Luke 1
1 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,
Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to arrange in order a narration about the deeds that have been brought to fullness among us,
2 just as they were reported to us by those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses, and afterwards became bearers of the message.
just as they delivered them to us, who became from the beginning eyewitnesses and servants of the word,
3 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,
it occurred to me also, having followed closely from the beginning all things accurately, to write to thee in order, eminent Theophilus,
4 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.
so that thou might know the certainty of the declarations about which thou were instructed.
5 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.
It came to pass in the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest, named Zacharias, from the division of Abijah, and his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6 They were both righteous people, who lived blameless lives, guiding their steps by all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
And they were both righteous before God, going in all the commandments and righteous things of the Lord blameless.
7 But they had no child, Elizabeth being barren; and both of them were advanced in years.
And there was no child to them because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in their days.
8 One day, when Zechariah was officiating as priest before God, during the turn of his division,
But it came to pass during his service as a priest in the course of his division in the presence of God,
9 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;
that, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to burn incense after entering into the temple of the Lord.
10 and, as it was the Hour of Incense, the people were all praying outside.
And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the Altar of Incense.
And an agent of the Lord became visible to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 Zechariah was startled at the sight and was awe-struck.
And Zacharias having seen, was shaken, and fear fell upon him.
13 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.
But the agent said to him, Fear not, Zacharias, because thy plea was heard, and thy wife Elizabeth will bear a son for thee. And thou shall call his name John.
14 He will be to you a joy and a delight; and many will rejoice over his birth.
And there will be joy and exultation for thee, and many will rejoice at his birth.
15 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,
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he should, no, not drink wine and strong drink. And he will be filled of the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's belly.
16 and will reconcile many of the Israelites to the Lord their God.
And he will turn back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.
17 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.’
And he will go ahead, in front of him, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn back the hearts of fathers toward children, and the disobedient in a mentality of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.
18 ‘How can I be sure of this?’ Zechariah asked the angel. ‘For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.’
And Zacharias said to the agent, How will I know this? For I am aged, and my wife is advanced in her days.
19 ‘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.
And having answered, the agent said to him, I am Gabriel who stand in the presence of God. And I was sent to speak to thee, and to announce these good news to thee.
20 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.’
And behold, thou will be mute, and not able to speak until that day these things will come to pass, because thou did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.
21 Meanwhile the people were watching for Zechariah, wondering at his remaining so long in the Temple.
And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and they wondered during his delay in the temple.
22 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.
And when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they recognized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was beckoning to them, and remained speechless.
23 And, as soon as his term of service was finished, he returned home.
And it came to pass, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he departed to his house.
24 After this his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and lived in seclusion for five months.
And after these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she concealed herself five months, saying,
25 ‘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.’
Thus the Lord has done to me during the days in which he looked, to take away my shame among men.
26 Six months later the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
Now in the sixth month the agent Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 to a maiden there who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. Her name was Mary.
to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.
28 Gabriel came into her presence and greeted her, saying, ‘You have been shown great favour – the Lord is with you.’
And the agent having come in near her, he said, Hail, thou who are highly favored. The Lord is with thee, thou who are blessed among women.
29 Mary was much disturbed at his words, and was wondering to herself what such a greeting could mean,
But having seen, she was perplexed at his saying, and was pondering what kind of greeting this might be.
30 when the angel spoke again, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God.
And the agent said to her, Fear not, Mary, for thou have found favor with God.
31 And now, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will give him the name Jesus.
And behold, thou will conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son. And thou shall call his name JESUS.
32 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,
This man will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David.
33 and he will reign over the descendants of Jacob for ever; And to his kingdom there will be no end.’ (aiōn g165)
And he will reign over the house of Jacob into the ages. And of his kingdom there will be no end. (aiōn g165)
34 ‘How can this be?’ Mary asked the angel. ‘For I have no husband.’
And Mary said to the agent, How will this be, since I know not a man?
35 ‘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.”
And having answered, the agent said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon thee, and the power of the Most High will overshadow thee. Therefore also the holy thing that is begotten will be called the Son of God.
36 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;
And behold, Elizabeth thy kinswoman, she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
37 for no promise from God will fail to be fulfilled.’
For no word from God will be impossible.
38 ‘I am the servant of the Lord,’ exclaimed Mary. ‘Let it be with me as you have said.’ Then the angel left her.
And Mary said, Behold the maid-servant of the Lord. May it happen to me according to thy word. And the agent departed from her.
39 Soon after this Mary set out, and made her way quickly into the hill-country, to a town in Judah;
And having risen in these days, Mary went with haste into the hill country, into a city of Judah,
40 and there she went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.
and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child moved within her, and Elizabeth herself was filled with the Holy Spirit,
And it came to pass, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her belly. And Elizabeth was filled of the Holy Spirit,
42 and cried aloud, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is your unborn child!
and she exclaimed in a great voice, and said, Blessed are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy belly.
43 But how have I this honour, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
And why is this to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?
44 For, as soon as your greeting reached my ears, the child moved within me with delight!
For lo, when the voice of thy greeting happened in my ears, the babe leaped with joy in my belly.
45 Happy indeed is she who believed that the promise which she received from the Lord would be fulfilled.’
And blessed is she who believed, because there will be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her from the Lord.
46 And Mary said: ‘My soul exalts the Lord,
And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit delights in God my Saviour,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked with favour on his humble servant girl. From now on all generations will call me blessed!
because he has looked upon the lowliness of his bondmaid. For behold, from henceforth all generations will regard me blessed,
49 ‘For the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
because the Mighty has done great things to me. And his name is holy.
50 He has mercy on those who revere him in every generation.
And his mercy is for generations of generations to those who fear him.
51 ‘Mighty are the deeds of his arm! He has scattered the self-satisfied proud,
He did a mighty work by his arm. He scattered the proud in the mentality of their heart.
52 he has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and he uplifts the humble,
He brought down potentates from thrones, and raised up lowly men.
53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
He filled those who are hungry with good things, and those who are rich he sent away empty.
54 ‘He has stretched out his hand to his servant Israel, ever mindful of his mercy,
He helped his boy Israel to be reminded of mercy,
just as he spoke to our fathers: to Abraham and his seed into the age. (aiōn g165)
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months, and then returned to her home.
And Mary dwelt with her about three months, and returned to her house.
57 When Elizabeth’s time came, she gave birth to a son;
Now the time for Elizabeth was fulfilled for her to give birth, and she brought forth a son.
58 and her neighbours and relatives, hearing of the great goodness of the Lord to her, came to share her joy.
And her neighbors and her kinfolk heard that the Lord magnified his mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 A week later they met to circumcise the child, and were about to call him Zechariah after his father,
And it came to pass on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child, and they were calling it by the name of his father Zacharias.
60 when his mother spoke up, ‘No, he is to be called John.’
And his mother having answered, said, No, but he will be called John.
61 ‘You have no relation of that name!’ they exclaimed;
And they said to her, There is no man among thy relatives who is called by this name.
62 and they made signs to the child’s father, to find out what he wished the child to be called.
And they made signs to his father, whatever he wanted to call him.
63 Asking for a writing tablet, he wrote the words – “His name is John.” Everyone was surprised
And having asked for a writing tablet, he wrote, saying, His name is John. And they all marveled.
64 and immediately Zechariah recovered his voice and the use of his tongue, and began to bless God.
And immediately his mouth was opened, and his tongue, and he spoke, praising God.
65 All their neighbours were awe-struck at this, and throughout the hill-country of Judea the whole story was much talked about.
And fear developed in all who dwell around them. And all these sayings were talked about in the entire hill country of Judea.
66 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.
And all who heard stored up in their heart, saying, What then will this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and, speaking under inspiration, said:
And his father Zacharias was filled of the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
68 ‘Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, who has visited his people and wrought their deliverance,
Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because he came to help, and made ransom for his people.
69 and has raised up for us the strength of our salvation in the house of his servant David –
And he raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his boy David,
just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, (aiōn g165)
71 salvation from our enemies and from the hands of all who hate us,
salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us,
72 showing mercy to our ancestors, and mindful of his sacred covenant.
to do mercy with our fathers, and his holy covenant to be remembered,
73 This was the oath which he swore to our ancestor Abraham –
the oath that he swore to Abraham our father, to give to us,
74 that we should be rescued from the hands of our enemies,
without fear from the hand of our enemies, having been saved to serve him
75 and should serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness, in his presence all our days.
in piety and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
76 And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to make ready his way,
And thou, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High. For thou will go ahead, before the face of the Lord, to prepare his ways,
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the remission of their sins,
78 through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dawn will break on us from heaven,
because of the bowels of mercy of our God, by which the dayspring from on high came to help us,
79 to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, and guide our feet into the way of peace.’
to give light to those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into a way of peace.
80 The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he lived in the wilds until the time came for his appearance before Israel.
And the child grew, and became strong in spirit. And he was in the desolate regions until the day of his manifestation to Israel.
