1 S eeing that many did take in hand to set in order a narration of the matters that have been fully assured among us,

Forasmuch as many have undertaken to draw up a relation concerning the matters fully believed among us,

2 a s they did deliver to us, who from the beginning became eye-witnesses, and officers of the Word, --

as those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses of and attendants on the Word have delivered them to us,

3 i t seemed good also to me, having followed from the first after all things exactly, to write to thee in order, most noble Theophilus,

it has seemed good to me also, accurately acquainted from the origin with all things, to write to thee with method, most excellent Theophilus,

4 t hat thou mayest know the certainty of the things wherein thou wast instructed.

that thou mightest know the certainty of those things in which thou hast been instructed.

5 T here was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest, by name Zacharias, of the course of Abijah, and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elisabeth;

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest, by name Zacharias, of the course of Abia, and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth.

6 a nd they were both righteous before God, going on in all the commands and righteousnesses of the Lord blameless,

And they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

7 a nd they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and both were advanced in their days.

And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.

8 A nd it came to pass, in his acting as priest, in the order of his course before God,

And it came to pass, as he fulfilled his priestly service before God in the order of his course,

9 a ccording to the custom of the priesthood, his lot was to make perfume, having gone into the sanctuary of the Lord,

it fell to him by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense.

10 a nd all the multitude of the people were praying without, at the hour of the perfume.

And all the multitude of the people were praying without at the hour of incense.

11 A nd there appeared to him a messenger of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of the perfume,

And an angel of Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the altar of incense.

12 a nd Zacharias, having seen, was troubled, and fear fell on him;

And Zacharias was troubled, seeing, and fear fell upon him.

13 a nd the messenger said unto him, `Fear not, Zacharias, for thy supplication was heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear a son to thee, and thou shalt call his name John,

But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias, because thy supplication has been heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

14 a nd there shall be joy to thee, and gladness, and many at his birth shall joy,

And he shall be to thee joy and rejoicing, and many shall rejoice at his birth.

15 f or he shall be great before the Lord, and wine and strong drink he may not drink, and of the Holy Spirit he shall be full, even from his mother's womb;

For he shall be great before Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.

16 a nd many of the sons of Israel he shall turn to the Lord their God,

And many of the sons of Israel shall he turn to Lord their God.

17 a nd he shall go before Him, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn hearts of fathers unto children, and disobedient ones to the wisdom of righteous ones, to make ready for the Lord, a people prepared.'

And he shall go before him in spirit and power of Elias, to turn hearts of fathers to children, and disobedient ones to thoughts of just, to make ready for Lord a prepared people.

18 A nd Zacharias said unto the messenger, `Whereby shall I know this? for I am aged, and my wife is advanced in her days?'

And Zacharias said to the angel, How shall I know this, for I am an old man, and my wife advanced in years?

19 A nd the messenger answering said to him, `I am Gabriel, who have been standing near before God, and I was sent to speak unto thee, and to proclaim these good news to thee,

And the angel answering, said to him, I am Gabriel, who stand before God, and I have been sent to speak to thee, and to bring these glad tidings to thee;

20 a nd lo, thou shalt be silent, and not able to speak, till the day that these things shall come to pass, because thou didst not believe my words, that shall be fulfilled in their season.'

and behold, thou shalt be silent and not able to speak, till the day in which these things shall take place, because thou hast not believed my words, the which shall be fulfilled in their time.

21 A nd the people were waiting for Zacharias, and wondering at his tarrying in the sanctuary,

And the people were awaiting Zacharias, and they wondered at his delaying in the temple.

22 a nd having come out, he was not able to speak to them, and they perceived that a vision he had seen in the sanctuary, and he was beckoning to them, and did remain dumb.

But when he came out he could not speak to them, and they recognised that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was making signs to them, and continued dumb.

23 A nd it came to pass, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he went away to his house,

And it came to pass, when the days of his service were completed, he departed to his house.

24 a nd after those days, his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying --

Now after these days, Elizabeth his wife conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

25 ` Thus hath the Lord done to me, in days in which He looked upon, to take away my reproach among men.'

Thus has Lord done to me in days in which he looked upon to take away my reproach among men.

26 A nd in the sixth month was the messenger Gabriel sent by God, to a city of Galilee, the name of which Nazareth,

But in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent of God to a city of Galilee, of which name Nazareth,

27 t o a virgin, betrothed to a man, whose name Joseph, of the house of David, and the name of the virgin Mary.

to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name Mary.

28 A nd the messenger having come in unto her, said, `Hail, favoured one, the Lord with thee; blessed thou among women;'

And the angel came in to her, and said, Hail, favoured one! the Lord with thee:.

29 a nd she, having seen, was troubled at his word, and was reasoning of what kind this salutation may be.

But she,, was troubled at his word, and reasoned in her mind what this salutation might be.

30 A nd the messenger said to her, `Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God;

And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God;

31 a nd lo, thou shalt conceive in the womb, and shalt bring forth a son, and call his name Jesus;

and behold, thou shalt conceive in the womb and bear a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus.

32 h e shall be great, and Son of the Highest he shall be called, and the Lord God shall give him the throne of David his father,

He shall be great, and shall be called Son of Highest; and Lord God shall give him the throne of David his father;

33 a nd he shall reign over the house of Jacob to the ages; and of his reign there shall be no end.'

and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for the ages, and of his kingdom there shall not be an end.

34 A nd Mary said unto the messenger, `How shall this be, seeing a husband I do not know?'

But Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I know not a man?

35 A nd the messenger answering said to her, `The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, therefore also the holy-begotten thing shall be called Son of God;

And the angel answering said to her, Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and power of Highest overshadow thee, wherefore the holy thing also which shall be born shall be called Son of God.

36 a nd lo, Elisabeth, thy kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month to her who was called barren;

And behold, Elizabeth, thy kinswoman, she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month to her that was called barren:

37 b ecause nothing shall be impossible with God.'

for nothing shall be impossible with God.

38 A nd Mary said, `Lo, the maid-servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to thy saying,' and the messenger went away from her.

And Mary said, Behold the bondmaid of Lord; be it to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

39 A nd Mary having arisen in those days, went to the hill-country, with haste, to a city of Judea,

And Mary, rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,

40 a nd entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elizabeth.

41 A nd it came to pass, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe did leap in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,

And it came to pass, as Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with Holy Spirit,

42 a nd spake out with a loud voice, and said, `Blessed thou among women, and blessed the fruit of thy womb;

and cried out with a loud voice and said, Blessed thou amongst women, and blessed the fruit of thy womb.

43 a nd whence this to me, that the mother of my Lord might come unto me?

And whence this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

44 f or, lo, when the voice of thy salutation came to my ears, leap in gladness did the babe in my womb;

For behold, as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped with joy in my womb.

45 a nd happy she who did believe, for there shall be a completion to the things spoken to her from the Lord.'

And blessed she that has believed, for there shall be a fulfilment of the things spoken to her from Lord.

46 A nd Mary said, `My soul doth magnify the Lord,

And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord,

47 A nd my spirit was glad on God my Saviour,

and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.

48 B ecause He looked on the lowliness of His maid-servant, For, lo, henceforth call me happy shall all the generations,

For he has looked upon the low estate of his bondmaid; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

49 F or He who is mighty did to me great things, And holy His name,

For the Mighty One has done to me great things, and holy his name;

50 A nd His kindness to generations of generations, To those fearing Him,

and his mercy to generations and generations to them that fear him.

51 H e did powerfully with His arm, He scattered abroad the proud in the thought of their heart,

He has wrought strength with his arm; he has scattered haughty in the thought of their heart.

52 H e brought down the mighty from thrones, And He exalted the lowly,

He has put down rulers from thrones, and exalted the lowly.

53 T he hungry He did fill with good, And the rich He sent away empty,

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

54 H e received again Israel His servant, To remember kindness,

He has helped Israel his servant, in order to remember mercy,

55 A s He spake unto our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed -- to the age.'

(as he spoke to our fathers,) to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

56 A nd Mary remained with her about three months, and turned back to her house.

And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her house.

57 A nd to Elisabeth was the time fulfilled for her bringing forth, and she bare a son,

But the time was fulfilled for Elizabeth that she should bring forth, and she gave birth to a son.

58 a nd the neighbours and her kindred heard that the Lord was making His kindness great with her, and they were rejoicing with her.

And her neighbours and kinsfolk heard that Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her.

59 A nd it came to pass, on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, and they were calling him by the name of his father, Zacharias,

And it came to pass on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they called it after the name of his father, Zacharias.

60 a nd his mother answering said, `No, but he shall be called John.'

And his mother answering said, No; but he shall be called John.

61 A nd they said unto her -- `There is none among thy kindred who is called by this name,'

And they said to her, There is no one among thy kinsfolk who is called by this name.

62 a nd they were making signs to his father, what he would wish him to be called,

And they made signs to his father as to what he might wish it to be called.

63 a nd having asked for a tablet, he wrote, saying, `John is his name;' and they did all wonder;

And having asked for a writing-table, he wrote saying, John is his name. And they all wondered.

64 a nd his mouth was opened presently, and his tongue, and he was speaking, praising God.

And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue, and he spake, blessing God.

65 A nd fear came upon all those dwelling around them, and in all the hill-country of Judea were all these sayings spoken of,

And fear came upon all who dwelt round about them; and in the whole hill-country of Judaea all these things were the subject of conversation.

66 a nd all who heard did lay them up in their hearts, saying, `What then shall this child be?' and the hand of the Lord was with him.

And all who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then will this child be? And Lord's hand was with him.

67 A nd Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and did prophesy, saying,

And Zacharias his father was filled with Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,

68 ` Blessed the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people,

Blessed be Lord the God of Israel, because he has visited and wrought redemption for his people,

69 A nd did raise an horn of salvation to us, In the house of David His servant,

and raised up a horn of deliverance for us in the house of David his servant;

70 A s He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, Which have been from the age;

as he spoke by mouth of his holy prophets, who have been since the world began;

71 S alvation from our enemies, And out of the hand of all hating us,

deliverance from our enemies and out of the hand of all who hate us;

72 T o do kindness with our fathers, And to be mindful of His holy covenant,

to fulfil mercy with our fathers and remember his holy covenant,

73 A n oath that He sware to Abraham our father,

oath which he swore to Abraham our father,

74 T o give to us, without fear, Out of the hand of our enemies having been delivered,

to give us, that, saved out of the hand of our enemies, we should serve him without fear

75 T o serve Him, in holiness and righteousness Before Him, all the days of our life.

in piety and righteousness before him all our days.

76 A nd thou, child, Prophet of the Highest Shalt thou be called; For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, To prepare His ways.

And thou, child, shalt be called prophet of Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of Lord to make ready his ways;

77 T o give knowledge of salvation to His people In remission of their sins,

to give knowledge of deliverance to his people by remission of their sins

78 T hrough the tender mercies of our God, In which the rising from on high did look upon us,

on account of bowels of mercy of our God; wherein dayspring from on high has visited us,

79 T o give light to those sitting in darkness and death-shade, To guide our feet to a way of peace.'

to shine upon them who were sitting in darkness and in shadow of death, to guide our feet into way of peace.

80 A nd the child grew, and was strengthened in spirit, and he was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

—And the child grew and was strengthened in spirit; and he was in the deserts until the day of his shewing to Israel.