1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,
1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us,
2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.
2 just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word,
3 Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,
3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent The-ophilus,
4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
4 that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed.
5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.
5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6 Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lords commandments and regulations blamelessly.
6 And 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 was barren; and they were both well along in years.
7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
8 Once when Zechariahs division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,
8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty,
9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
9 according to the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.
12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.
13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,
14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth;
15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.
15 for he will be great before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mothers womb.
16 Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.
16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God,
17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
17 and he will 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 for the Lord a people prepared."
18 Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years."
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."
19 The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.
19 And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news.
20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time."
20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time."
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple.
21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they wondered at his delay in the temple.
22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
22 And when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he made signs to them and remained dumb.
23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home.
23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.
24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.
24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she hid herself, saying,
25 "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."
25 "Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men."
26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgins name was Mary.
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgins name was Mary.
28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
28 And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!"
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be.
30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.
30 And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end."
34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
34 And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?"
35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
35 And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.
36 And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
37 For nothing is impossible with God."
37 For with God nothing will be impossible."
38 "I am the Lords servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
38 And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,
39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah,
40 where she entered Zechariahs home and greeted Elizabeth.
40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
41 When Elizabeth heard Marys greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit
42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!
42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
43 And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
44 For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy.
45 Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"
45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."
46 And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord
46 And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,
48 for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is his name.
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
50 And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
51 He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts,
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
52 he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree;
53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.
53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away.
54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."
55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever."
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home.
57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son.
57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave birth to a son.
58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
58 And her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah,
59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechariah after his father,
60 but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John."
60 but his mother said, "Not so; he shall be called John."
61 They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name."
61 And they said to her, "None of your kindred is called by this name."
62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.
62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called.
63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyones astonishment he wrote, "His name is John."
63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." And they all marveled.
64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God.
64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.
65 The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.
65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea;
66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lords hand was with him.
66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
68 "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.
68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people,
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us--
71 that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
72 to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
73 the oath which he swore to our father Abraham,
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear
74 to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
78 through the tender mercy of our God, when the day shall dawn upon us from on high
79 to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness till the day of his manifestation to Israel.