Luke 1
1 My noble [friend] Theophilus, many people saw the things that [Jesus] did while he was with us, from the time when he started [MTY] [his ministry]. They served God [by teaching people] the message [about the Lord Jesus]. Many of those who heard what they taught wrote down for us accounts of the things that [Jesus did from the time when] he began [his ministry].
Since many have undertaken to compose a history of the things that are fully believed among us,
even as they were delivered to us by those who were, from the beginning, eye-witnesses and ministers of the word;
3 I myself have studied these accounts carefully. So I decided that it would be good for me also to write for you [(sg)] an accurate account of these matters.
it seemed good to me also, having obtained exact information of all things from the very first, to write them in order for you, most excellent Theophilus,
4 I want you to know the truth about what you have been taught {what others have taught you}.
that you might know the certainty of the things in which you have been instructed.
5 When King Herod [the Great ruled] Judea [district], there was a [Jewish] priest named Zechariah. He belonged to the [group of priests called] the Abijah group. He and his wife Elizabeth were both descended from the [first priest of Israel], Aaron.
There was, in the days of Herod the king of Judea, a certain priest, named Zachariah, of the class of Abijah; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6 [God considered that] both of them were righteous, because they constantly completely obeyed everything that God had commanded.
They were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless.
7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth had been unable to bear children. Furthermore, she and her husband were very old.
And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.
8 One day [Zechariah’s] group was doing their work [in the Temple in Jerusalem], and he was serving as a priest in God’s presence.
It came to pass, while he was officiating as priest before God, in the order of his class, that,
9 Following their custom, [the other priests] chose him by lot to enter the Lord’s temple and burn incense.
according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense, when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10 While he was burning the incense, many people were outside [in the courtyard], praying.
And all the multitude of the people were praying without, at the time of incense.
11 Then an angel whom God had [sent] appeared to him. The angel was standing at the right side of the place [where the priests burned] incense.
And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
12 When Zechariah saw the angel, he was startled and became very afraid.
And Zachariah was troubled at the sight, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, “Zechariah, do not be afraid! When you [(sg)] prayed [asking God for a son] (OR, [that God would send the Messiah]), God heard what you prayed. [So] your wife Elizabeth shall bear a son. You must name him John.
But the angel said to him: Fear not, Zachariah; for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
14 He will cause you to be very happy, and many other people will also be happy because he is born.
And you shall have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 God will consider him to be very important. He must never drink wine or any other alcoholic drink, [in order that he will be completely dedicated to God]. He will be controlled by the Holy Spirit {The Holy Spirit will control him} from before he is born.
For he shall be great before the Lord; and he shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.
16 He will [persuade] many people in Israel to turn away [from their sins and please] the Lord their God.
And many of the sons of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 As [God’s] Spirit enables him [to preach] powerfully as [the prophet] Elijah did, he will precede [the Messiah]. He will cause parents [SYN] to act [peacefully] toward their children [again]. He will cause [many] people who do not obey [God to hear and obey] the wise things that righteous people [tell them]. He will do this in order to help [many] people to be ready when the Lord [comes].”
And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient, by the wisdom of the just, in order to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.
18 Then Zechariah said to the angel, “I am very old, and my wife is also so old [that she cannot bear a child. So] (I cannot [believe] that what you [(sg)] said [will happen]!/how can I [believe] that what you [(sg)] said [will happen]?) [RHQ]”
And Zachariah said to the angel: By what sign shall I know this? for I am old, and my wife is advanced in years.
19 Then the angel said to him, “I am [God’s chief angel], Gabriel! [I do what God tells me, because] I constantly am in God’s presence! I was sent {[He] sent me} to tell you [(sg)] something good [that is going to happen to you].
And the angel answered and said to him: I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God; and I am sent to speak to you, and to announce to you this good news.
20 What I have told you will certainly happen at the time [God decides], but you did not believe what I told you. So now [God will make] you will be unable to talk until the day [your son is born]”!
And behold, you shall be dumb and not able to speak, till the day in which these things shall take place, because you did not believe my words, which shall be fulfilled in their proper time.
21 While [Zechariah and the angel] were talking, the people [in the courtyard] were waiting for Zechariah [to come out]. They wondered, “Why is he staying in the Temple for such a long time?”
And the people were waiting for Zachariah, and they wondered that he stayed so long in the temple.
22 When Zechariah came out, he was not able to speak to the people. Because he could not talk, he made motions with his hands [to try to convey what had happened]. Then they realized that he had seen (a vision [from God]/something that [God] showed him) while he was in the Temple.
But when he came out, he was not able to speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he made signs to them, and remained speechless.
23 When Zechariah’s time to work [as a priest in the Temple] was finished, he [left Jerusalem and] returned to his home.
And it came to pass, when the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.
24 Some time later his wife Elizabeth became pregnant [EUP]. She did not leave their house for five months, [because she knew that people would laugh at her if she told them that she was pregnant].
And after those days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and kept herself retired for five months, saying:
25 But she thought, “God has enabled me to become pregnant. He has pitied me and I will no longer be ashamed [because I have no children]!”
Thus has the Lord dealt with me in the days in which he has looked with regard upon me, to take away my reproach among men.
26 When Elizabeth had been [pregnant] [EUP] [for almost] six months, the angel Gabriel was sent by God {God sent the angel Gabriel} [again].
And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 [This time] he went to Nazareth [town] in Galilee [district], to a virgin whose name was Mary. It had been {[Her parents] had} promised that she would marry a man named Joseph, who was descended from [King] David.
to 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 greeted her and said, “(The Lord/God) is with you [(sg)] and you will be greatly blessed {[has decided to] greatly bless you}!”
And the angel came into her presence, and said: Hail, graciously accepted: the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women.
29 But Mary was very confused [when she heard] that. She wondered what [the angel meant] by these words.
And she was perplexed at his words, and reasoned, what this salutation could mean.
30 Then the angel said to her, “Mary, God is very pleased with you [(sg)], so do not be afraid.
And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary; for you have found favor with God.
31 You will become pregnant and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus.
And behold, you shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
32 He will become great. He will be called {[People will] call him} (the Son of God/the man who is also God). God, the Lord, will make him a king [MTY] as his ancestor [King] David was.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of David his father;
33 He will be the King of [the] Jews, the descendants [MTY] of [your ancestor] Jacob, forever. He will rule as king forever!” (aiōn g165)
and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (aiōn g165)
34 Then Mary said to the angel, “I am a virgin, so how can I [have a baby]?”
But Mary said to the angel: How shall this be, since I know not a man?
35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come to you; the power of God [MTY/EUP] will overshadow you [and enable you to become pregnant]. So the child [you will] bear will be completely set apart {give himself completely} to obey God, and he will be called {[people] will say that he is} (the Son of God/the man who is also God).
And the angel answered and said to her: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for which reason, also, that which is begotten, being holy, shall be called the Son of God.
36 [I also need to tell you something else]. Your cousin Elizabeth is very old, and it was thought {[people] said} that she could not bear any children. But she has been [pregnant] [EUP] [for almost] six months, and will bear a son!
And behold, Elizabeth your kinswoman, even she has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who is called barren;
37 [You should not be surprised at that], because God can do everything!”
for nothing shall be impossible with God.
38 Then Mary said, “All right, I want to serve (the Lord/God), so may what you [(sg)] have said about me come true!” Then the angel left her.
And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her.
39 Very soon after that, Mary got ready and went quickly to a town in the highlands of Judea [district] where Zechariah lived.
And Mary arose in those days, and went with haste into the mountainous country, into a city of Judah;
40 She entered his house and greeted [his wife] Elizabeth.
and she came into the house of Zachariah, and saluted Elizabeth.
41 As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary greet her, the baby moved inside [Elizabeth’s] womb. The Holy Spirit took complete control of Elizabeth,
And it came to pass, when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, that the babe in her womb leaped for joy.
42 and she said loudly [to Mary], “[God] has blessed you [more than] he has blessed [any other] woman, and [he has] blessed the child you will bear!
And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke with a loud voice, and said: Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
43 (I am not worthy that [God would allow you] to visit me!/Why is [God allowing you] to visit me?) [RHQ] You will be the mother of my Lord!
And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 [I realize this because] as soon as I heard you greet me, the baby inside my womb moved because he was so happy [that you had come].
For, behold, when the voice of your salutation sounded in my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy.
45 [God] is pleased with you [because] you believed that what (the Lord/God) told you would come true.”
And blessed is she who believed; for there shall be a fulfillment of the things which were spoken to her from the Lord.
46 Then Mary [praised God by] saying/singing: “, how I [SYN] praise (the Lord/God)!
And Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 I am happy because God is the one who saves me.
and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior;
48 I was only his lowly servant girl, but he did not forget me. So from now on, everyone will say that God was pleased with me,
for he has looked upon the lowly condition of his handmaid. For, behold, from this time, all generations shall call me blessed;
49 because they will hear about the things that God [MTY], the mighty one, has done for me. He [MTY] is awesome!
for He that is Mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name:
50 He acts mercifully toward all those who respect him.
and his mercy is from generation to generation upon those who fear him.
51 He shows people that he [MTY] is very powerful. He scatters those who think proudly.
He has done mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in the understanding of their hearts.
52 He does not let mighty kings rule [MTY] any more, but he honors people who are oppressed (OR, humble).
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.
53 He gives good things to eat to those who are hungry, but he sends away the rich people without giving them anything.
He has filled the hungry with good things, but the rich he has sent empty away.
54 And now he has remembered what he promised. So he has helped me and all the other people of [MTY] Israel who serve him.
He has helped Israel his servant, (as he spoke to our fathers, )
55 He promised to Abraham and all our other ancestors who descended from him that he would act mercifully toward them forever.” (aiōn g165)
by remembering his mercy to Abraham and to his posterity forever. (aiōn g165)
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months. Then she returned to her home.
And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
57 When it was time for Elizabeth to give birth to her child, she bore a son.
Now the time for Elizabeth to be delivered had fully come; and she gave birth to a son.
58 Her neighbors and relatives heard how (the Lord/God) had greatly blessed her [by enabling her to bear a child], so they were happy along with [Elizabeth].
And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had showed great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 Seven days later they gathered together for the [ceremony for] circumcising the baby [to show that he belonged to God]. They wanted to give the baby the same name as his father, Zechariah.
And it came to pass, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they called him by the name of his father, Zachariah.
60 But his mother said, “No, [his name will not be Zechariah]. His name will be John!”
And his mother answered and said: Not so: but he shall be called John.
61 [So] they said to her, “[John] is not the name of any of your [(dl)] relatives, [so you(dl) should not give him that name]!”
And they said to her: There is no one among your relatives that is called by this name.
62 Then they made motions with their hands to Zechariah, [for him] to indicate what name [he] wanted to be given {to give} to his son.
And they made signs to his father, to know what he wished him to be called.
63 [So] he signaled that they [should give him] a tablet [to write on. When they gave him one], he wrote [on it], “His name is John.” All those [who were there] were surprised!
And having asked for a writing tablet, he wrote, saying: His name is John. And they were all astonished.
64 Immediately Zechariah was able to speak again [MTY], and he praised God.
And immediately his mouth was opened, and his tongue was loosed, and he spoke, and praised God.
65 All their neighbors were amazed/awestruck! They told other people who lived all over the highlands of Judea about what had happened.
And fear came on all that dwelt round about them; and all these things were talked of everywhere throughout the mountainous country of Judea.
66 Everyone who heard about it kept thinking about it. They were saying, “We wonder what will this child do [for God when] he [grows up] [RHQ]!” They wondered that because [from what had happened they were sure that] God would be helping that child [SYN] [in a powerful way].
And all that heard them, laid them up in their hearts, and said: What, then, will this child be? And the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 [After] Zechariah’s [son was born], Zechariah was completely directed by the Holy Spirit {the Holy Spirit completely directed Zechariah} as he spoke these words that came from God:
And Zachariah his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68 “Praise the Lord, the God whom we(inc) people of Israel worship, because he has come to set us, his people, free from our enemies.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he has visited and redeemed his people;
69 He is sending us someone who will powerfully [MTY] save us, someone who is descended from [MTY] King David, who served God well.
and he has raised up for us, in the house of David his servant, a horn of salvation,
(as he spoke by the mouth of all his holy prophets of ancient times, ) (aiōn g165)
71 He will rescue us from our enemies, and he will save us from the power of all those who hate us.
salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us,
72 He will do this because he has not forgotten what he promised our ancestors; he made an agreement that he would act mercifully to us, their descendants.
in order to show the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant,
73 That is what he strongly promised our ancestor Abraham that he would do.
the oath which he swore to Abraham our father,
74 God told him that we would be rescued {he would rescue us} from the power of our enemies, that he would enable us to serve him without being afraid,
that he would grant to us, that being delivered from the hands of our enemies, we might serve him without fear,
75 that he would cause us to be completely dedicated to him, and enable us to live righteously all of our lives.”
in holiness and righteousness before him, all our days.
76 [Then Zechariah said this to] his little son: “My child, you will be called {people will say that you are} a prophet whom God [MTY/EUP] has sent; you will begin your work before (the Lord/Messiah) comes; you will prepare people so that they will be ready for him. (OR, you will begin your work before the Messiah comes).
And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; for you shall go before the face of the Lord, to make ready his ways,
77 You will tell God’s people how he will forgive them and save them from being punished for their sins.
by giving to his people the knowledge of salvation in the remission of their sins,
78 Our God will do that because he is very kind to us. Just like a new day begins when the sun rises [MET], God will do that new thing for us when the Messiah comes to us from heaven.
through the tender mercies of our God; by which the dawn from on high has visited us,
79 People who do not know God [MET] are like those who sit in the darkness. They are afraid [MTY] that they will soon die. But when the Messiah tells us God’s message, it will be like causing such people to see a bright light. He will guide us [SYN] so that we will be living peacefully.”
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, by guiding our feet in the way of peace.
80 [Later], Zechariah’s son grew up and became spiritually strong. Then he lived in a desolate region until he began to preach to the Israeli people.
And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
