Luke 1
1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
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].
2 Even as they delivered them to us, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,
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.
4 That thou mayest know the certainty of those things, in which thou hast been instructed.
I want you to know the truth about what you have been taught {what others have taught you}.
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
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.
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
[God considered that] both of them were righteous, because they constantly completely obeyed everything that God had commanded.
7 And they had no child, because Elisabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years.
But they had no children, because Elizabeth had been unable to bear children. Furthermore, she and her husband were very old.
8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course,
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.
9 According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
Following their custom, [the other priests] chose him by lot to enter the Lord’s temple and burn incense.
10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the time of incense.
While he was burning the incense, many people were outside [in the courtyard], praying.
11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
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.
12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
When Zechariah saw the angel, he was startled and became very afraid.
13 But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
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.
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
He will cause you to be very happy, and many other people will also be happy because he is born.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
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.
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
He will [persuade] many people in Israel to turn away [from their sins and please] the Lord their God.
17 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 to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
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].”
18 And Zacharias said to the angel, How shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well advanced in years.
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]”
19 And the angel answering said to him, I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak to thee, and to show thee these glad tidings.
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].
20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
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]”!
21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.
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?”
22 And when he came out, he could not speak to them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he made signs to them, and remained speechless.
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.
23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
When Zechariah’s time to work [as a priest in the Temple] was finished, he [left Jerusalem and] returned to his home.
24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
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].
25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
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]!”
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
When Elizabeth had been [pregnant] [EUP] [for almost] six months, the angel Gabriel was sent by God {God sent the angel Gabriel} [again].
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
[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.
28 And the angel came to her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
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}!”
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered in her mind what manner of greeting this should be.
But Mary was very confused [when she heard] that. She wondered what [the angel meant] by these words.
30 And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
Then the angel said to her, “Mary, God is very pleased with you [(sg)], so do not be afraid.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
You will become pregnant and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give to him the throne of his father David:
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.
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (aiōn g165)
He will be the King of [the] Jews, the descendants [MTY] of [your ancestor] Jacob, forever. He will rule as king forever!” (aiōn g165)
34 Then said Mary to the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
Then Mary said to the angel, “I am a virgin, so how can I [have a baby]?”
35 And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing who shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
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).
36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
[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!
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
[You should not be surprised at that], because God can do everything!”
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
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.
39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah;
Very soon after that, Mary got ready and went quickly to a town in the highlands of Judea [district] where Zechariah lived.
40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and greeted Elisabeth.
She entered his house and greeted [his wife] Elizabeth.
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit:
As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary greet her, the baby moved inside [Elizabeth’s] womb. The Holy Spirit took complete control of Elizabeth,
42 And she spoke with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
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!
43 And why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
(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!
44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
[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].
45 And blessed is she that believed: that there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
[God] is pleased with you [because] you believed that what (the Lord/God) told you would come true.”
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
Then Mary [praised God by] saying/singing: “, how I [SYN] praise (the Lord/God)!
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
I am happy because God is the one who saves me.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
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,
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
because they will hear about the things that God [MTY], the mighty one, has done for me. He [MTY] is awesome!
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
He acts mercifully toward all those who respect him.
51 He hath shown strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He shows people that he [MTY] is very powerful. He scatters those who think proudly.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
He does not let mighty kings rule [MTY] any more, but he honors people who are oppressed (OR, humble).
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent away empty.
He gives good things to eat to those who are hungry, but he sends away the rich people without giving them anything.
54 He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
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 promised to Abraham and all our other ancestors who descended from him that he would act mercifully toward them forever.” (aiōn g165)
56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months. Then she returned to her home.
57 Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
When it was time for Elizabeth to give birth to her child, she bore a son.
58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard that the Lord had shown great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
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].
59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
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.
60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
But his mother said, “No, [his name will not be Zechariah]. His name will be John!”
61 And they said to her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
[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]!”
62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
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.
63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they all marvelled.
[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!
64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, and praised God.
Immediately Zechariah was able to speak again [MTY], and he praised God.
65 And fear came on all that dwelt around them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
All their neighbors were amazed/awestruck! They told other people who lived all over the highlands of Judea about what had happened.
66 And all they that had heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.
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].
67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
[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:
68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
“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.
69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
He is sending us someone who will powerfully [MTY] save us, someone who is descended from [MTY] King David, who served God well.
Long ago God caused his prophets to say that he would do that. (aiōn g165)
71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
He will rescue us from our enemies, and he will save us from the power of all those who hate us.
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
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.
73 The oath which he swore to our father Abraham,
That is what he strongly promised our ancestor Abraham that he would do.
74 That he would grant to us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
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,
75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
that he would cause us to be completely dedicated to him, and enable us to live righteously all of our lives.”
76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
[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).
77 To give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins,
You will tell God’s people how he will forgive them and save them from being punished for their sins.
78 Through the tender mercy of our God; with which the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
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.
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
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.”
80 And the child grew, and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing to Israel.
[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.
