Introduction
1Since many have undertaken to compile an account of the things Or on which there is full convictionaccomplished among us,
2just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning Lit becamewere eyewitnesses and Or ministersservants of the I.e., gospelword,
3it seemed fitting to me as well, having Or followedinvestigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in an orderly sequence, most excellent Theophilus;
4so that you may know the exact truth about the Lit wordsthings you have been Ororally instructed intaught.
John the Baptist’s Birth Foretold
5In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Gr AbiaAbijah; and he had a wife I.e., of priestly descentfrom the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.
7And yet they had no child, because Elizabeth was infertile, and they were both advanced in Lit daysyears.
8Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division,
9according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering.
11Now an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.
13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall Lit call his namename him John.
14You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth.
15For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit Lit still from hiswhile still in his mother’s womb.
16And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.
17And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
18Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her Lit daysyears.”
19The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who Lit stand besidestands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
20And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”
21And meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and were wondering at his delay in the temple.
22But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple, and he repeatedly Possibly gesturing or nodding to themmade signs to them, and remained speechless.
23When the days of his priestly service were concluded, he went back home.
24Now after these days his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and she kept herself Or hiddenin seclusion for five months, saying,
25“This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among people.”
Jesus’ Birth Foretold
26Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth,
27to a virgin Unlike engagement, a betrothed couple was considered married, but did not yet live togetherbetrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the Lit housedescendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Gr Mariam, Heb Miriam; so throughout LukeMary.
29But she was very perplexed at this statement, and was pondering what kind of greeting this was.
30And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.
32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;
33and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
34But Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I Lit do not know a manam a virgin?”
35The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also the Lit the holy one fatheredholy Child will be called the Son of God.
36And behold, even your relative Elizabeth herself has conceived a son in her old age, and Lit this is the sixth month for her whoshe who was called infertile is now in her sixth month.
37For nothing will be impossible with God.”
38And Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39Now Lit in these daysat this time Mary set out and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah,
40and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43And Lit from where this to mehow has it happened to me that the mother of my Lord would come to me?
44For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.
45And blessed is she who Or believed, because there will bebelieved that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her Lit fromby the Lord.”
Mary’s Song: The Magnificat
46And Mary said:
“My soul Lit makes greatexalts the Lord,
47And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48For He has had regard for the humble state of His bond-servant;
For behold, from now on all generations will Or considercall me blessed.
49For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.
50And His mercy is to generation Lit andafter generation
Toward those who fear Him.
51He has done Lit mightmighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the Lit thought, attitudethoughts of their hearts.
52He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.
53He has filled the hungry with good things,
And sent the rich away empty-handed.
54He has given help to His servant Israel,
Lit So as to remember
In remembrance of His mercy,
55Just as He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and his Lit seeddescendants forever.”
56Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.
John the Baptist Is Born
57Now the time Lit was fulfilledhad come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son.
58Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had Lit magnified His mercy with herdisplayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.
59And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zechariah, Lit after the name ofafter his father.
60And yet his mother responded and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.”
61And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”
62And they I.e., gestured or noddedmade signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called.
63And he asked for a tablet and wrote Lit sayingas follows, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed.
65And fear came on all those who lived around them; and all these matters were being talked about in the entire hill country of Judea.
66All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah’s Prophecy
67And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying:
68“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,
69And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David—
70Just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient times—
71
Or Deliverance
Salvation from our enemies,
And from the hand of all who hate us;
72To show mercy to our fathers,
And to remember His holy covenant,
73
The oath which He swore to our father Abraham,
74To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
Would serve Him without fear,
75In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
76And you, child, also will be called the prophet of the Most High;
For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways;
77To give His people the knowledge of salvation
Or Consisting in
By the forgiveness of their sins,
78Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
79To shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80Now the child grew and was becoming strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
New American Standard Bible
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by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.
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