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,

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us,

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

just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word 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 seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus,

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

that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. John’s Birth Announced to Zacharias

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 Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was 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 righteous 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.

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

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

So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,

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

according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

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

And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside 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,

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

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

And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, 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, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

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

And you will have joy and gladness, and many will 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 will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the 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 he will turn many of the children of Israel to the 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.'

He will also 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 a people prepared for the Lord.”

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 is well 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 answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.

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.'

But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”

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

And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long 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 perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.

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

So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.

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

Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she 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 the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” Christ’s Birth Announced to Mary

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

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named 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 was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

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

And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

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

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.

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

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor 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, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall 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 will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

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 will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

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

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know 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 answered and said to her, “ The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the 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;

Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.

37 b ecause nothing shall be impossible with God.'

For with God nothing will be impossible.”

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.

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Mary Visits Elizabeth

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

Now Mary arose in those days and 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 the house of Zacharias and greeted 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 happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

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

Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

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

But why is this granted 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 indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

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

Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” The Song of Mary

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 Savior.

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 regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

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

For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.

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

And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation.

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

He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

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

He has put down the mighty from their 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 the rich He has sent away empty.

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

He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His 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 forever.”

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

And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house. Birth of John the Baptist

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

Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth 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.

When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her. Circumcision of John the Baptist

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,

So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias.

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

His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.”

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

But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”

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

So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called.

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

And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled.

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

Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising 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,

Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea.

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 those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him. Zacharias’ Prophecy

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

Now his father Zacharias was filled with the 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 is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people,

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

And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David,

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

As He spoke by the 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,

That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us,

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

To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant,

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

The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:

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

To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear,

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

In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.

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 you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,

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

To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins,

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

Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the 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 give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the 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.

So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.