed and she bore a son.
58 and her neighbors and relations who heard that the Lord had shown her great kindness, rejoiced with her.
Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had used His great mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 And, on the eighth day, when they came to the circumcision of the child, they would have called him by his father's name, Zacharias.
So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child, and they started calling him by the name of his father, Zacharias.
60 And his mother interposed, saying, No; but he shall be called John.
His mother reacted and said, “Absolutely not; he shall be called John!”
61 They said to her, There is none of your kindred of that name.
So they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”
62 They, therefore, asked his father by signs, how he would have him called.
So they started motioning to his father, as to what he would have him called.
63 He, having demanded a table-book, wrote upon it, His name is John, which surprised them all.
Asking for a writing tablet he wrote this: “His name is to be John!” They all marveled.
64 And his mouth was opened directly, and his tongue loosed. And he spoke, praising God.
Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed and he started to speak, blessing God.
65 Now all in the neighborhood were struck with awe; and the fame of these things spread throughout all the hill country of Judea.
(Well a fear came on all who lived around them; and all these sayings kept being talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea.
66 And all who heard these things, pondering them in their hearts, said, What will this child hereafter be? And the hand of the Lord was with him.
All who heard kept them in their hearts saying, “What then will this child be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.)
67 Then Zacharias, his father, being filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying,
Now his father Zacharias 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 has visited and provided redemption for His people;
69 and has raised a Prince for our deliverance in the house of David his servant;
and has raised up a horn of deliverance for us in the house of His servant David
70 (as anciently he promised by his holy prophets) (aiōn g165)
—just as He spoke through the mouth of His holy prophets from antiquity— (aiōn g165)
71 for our deliverance from our enemies, and from the hands of all who hate us;
deliverance from our enemies and out of the hand of all who hate us;
72 in kindness to our forefathers, and remembrance of his holy institution;
to use mercy with our fathers, even to remember His Holy covenant,
73 the oath which he swore to our father Abraham,
the oath that He swore to our father Abraham;
74 to grant to us, that being rescued out of the hands of our enemies, we might serve him boldly,
to grant to us (having been rescued from the hand of our enemies) to serve Him without fear,
75 in piety and uprightness all our days.
in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
76 And you, child, shall be called a prophet of the Most High; for you shall go before the Lord, to prepare his way,
And you, child, will be called Prophet of the Most High, because you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
77 by giving the knowledge of salvation to his people, in the remission of their sins,
to give a knowledge of salvation to His people by the forgiveness of their sins,
78 through the tender compassion of our God, who has caused a light to spring from on high to visit us,
through the merciful compassions of our God, with which the divine Dawn has contemplated us,
79 to enlighten those who abide in darkness and in the shades of death; to direct our feet into the way of peace.
to give light to those who are sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 Meantime the child grew, and acquired strength of mind, and continued in the deserts, until the time when he made himself known to Israel.
So the child kept growing and being strengthened in spirit, and he stayed in uninhabited areas until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

< Luke 1 >