Luke 1
1 Seeing that many did take in hand to set in order a narration of the matters that have been fully assured 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 as they did deliver to us, who from the beginning became eye-witnesses, and officers of the Word, —
3 it seemed good also to me, having followed from the first after all things exactly, to write to thee in order, most noble 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 the things wherein thou wast 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 Judea, a certain priest, by name Zacharias, of the course of Abijah, and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name 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, going on in all the commands and righteousnesses 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 that Elisabeth was barren, and both were advanced in their days.
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, in his acting as priest, in the order of his course before God,
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 priesthood, his lot was to make perfume, having gone into the sanctuary of the Lord,
Following their custom, [the other priests] chose him by lot to enter the Lord’s temple and burn incense.
10 and all the multitude of the people were praying without, at the hour of the perfume.
While he was burning the incense, many people were outside [in the courtyard], praying.
11 And there appeared to him a messenger of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of the perfume,
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 Zacharias, having seen, was troubled, and fear fell on him;
When Zechariah saw the angel, he was startled and became very afraid.
13 and the messenger said unto him, 'Fear not, Zacharias, for thy supplication was heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear a son to thee, 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 there shall be joy to thee, and gladness, and many at his birth shall joy,
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 before the Lord, and wine and strong drink he may not drink, and of the Holy Spirit he shall be full, 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 sons of Israel he shall 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 hearts of fathers unto children, and disobedient ones to the wisdom of righteous ones, to make ready for the Lord, a people prepared.'
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 unto the messenger, 'Whereby shall I know this? for I am aged, and my wife is advanced in her days?'
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 messenger answering said to him, 'I am Gabriel, who have been standing near before God, and I was sent to speak unto thee, and to proclaim these good news to thee,
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 lo, thou shalt be silent, and not able to speak, till the day that these things shall come to pass, because thou didst not believe my words, that 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 were waiting for Zacharias, and wondering at his tarrying in the sanctuary,
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 having come out, he was not able to speak to them, and they perceived that a vision he had seen in the sanctuary, and he was beckoning to them, and did remain dumb.
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, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he went away to his 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 done to me, in days in which He looked upon [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 was the messenger Gabriel sent by God, to a city of Galilee, the name of which [is] 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, betrothed to a man, whose name [is] Joseph, of the house of David, and the name of the virgin [is] 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 messenger having come in unto her, said, 'Hail, favoured one, 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 she, having seen, was troubled at his word, and was reasoning of what kind this salutation may be.
But Mary was very confused [when she heard] that. She wondered what [the angel meant] by these words.
30 And the messenger 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 lo, thou shalt conceive in the womb, and shalt bring forth a son, and call his name Jesus;
You will become pregnant and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus.
32 he shall be great, and Son of the Highest he shall be called, and the Lord God shall give him the throne of David his father,
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 to the ages; and of his reign 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 And Mary said unto the messenger, 'How shall this be, seeing a husband I do not know?'
Then Mary said to the angel, “I am a virgin, so how can I [have a baby]?”
35 And the messenger answering said to her, 'The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, therefore also the holy-begotten thing shall be called 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 lo, Elisabeth, thy kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month to 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 because nothing shall be impossible with God.'
[You should not be surprised at that], because God can do everything!”
38 And Mary said, 'Lo, the maid-servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to thy saying,' and the messenger went away 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 having arisen in those days, went to the hill-country, with haste, to a city of Judea,
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 saluted Elisabeth.
She entered his house and greeted [his wife] Elizabeth.
41 And it came to pass, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe did leap 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 spake out 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 whence [is] this to me, that the mother of my Lord might come unto 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, when the voice of thy salutation came to my ears, leap in gladness did the babe in my womb;
[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 happy [is] she who did believe, for there shall be a completion to the things spoken to 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 was glad on God my Saviour,
I am happy because God is the one who saves me.
48 Because He looked on the lowliness of His maid-servant, For, lo, henceforth call me happy shall all the generations,
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 who is mighty did 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 kindness [is] to generations of generations, To those fearing Him,
He acts mercifully toward all those who respect him.
51 He did powerfully with His arm, He scattered abroad the proud in the thought of their heart,
He shows people that he [MTY] is very powerful. He scatters those who think proudly.
52 He brought down the mighty from thrones, And He exalted the lowly,
He does not let mighty kings rule [MTY] any more, but he honors people who are oppressed (OR, humble).
53 The hungry He did fill with good, And the rich He 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 received again Israel His servant, To remember kindness,
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 remained with her about three months, and turned back to her house.
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months. Then she returned to her home.
57 And to Elisabeth was the time fulfilled for her bringing forth, and she bare a son,
When it was time for Elizabeth to give birth to her child, she bore a son.
58 and the neighbours and her kindred heard that the Lord was making His kindness great with her, and they were rejoicing 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, on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, and they were calling him by the name of his father, Zacharias,
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 answering said, 'No, 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 unto her — 'There is none among thy kindred who 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 were making signs to his father, what he would wish him to be 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 having asked for a tablet, he wrote, saying, 'John is his name;' and they did all wonder;
[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 presently, and his tongue, and he was speaking, praising God.
Immediately Zechariah was able to speak again [MTY], and he praised God.
65 And fear came upon all those dwelling around them, and in all the hill-country of Judea were all these sayings spoken of,
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 who heard did lay them up in their hearts, saying, 'What then shall this child 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 Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and did prophesy, 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 [is] the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for 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 did raise an horn of salvation to us, In the house of David His servant,
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 Salvation from our enemies, And out of the hand of all hating us,
He will rescue us from our enemies, and he will save us from the power of all those who hate us.
72 To do kindness with our fathers, And to be mindful of 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 An oath that He sware to Abraham our father,
That is what he strongly promised our ancestor Abraham that he would do.
74 To give to us, without fear, Out of the hand of our enemies having been delivered,
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 To serve Him, 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, Prophet of the Highest Shalt thou be called; 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 In 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 mercies of our God, In which the rising from on high did look upon 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 those sitting in darkness and death-shade, To guide our feet to a 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 was strengthened in spirit, and he was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto 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.
