1 S ince '> 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,

Plusieurs ayant entrepris de composer un récit des événements qui se sont accomplis parmi nous,

2 E xactly 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],

suivant ce que nous ont transmis ceux qui ont été des témoins oculaires dès le commencement et sont devenus des ministres de la parole,

3 I t 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,

il m'a aussi semblé bon, après avoir fait des recherches exactes sur toutes ces choses depuis leur origine, de te les exposer par écrit d'une manière suivie, excellent Théophile,

4 t hat 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.

afin que tu reconnaisses la certitude des enseignements que tu as reçus.

5 I n 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.

Du temps d'Hérode, roi de Judée, il y avait un sacrificateur, nommé Zacharie, de la classe d'Abia; sa femme était d'entre les filles d'Aaron, et s'appelait Élisabeth.

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

Tous deux étaient justes devant Dieu, observant d'une manière irréprochable tous les commandements et toutes les ordonnances du Seigneur.

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

Ils n'avaient point d'enfants, parce qu'Élisabeth était stérile; et ils étaient l'un et l'autre avancés en âge.

8 N ow while on duty, serving as priest before God in the order of his division,

Or, pendant qu'il s'acquittait de ses fonctions devant Dieu, selon le tour de sa classe, il fut appelé par le sort,

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

d'après la règle du sacerdoce, à entrer dans le temple du Seigneur pour offrir le parfum.

10 A nd all the throng of people were praying outside at the hour of incense.

Toute la multitude du peuple était dehors en prière, à l'heure du parfum.

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

Alors un ange du Seigneur apparut à Zacharie, et se tint debout à droite de l'autel des parfums.

12 A nd when Zachariah saw him, he was troubled, and fear took possession of him.

Zacharie fut troublé en le voyant, et la frayeur s'empara de lui.

13 B ut 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.

Mais l'ange lui dit: Ne crains point, Zacharie; car ta prière a été exaucée. Ta femme Élisabeth t'enfantera un fils, et tu lui donneras le nom de Jean.

14 A nd you shall have joy and exultant delight, and many will rejoice over his birth,

Il sera pour toi un sujet de joie et d'allégresse, et plusieurs se réjouiront de sa naissance.

15 F or 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.

Car il sera grand devant le Seigneur. Il ne boira ni vin, ni liqueur enivrante, et il sera rempli de l'Esprit Saint dès le sein de sa mère;

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

il ramènera plusieurs des fils d'Israël au Seigneur, leur Dieu;

17 A nd 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].

il marchera devant Dieu avec l'esprit et la puissance d'Élie, pour ramener les coeurs des pères vers les enfants, et les rebelles à la sagesse des justes, afin de préparer au Seigneur un peuple bien disposé.

18 A nd 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.

Zacharie dit à l'ange: A quoi reconnaîtrai-je cela? Car je suis vieux, et ma femme est avancée en âge.

19 A nd 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.

L'ange lui répondit: Je suis Gabriel, je me tiens devant Dieu; j'ai été envoyé pour te parler, et pour t'annoncer cette bonne nouvelle.

20 N ow 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.

Et voici, tu seras muet, et tu ne pourras parler jusqu'au jour où ces choses arriveront, parce que tu n'as pas cru à mes paroles, qui s'accompliront en leur temps.

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

Cependant, le peuple attendait Zacharie, s'étonnant de ce qu'il restait si longtemps dans le temple.

22 B ut 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.

Quand il sortit, il ne put leur parler, et ils comprirent qu'il avait eu une vision dans le temple; il leur faisait des signes, et il resta muet.

23 A nd when his time of performing priestly functions was ended, he returned to his house.

Lorsque ses jours de service furent écoulés, il s'en alla chez lui.

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

Quelque temps après, Élisabeth, sa femme, devint enceinte. Elle se cacha pendant cinq mois, disant:

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

C'est la grâce que le Seigneur m'a faite, quand il a jeté les yeux sur moi pour ôter mon opprobre parmi les hommes.

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

Au sixième mois, l'ange Gabriel fut envoyé par Dieu dans une ville de Galilée, appelée Nazareth,

27 T o 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.

auprès d'une vierge fiancée à un homme de la maison de David, nommé Joseph. Le nom de la vierge était Marie.

28 A nd 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!

L'ange entra chez elle, et dit: Je te salue, toi à qui une grâce a été faite; le Seigneur est avec toi.

29 B ut 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.

Troublée par cette parole, Marie se demandait ce que pouvait signifier une telle salutation.

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

L'ange lui dit: Ne crains point, Marie; car tu as trouvé grâce devant Dieu.

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

Et voici, tu deviendras enceinte, et tu enfanteras un fils, et tu lui donneras le nom de Jésus.

32 H e 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,

Il sera grand et sera appelé Fils du Très Haut, et le Seigneur Dieu lui donnera le trône de David, son père.

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

Il règnera sur la maison de Jacob éternellement, et son règne n'aura point de fin.

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

Marie dit à l'ange: Comment cela se fera-t-il, puisque je ne connais point d'homme?

35 T hen 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.

L'ange lui répondit: Le Saint Esprit viendra sur toi, et la puissance du Très Haut te couvrira de son ombre. C'est pourquoi le saint enfant qui naîtra de toi sera appelé Fils de Dieu.

36 A nd 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.

Voici, Élisabeth, ta parente, a conçu, elle aussi, un fils en sa vieillesse, et celle qui était appelée stérile est dans son sixième mois.

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

Car rien n'est impossible à Dieu.

38 T hen 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.

Marie dit: Je suis la servante du Seigneur; qu'il me soit fait selon ta parole! Et l'ange la quitta.

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

Dans ce même temps, Marie se leva, et s'en alla en hâte vers les montagnes, dans une ville de Juda.

40 A nd she went to the house of Zachariah and, entering it, saluted Elizabeth.

Elle entra dans la maison de Zacharie, et salua Élisabeth.

41 A nd 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.

Dès qu'Élisabeth entendit la salutation de Marie, son enfant tressaillit dans son sein, et elle fut remplie du Saint Esprit.

42 A nd 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!

Elle s'écria d'une voix forte: Tu es bénie entre les femmes, et le fruit de ton sein est béni.

43 A nd how be granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

Comment m'est-il accordé que la mère de mon Seigneur vienne auprès de moi?

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

Car voici, aussitôt que la voix de ta salutation a frappé mon oreille, l'enfant a tressailli d'allégresse dans mon sein.

45 A nd 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.

Heureuse celle qui a cru, parce que les choses qui lui ont été dites de la part du Seigneur auront leur accomplissement.

46 A nd Mary said, My soul magnifies and extols the Lord,

Et Marie dit: Mon âme exalte le Seigneur,

47 A nd my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

Et mon esprit se réjouit en Dieu, mon Sauveur,

48 F or 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!

Parce qu'il a jeté les yeux sur la bassesse de sa servante. Car voici, désormais toutes les générations me diront bienheureuse,

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

Parce que le Tout Puissant a fait pour moi de grandes choses. Son nom est saint,

50 A nd 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.

Et sa miséricorde s'étend d'âge en âge Sur ceux qui le craignent.

51 H e 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.

Il a déployé la force de son bras; Il a dispersé ceux qui avaient dans le coeur des pensées orgueilleuses.

52 H e has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of low degree.

Il a renversé les puissants de leurs trônes, Et il a élevé les humbles.

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

Il a rassasié de biens les affamés, Et il a renvoyé les riches à vide.

54 H e has laid hold on His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy,

Il a secouru Israël, son serviteur, Et il s'est souvenu de sa miséricorde, -

55 E ven as He promised to our forefathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.

Comme il l'avait dit à nos pères, -Envers Abraham et sa postérité pour toujours.

56 A nd Mary remained with her for about three months and returned to her home.

Marie demeura avec Élisabeth environ trois mois. Puis elle retourna chez elle.

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

Le temps où Élisabeth devait accoucher arriva, et elle enfanta un fils.

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

Ses voisins et ses parents apprirent que le Seigneur avait fait éclater envers elle sa miséricorde, et ils se réjouirent avec elle.

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

Le huitième jour, ils vinrent pour circoncire l'enfant, et ils l'appelaient Zacharie, du nom de son père.

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

Mais sa mère prit la parole, et dit: Non, il sera appelé Jean.

61 A nd they said to her, None of your relatives is called by that name.

Ils lui dirent: Il n'y a dans ta parenté personne qui soit appelé de ce nom.

62 A nd they inquired with signs to his father what he wanted to have him called.

Et ils firent des signes à son père pour savoir comment il voulait qu'on l'appelle.

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

Zacharie demanda des tablettes, et il écrivit: Jean est son nom. Et tous furent dans l'étonnement.

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

Au même instant, sa bouche s'ouvrit, sa langue se délia, et il parlait, bénissant Dieu.

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

La crainte s'empara de tous les habitants d'alentour, et, dans toutes les montagnes de la Judée, on s'entretenait de toutes ces choses.

66 A nd 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.

Tous ceux qui les apprirent les gardèrent dans leur coeur, en disant: Que sera donc cet enfant? Et la main du Seigneur était avec lui.

67 N ow Zachariah his father was filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

Zacharie, son père, fut rempli du Saint Esprit, et il prophétisa, en ces mots:

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

Béni soit le Seigneur, le Dieu d'Israël, De ce qu'il a visité et racheté son peuple,

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

Et nous a suscité un puissant Sauveur Dans la maison de David, son serviteur,

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

Comme il l'avait annoncé par la bouche de ses saints prophètes des temps anciens, -

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

Un Sauveur qui nous délivre de nos ennemis et de la main de tous ceux qui nous haïssent!

72 T o 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],

C'est ainsi qu'il manifeste sa miséricorde envers nos pères, Et se souvient de sa sainte alliance,

73 T hat covenant He sealed by oath to our forefather Abraham:

Selon le serment par lequel il avait juré à Abraham, notre père,

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

De nous permettre, après que nous serions délivrés de la main de nos ennemis, De le servir sans crainte,

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

En marchant devant lui dans la sainteté et dans la justice tous les jours de notre vie.

76 A nd 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,

Et toi, petit enfant, tu seras appelé prophète du Très Haut; Car tu marcheras devant la face du Seigneur, pour préparer ses voies,

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

Afin de donner à son peuple la connaissance du salut Par le pardon de ses péchés,

78 B ecause 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

Grâce aux entrailles de la miséricorde de notre Dieu, En vertu de laquelle le soleil levant nous a visités d'en haut,

79 T o 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.

Pour éclairer ceux qui sont assis dans les ténèbres et dans l'ombre de la mort, Pour diriger nos pas dans le chemin de la paix.

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

Or, l'enfant croissait, et se fortifiait en esprit. Et il demeura dans les déserts, jusqu'au jour où il se présenta devant Israël.