lUkaH 1
1 prathamatO yE sAkSiNO vAkyapracArakAzcAsan tE'smAkaM madhyE yadyat sapramANaM vAkyamarpayanti sma
Given that many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those things that really did take place among us,
2 tadanusAratO'nyEpi bahavastadvRttAntaM racayituM pravRttAH|
just as those who became eyewitnesses, from the beginning, and ministers of the Word delivered them to us,
3 ataEva hE mahAmahimathiyaphil tvaM yA yAH kathA azikSyathAstAsAM dRPhapramANAni yathA prApnOSi
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 tadarthaM prathamamArabhya tAni sarvvANi jnjAtvAhamapi anukramAt sarvvavRttAntAn tubhyaM lEkhituM matimakArSam|
so that you may know the certainty of the things in which you were instructed.
5 yihUdAdEzIyahErOdnAmakE rAjatvaM kurvvati abIyayAjakasya paryyAyAdhikArI sikhariyanAmaka EkO yAjakO hArONavaMzOdbhavA ilIzEvAkhyA
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 tasya jAyA dvAvimau nirdOSau prabhOH sarvvAjnjA vyavasthAzca saMmanya IzvaradRSTau dhArmmikAvAstAm|
They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
7 tayOH santAna EkOpi nAsIt, yata ilIzEvA bandhyA tau dvAvEva vRddhAvabhavatAm|
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren; and they both were well advanced in years.
8 yadA svaparyyAnukramENa sikhariya IzvAsya samakSaM yAjakIyaM karmma karOti
Now it happened, as he was officiating as priest before God in the order of his division,
9 tadA yajnjasya dinaparipAyyA paramEzvarasya mandirE pravEzakAlE dhUpajvAlanaM karmma tasya karaNIyamAsIt|
according to the custom of the priesthood, that his lot was to burn incense, upon entering the sanctuary of the Lord;
10 taddhUpajvAlanakAlE lOkanivahE prArthanAM kartuM bahistiSThati
and the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.
11 sati sikhariyO yasyAM vEdyAM dhUpaM jvAlayati taddakSiNapArzvE paramEzvarasya dUta Eka upasthitO darzanaM dadau|
Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense;
12 taM dRSTvA sikhariya udvivijE zazagkE ca|
and upon seeing him Zacharias was shaken, and a fear fell upon him.
13 tadA sa dUtastaM babhASE hE sikhariya mA bhaistava prArthanA grAhyA jAtA tava bhAryyA ilIzEvA putraM prasOSyatE tasya nAma yOhan iti kariSyasi|
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 kinjca tvaM sAnandaH saharSazca bhaviSyasi tasya janmani bahava AnandiSyanti ca|
And you will have joy and exultation, and many will rejoice over his birth.
15 yatO hEtOH sa paramEzvarasya gOcarE mahAn bhaviSyati tathA drAkSArasaM surAM vA kimapi na pAsyati, aparaM janmArabhya pavitrENAtmanA paripUrNaH
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 san isrAyElvaMzIyAn anEkAn prabhOH paramEzvarasya mArgamAnESyati|
And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God;
17 santAnAn prati pitRNAM manAMsi dharmmajnjAnaM pratyanAjnjAgrAhiNazca parAvarttayituM, prabhOH paramEzvarasya sEvArtham EkAM sajjitajAtiM vidhAtunjca sa EliyarUpAtmazaktiprAptastasyAgrE gamiSyati|
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 tadA sikhariyO dUtamavAdIt kathamEtad vEtsyAmi? yatOhaM vRddhO mama bhAryyA ca vRddhA|
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 tatO dUtaH pratyuvAca pazyEzvarasya sAkSAdvarttI jibrAyElnAmA dUtOhaM tvayA saha kathAM gadituM tubhyamimAM zubhavArttAM dAtunjca prESitaH|
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 kintu madIyaM vAkyaM kAlE phaliSyati tat tvayA na pratItam ataH kAraNAd yAvadEva tAni na sEtsyanti tAvat tvaM vaktuMmazaktO mUkO bhava|
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 tadAnIM yE yE lOkAH sikhariyamapaikSanta tE madhyEmandiraM tasya bahuvilambAd AzcaryyaM mEnirE|
Now the people were waiting for Zacharias and wondering at his delay in the sanctuary.
22 sa bahirAgatO yadA kimapi vAkyaM vaktumazaktaH sagkEtaM kRtvA niHzabdastasyau tadA madhyEmandiraM kasyacid darzanaM tEna prAptam iti sarvvE bubudhirE|
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 anantaraM tasya sEvanaparyyAyE sampUrNE sati sa nijagEhaM jagAma|
And so, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he took off for home.
24 katipayadinESu gatESu tasya bhAryyA ilIzEvA garbbhavatI babhUva
Well after those days his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and stayed in seclusion five months. She kept saying,
25 pazcAt sA panjcamAsAn saMgOpyAkathayat lOkAnAM samakSaM mamApamAnaM khaNPayituM paramEzvarO mayi dRSTiM pAtayitvA karmmEdRzaM kRtavAn|
“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 aparanjca tasyA garbbhasya SaSThE mAsE jAtE gAlIlpradEzIyanAsaratpurE
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee named Natsareth,
27 dAyUdO vaMzIyAya yUSaphnAmnE puruSAya yA mariyamnAmakumArI vAgdattAsIt tasyAH samIpaM jibrAyEl dUta IzvarENa prahitaH|
to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; the virgin's name was Mary.
28 sa gatvA jagAda hE IzvarAnugRhItakanyE tava zubhaM bhUyAt prabhuH paramEzvarastava sahAyOsti nArINAM madhyE tvamEva dhanyA|
So upon entering where she was the angel said, “Rejoice, recipient of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
29 tadAnIM sA taM dRSTvA tasya vAkyata udvijya kIdRzaM bhASaNamidam iti manasA cintayAmAsa|
But upon seeing him she was perplexed at his word and was trying to figure out what sort of greeting it might be.
30 tatO dUtO'vadat hE mariyam bhayaM mAkArSIH, tvayi paramEzvarasyAnugrahOsti|
The angel said to her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, because you have found favor with God.
31 pazya tvaM garbbhaM dhRtvA putraM prasOSyasE tasya nAma yIzuriti kariSyasi|
Now then, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS.
32 sa mahAn bhaviSyati tathA sarvvEbhyaH zrESThasya putra iti khyAsyati; aparaM prabhuH paramEzvarastasya piturdAyUdaH siMhAsanaM tasmai dAsyati;
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 tathA sa yAkUbO vaMzOpari sarvvadA rAjatvaM kariSyati, tasya rAjatvasyAntO na bhaviSyati| (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 tadA mariyam taM dUtaM babhASE nAhaM puruSasaggaM karOmi tarhi kathamEtat sambhaviSyati?
So Mary said to the angel, “How shall this be, since I do not know a man?”
35 tatO dUtO'kathayat pavitra AtmA tvAmAzrAyiSyati tathA sarvvazrESThasya zaktistavOpari chAyAM kariSyati tatO hEtOstava garbbhAd yaH pavitrabAlakO janiSyatE sa Izvaraputra iti khyAtiM prApsyati|
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 aparanjca pazya tava jnjAtirilIzEvA yAM sarvvE bandhyAmavadan idAnIM sA vArddhakyE santAnamEkaM garbbhE'dhArayat tasya SaSThamAsObhUt|
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 kimapi karmma nAsAdhyam Izvarasya|
because any word spoken by God will be possible.”
38 tadA mariyam jagAda, pazya prabhErahaM dAsI mahyaM tava vAkyAnusArENa sarvvamEtad ghaTatAm; ananataraM dUtastasyAH samIpAt pratasthE|
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 atha katipayadinAt paraM mariyam tasmAt parvvatamayapradEzIyayihUdAyA nagaramEkaM zIghraM gatvA
Then Mary quickly got ready and went into the hill country in those days, to a town of Judah,
40 sikhariyayAjakasya gRhaM pravizya tasya jAyAm ilIzEvAM sambOdhyAvadat|
and entered the house of Zacharias and saluted Elizabeth.
41 tatO mariyamaH sambOdhanavAkyE ilIzEvAyAH karNayOH praviSTamAtrE sati tasyA garbbhasthabAlakO nanartta| tata ilIzEvA pavitrENAtmanA paripUrNA satI
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 prOccairgaditumArEbhE, yOSitAM madhyE tvamEva dhanyA, tava garbbhasthaH zizuzca dhanyaH|
And she cried out with a great voice and said: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the Fruit of your womb!
43 tvaM prabhOrmAtA, mama nivEzanE tvayA caraNAvarpitau, mamAdya saubhAgyamEtat|
Why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 pazya tava vAkyE mama karNayOH praviSTamAtrE sati mamOdarasthaH zizurAnandAn nanartta|
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 yA strI vyazvasIt sA dhanyA, yatO hEtOstAM prati paramEzvarOktaM vAkyaM sarvvaM siddhaM bhaviSyati|
Blessed is she who believed, because there will be a fulfillment of the things that have been spoken to her from the Lord.”
46 tadAnIM mariyam jagAda| dhanyavAdaM parEzasya karOti mAmakaM manaH|
So Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 mamAtmA tArakEzE ca samullAsaM pragacchati|
and my spirit has exulted over God my Savior,
48 akarOt sa prabhu rduSTiM svadAsyA durgatiM prati| pazyAdyArabhya mAM dhanyAM vakSyanti puruSAH sadA|
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 yaH sarvvazaktimAn yasya nAmApi ca pavitrakaM| sa Eva sumahatkarmma kRtavAn mannimittakaM|
in that the Mighty One did sublime things for me, and Holy is His name.
50 yE bibhyati janAstasmAt tESAM santAnapaMktiSu| anukampA tadIyA ca sarvvadaiva sutiSThati|
His mercy is for generations of generations to those fearing Him.
51 svabAhubalatastEna prAkAzyata parAkramaH| manaHkumantraNAsArddhaM vikIryyantE'bhimAninaH|
He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has dispersed the arrogant in the reasoning of their hearts.
52 siMhAsanagatAllOkAn balinazcAvarOhya saH| padESUccESu lOkAMstu kSudrAn saMsthApayatyapi|
He has dethroned rulers and exalted the lowly.
53 kSudhitAn mAnavAn dravyairuttamaiH paritarpya saH| sakalAn dhaninO lOkAn visRjEd riktahastakAn|
He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.
54 ibrAhImi ca tadvaMzE yA dayAsti sadaiva tAM| smRtvA purA pitRNAM nO yathA sAkSAt pratizrutaM| (aiōn g165)
He has taken the part of His servant Israel, in remembrance of mercy,
55 isrAyElsEvakastEna tathOpakriyatE svayaM||
just as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed while there is an age.” (aiōn g165)
56 anantaraM mariyam prAyENa mAsatrayam ilIzEvayA sahOSitvA vyAghuyya nijanivEzanaM yayau|
So Mary stayed with her about three months, and returned to her house.
57 tadanantaram ilIzEvAyAH prasavakAla upasthitE sati sA putraM prAsOSTa|
Now the time for Elizabeth to give birth was completed and she bore a son.
58 tataH paramEzvarastasyAM mahAnugrahaM kRtavAn Etat zrutvA samIpavAsinaH kuTumbAzcAgatya tayA saha mumudirE|
Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had used His great mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 tathASTamE dinE tE bAlakasya tvacaM chEttum Etya tasya pitRnAmAnurUpaM tannAma sikhariya iti karttumISuH|
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 kintu tasya mAtAkathayat tanna, nAmAsya yOhan iti karttavyam|
His mother reacted and said, “Absolutely not; he shall be called John!”
61 tadA tE vyAharan tava vaMzamadhyE nAmEdRzaM kasyApi nAsti|
So they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”
62 tataH paraM tasya pitaraM sikhariyaM prati sagkEtya papracchuH zizOH kiM nAma kAriSyatE?
So they started motioning to his father, as to what he would have him called.
63 tataH sa phalakamEkaM yAcitvA lilEkha tasya nAma yOhan bhaviSyati| tasmAt sarvvE AzcaryyaM mEnirE|
Asking for a writing tablet he wrote this: “His name is to be John!” They all marveled.
64 tatkSaNaM sikhariyasya jihvAjAPyE'pagatE sa mukhaM vyAdAya spaSTavarNamuccAryya Izvarasya guNAnuvAdaM cakAra|
Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed and he started to speak, blessing God.
65 tasmAccaturdiksthAH samIpavAsilOkA bhItA EvamEtAH sarvvAH kathA yihUdAyAH parvvatamayapradEzasya sarvvatra pracAritAH|
(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 tasmAt zrOtArO manaHsu sthApayitvA kathayAmbabhUvuH kIdRzOyaM bAlO bhaviSyati? atha paramEzvarastasya sahAyObhUt|
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 tadA yOhanaH pitA sikhariyaH pavitrENAtmanA paripUrNaH san EtAdRzaM bhaviSyadvAkyaM kathayAmAsa|
Now his father Zacharias was filled with Holy Spirit and prophesied saying:
68 isrAyElaH prabhu ryastu sa dhanyaH paramEzvaraH| anugRhya nijAllOkAn sa Eva parimOcayEt|
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and provided redemption for His people;
69 vipakSajanahastEbhyO yathA mOcyAmahE vayaM| yAvajjIvanjca dharmmENa sAralyEna ca nirbhayAH|
and has raised up a horn of deliverance for us in the house of His servant David
70 sEvAmahai tamEvaikam EtatkAraNamEva ca| svakIyaM supavitranjca saMsmRtya niyamaM sadA|
—just as He spoke through the mouth of His holy prophets from antiquity— (aiōn g165)
71 kRpayA puruSAn pUrvvAn nikaSArthAttu naH pituH| ibrAhImaH samIpE yaM zapathaM kRtavAn purA|
deliverance from our enemies and out of the hand of all who hate us;
72 tamEva saphalaM karttaM tathA zatrugaNasya ca| RtIyAkAriNazcaiva karEbhyO rakSaNAya naH|
to use mercy with our fathers, even to remember His Holy covenant,
the oath that He swore to our father Abraham;
74 yathOktavAn tathA svasya dAyUdaH sEvakasya tu|
to grant to us (having been rescued from the hand of our enemies) to serve Him without fear,
75 vaMzE trAtAramEkaM sa samutpAditavAn svayam|
in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
76 atO hE bAlaka tvantu sarvvEbhyaH zrESTha Eva yaH| tasyaiva bhAvivAdIti pravikhyAtO bhaviSyasi| asmAkaM caraNAn kSEmE mArgE cAlayituM sadA| EvaM dhvAntE'rthatO mRtyOzchAyAyAM yE tu mAnavAH|
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 upaviSTAstu tAnEva prakAzayitumEva hi| kRtvA mahAnukampAM hi yAmEva paramEzvaraH|
to give a knowledge of salvation to His people by the forgiveness of their sins,
78 UrdvvAt sUryyamudAyyaivAsmabhyaM prAdAttu darzanaM| tayAnukampayA svasya lOkAnAM pApamOcanE|
through the merciful compassions of our God, with which the divine Dawn has contemplated us,
79 paritrANasya tEbhyO hi jnjAnavizrANanAya ca| prabhO rmArgaM pariSkarttuM tasyAgrAyI bhaviSyasi||
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 atha bAlakaH zarIrENa buddhyA ca varddhitumArEbhE; aparanjca sa isrAyElO vaMzIyalOkAnAM samIpE yAvanna prakaTIbhUtastAstAvat prAntarE nyavasat|
So the child kept growing and being strengthened in spirit, and he stayed in uninhabited areas until the day of his manifestation to Israel.
