1 V isto que muitos têm empreendido fazer uma narração coordenada dos fatos que entre nós se realizaram,

Since '> as is well known] many have undertaken to put in order and draw up a '> thorough] narrative of the surely established deeds which have been accomplished and fulfilled in and among us,

2 s egundo no-los transmitiram os que desde o princípio foram testemunhas oculares e ministros da palavra,

Exactly as they were handed down to us by those who from the '> official] beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word '> the doctrine concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God],

3 t ambém a mim, depois de haver investido tudo cuidadosamente desde o começo, pareceu-me bem, ó excelentíssimo Teófilo, escrever-te uma narração em ordem.

It seemed good and desirable to me, also after having searched out diligently and followed all things closely and traced accurately the course from the highest to the minutest detail from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

4 p ara que conheças plenamente a verdade das coisas em que foste instruído.

that you may know the full truth and understand with certainty and security against error the accounts (histories) and doctrines of the faith of which you have been informed and in which you have been orally instructed.

5 H ouve nos dias do Rei Herodes, rei da Judéia, um sacerdote chamado Zacarias, da turma de Abias; e sua mulher era descendente de Arão, e chamava-se Isabel.

In the days when Herod was king of Judea there was a certain priest whose name was Zachariah, of the daily service (the division) of Abia; and his wife was also a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

6 A mbos eram justos diante de Deus, andando irrepreensíveis em todos os mandamentos e preceitos do Senhor.

And they both were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.

7 M as não tinham filhos, porque Isabel era estéril, e ambos avançados em idade.

But they had no child, for Elizabeth was barren; and both were far advanced in years.

8 O ra, estando ele a exercer as funções sacerdotais perante Deus, na ordem da sua turma,

Now while on duty, serving as priest before God in the order of his division,

9 s egundo o costume do sacerdócio, coube-lhe por sorte entrar no santuário do Senhor, para oferecer o incenso;

As was the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by lot to enter '> sanctuary of] the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

10 e toda a multidão do povo orava da parte de fora, ã hora do incenso.

And all the throng of people were praying outside at the hour of incense.

11 A pareceu-lhe, então, um anjo do Senhor, em pé ã direita do altar do incenso.

And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.

12 E Zacarias, vendo-o, ficou turbado, e o temor o assaltou.

And when Zachariah saw him, he was troubled, and fear took possession of him.

13 M as o anjo lhe disse: Não temais, Zacarias; porque a tua oração foi ouvida, e Isabel, tua mulher, te dará ã luz um filho, e lhe porás o nome de João;

But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zachariah, because your petition was heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you must call his name John.

14 e terás alegria e regozijo, e muitos se alegrarão com o seu nascimento;

And you shall have joy and exultant delight, and many will rejoice over his birth,

15 p orque ele será grande diante do Senhor; não beberá vinho, nem bebida forte; e será cheio do Espírito Santo já desde o ventre de sua mãe;

For he will be great and distinguished in the sight of the Lord. And he must drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit even in and from his mother’s womb.

16 c onverterá muitos dos filhos de Israel ao Senhor seu Deus;

And he will turn back and cause to return many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God,

17 i rá adiante dele no espírito e poder de Elias, para converter os corações dos pais aos filhos, e os rebeldes ã prudência dos justos, a fim de preparar para o Senhor um povo apercebido.

And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn back the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient and incredulous and unpersuadable to the wisdom of the upright '> the knowledge and holy love of the will of God]—in order to make ready for the Lord a people prepared '> adjusted and disposed and placed in the right moral state].

18 D isse então Zacarias ao anjo: Como terei certeza disso? pois eu sou velho, e minha mulher também está avançada em idade.

And Zachariah said to the angel, By what shall I know and be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.

19 A o que lhe respondeu o anjo: Eu sou Gabriel, que assisto diante de Deus, e fui enviado para te falar e te dar estas boas novas;

And the angel replied to him, I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to talk to you and to bring you this good news.

20 e eis que ficarás mudo, e não poderás falar até o dia em que estas coisas aconteçam; porquanto não creste nas minhas palavras, que a seu tempo hão de cumprir-se.

Now behold, you will be and will continue to be silent and not able to speak till the day when these things take place, because you have not believed what I told you; but my words are of a kind which will be fulfilled in the appointed and proper time.

21 O povo estava esperando Zacarias, e se admirava da sua demora no santuário.

Now the people kept waiting for Zachariah, and they wondered at his delaying in the sanctuary.

22 Q uando saiu, porém, não lhes podia falar, e perceberam que tivera uma visão no santuário. E falava-lhes por acenos, mas permanecia mudo.

But when he did come out, he was unable to speak to them; and they '> clearly] perceived that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary; and he kept making signs to them, still he remained dumb.

23 E , terminados os dias do seu ministério, voltou para casa.

And when his time of performing priestly functions was ended, he returned to his house.

24 D epois desses dias Isabel, sua mulher, concebeu, e por cinco meses se ocultou, dizendo:

Now after this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and for five months she secluded herself entirely, saying,

25 A ssim me fez o Senhor nos dias em que atentou para mim, a fim de acabar com o meu opróbrio diante dos homens.

Because thus the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He deigned to look on me to take away my reproach among men.

26 O ra, no sexto mês, foi o anjo Gabriel enviado por Deus a uma cidade da Galiléia, chamada Nazaré,

Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth,

27 a uma virgem desposada com um varão cujo nome era José, da casa de Davi; e o nome da virgem era Maria.

To a girl never having been married and a virgin engaged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

28 E , entrando o anjo onde ela estava disse: Salve, agraciada; o Senhor é contigo.

And he came to her and said, Hail, O favored one '> endued with grace]! The Lord is with you! Blessed (favored of God) are you before all other women!

29 E la, porém, ao ouvir estas palavras, turbou-se muito e pôs-se a pensar que saudação seria essa.

But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled and disturbed and confused at what he said and kept revolving in her mind what such a greeting might mean.

30 D isse-lhe então o anjo: Não temas, Maria; pois achaste graça diante de Deus.

And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace ( free, spontaneous, absolute favor and loving-kindness) with God.

31 E is que conceberás e darás ã luz um filho, ao qual porás o nome de Jesus.

And listen! You will become pregnant and will give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus.

32 E ste será grande e será chamado filho do Altíssimo; o Senhor Deus lhe dará o trono de Davi seu pai;

He will be great (eminent) and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His forefather David,

33 e reinará eternamente sobre a casa de Jacó, e o seu reino não terá fim.

And He will reign over the house of Jacob throughout the ages; and of His reign there will be no end.

34 E ntão Maria perguntou ao anjo: Como se fará isso, uma vez que não conheço varão?

And Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I have no husband?

35 R espondeu-lhe o anjo: Virá sobre ti o Espírito Santo, e o poder do Altíssimo te cobrirá com a sua sombra; por isso o que há de nascer será chamado santo, Filho de Deus.

Then the angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and so the holy (pure, sinless) Thing (Offspring) which shall be born of you will be called the Son of God.

36 E is que também Isabel, tua parenta concebeu um filho em sua velhice; e é este o sexto mês para aquela que era chamada estéril;

And listen! Your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is now the sixth month with her who was called barren.

37 p orque para Deus nada será impossível.

For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.

38 D isse então Maria. Eis aqui a serva do Senhor; cumpra-se em mim segundo a tua palavra. E o anjo ausentou-se dela.

Then Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be done to me according to what you have said. And the angel left her.

39 N aqueles dias levantou-se Maria, foi apressadamente ã região montanhosa, a uma cidade de Judá,

And at that time Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country to a town of Judah,

40 e ntrou em casa de Zacarias e saudou a Isabel.

And she went to the house of Zachariah and, entering it, saluted Elizabeth.

41 A o ouvir Isabel a saudação de Maria, saltou a criancinha no seu ventre, e Isabel ficou cheia do Espírito Santo,

And it occurred that when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit.

42 e exclamou em alta voz: Bendita és tu entre as mulheres, e bendito é o fruto do teu ventre!

And she cried out with a loud cry, and then exclaimed, Blessed (favored of God) above all other women are you! And blessed (favored of God) is the Fruit of your womb!

43 E donde me provém isto, que venha visitar-me a mãe do meu Senhor?

And how be granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

44 P ois logo que me soou aos ouvidos a voz da tua saudação, a criancinha saltou de alegria dentro de mim.

For behold, the instant the sound of your salutation reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

45 B em-aventurada aquela que creu que se hão de cumprir as coisas que da parte do Senhor lhe foram ditas.

And blessed (happy, to be envied) is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her from the Lord.

46 D isse então Maria: A minha alma engrandece ao Senhor,

And Mary said, My soul magnifies and extols the Lord,

47 e o meu espírito exulta em Deus meu Salvador;

And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48 p orque atentou na condição humilde de sua serva. Desde agora, pois, todas as gerações me chamarão bem-aventurada,

For He has looked upon the low station and humiliation of His handmaiden. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed and declare me happy and to be envied!

49 p orque o Poderoso me fez grandes coisas; e santo é o seu nome.

For He Who is almighty has done great things for me—and holy is His name!

50 E a sua misericórdia vai de geração em geração sobre os que o temem.

And His mercy (His compassion and kindness toward the miserable and afflicted) is on those who fear Him with godly reverence, from generation to generation and age to age.

51 C om o seu braço manifestou poder; dissipou os que eram soberbos nos pensamentos de seus corações;

He has shown strength and made might with His arm; He has scattered the proud and haughty in and by the imagination and purpose and designs of their hearts.

52 d epôs dos tronos os poderosos, e elevou os humildes.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of low degree.

53 A os famintos encheu de bens, e vazios despediu os ricos.

He has filled and satisfied the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty-handed.

54 A uxiliou a Isabel, seu servo, lembrando-se de misericórdia

He has laid hold on His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy,

55 ( como falou a nossos pais) para com Abraão e a sua descendência para sempre.

Even as He promised to our forefathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.

56 E Maria ficou com ela cerca de três meses; e depois voltou para sua casa.

And Mary remained with her for about three months and returned to her home.

57 O ra, completou-se para Isabel o tempo de dar ã luz, e teve um filho.

Now the time that Elizabeth should be delivered came, and she gave birth to a son.

58 O uviram seus vizinhos e parentes que o Senhor lhe multiplicara a sua misericórdia, e se alegravam com ela.

And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy on her, and they rejoiced with her.

59 S ucedeu, pois, no oitavo dia, que vieram circuncidar o menino; e queriam dar-lhe o nome de seu pai, Zacarias.

And it occurred that on the eighth day, when they came to circumcise the child, they were intending to call him Zachariah after his father,

60 R espondeu, porém, sua mãe: De modo nenhum, mas será chamado João.

But his mother answered, Not so! But he shall be called John.

61 A o que lhe disseram: Ninguém há na tua parentela que se chame por este nome.

And they said to her, None of your relatives is called by that name.

62 E perguntaram por acenos ao pai como queria que se chamasse.

And they inquired with signs to his father what he wanted to have him called.

63 E pedindo ele uma tabuinha, escreveu: Seu nome é João. E todos se admiraram.

Then Zachariah asked for a writing tablet and wrote, His name is John. And they were all astonished.

64 I mediatamente a boca se lhe abriu, e a língua se lhe soltou; louvando a Deus.

And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak, blessing and praising and thanking God.

65 E ntão veio temor sobre todos os seus vizinhos; e em toda a região montanhosa da Judéia foram divulgadas todas estas coisas.

And awe and reverential fear came on all their neighbors; and all these things were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea.

66 E todos os que delas souberam as guardavam no coração, dizendo: Que virá a ser, então, este menino? Pois a mão do Senhor estava com ele.

And all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, Whatever will this little boy be then? For the hand of the Lord was '> so evidently] with him.

67 Z acarias, seu pai, ficou cheio do Espírito Santo e profetizou, dizendo:

Now Zachariah his father was filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

68 B endito, seja o Senhor Deus de Israel, porque visitou e remiu o seu povo,

Blessed (praised and extolled and thanked) be the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come and brought deliverance and redemption to His people!

69 e para nós fez surgir uma salvação poderosa na casa de Davi, seu servo;

And He has raised up a Horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant—

70 a ssim como desde os tempos antigos tem anunciado pela boca dos seus santos profetas;

This is as He promised by the mouth of His holy prophets from the most ancient times —

71 p ara nos livrar dos nossos inimigos e da mão de todos os que nos odeiam;

That we should have deliverance and be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who detest and pursue us with hatred;

72 p ara usar de misericórdia com nossos pais, e lembrar-se do seu santo pacto

To make true and show the mercy and compassion and kindness to our forefathers and to remember and carry out His holy covenant '> all the more sacred because it is made by God Himself],

73 e do juramento que fez a Abrão, nosso pai,

That covenant He sealed by oath to our forefather Abraham:

74 d e conceder-nos que, libertados da mão de nossos inimigos, o servíssemos sem temor,

To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our foes, might serve Him fearlessly

75 e m santidade e justiça perante ele, todos os dias da nossa vida.

In holiness (divine consecration) and righteousness within His presence all the days of our lives.

76 E tu, menino, serás chamado profeta do Altíssimo, porque irás ante a face do Senhor, a preparar os seus caminhos;

And you, little one, shall be called a prophet of the Most High; for you shall go on before the face of the Lord to make ready His ways,

77 p ara dar ao seu povo conhecimento da salvação, na remissão dos seus pecados,

To bring and give the knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness and remission of their sins.

78 g raças ã entrenhável misericórdia do nosso Deus, pela qual nos há de visitar a aurora lá do alto,

Because of and through the heart of tender mercy and loving-kindness of our God, a Light from on high will dawn upon us and visit

79 p ara alumiar aos que jazem nas trevas e na sombra da morte, a fim de dirigir os nossos pés no caminho da paz.

To shine upon and give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct and guide our feet in a straight line into the way of peace.

80 O ra, o menino crescia, e se robustecia em espírito; e habitava nos desertos até o dia da sua manifestação a Israel.

And the little boy grew and became strong in spirit; and he was in the deserts (wilderness) until the day of his appearing to Israel.