Luke 1

1Since many have undertaken to compile an account concerning the matters that have been fulfilled among us,

2just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and became servants of the word handed them down to us,

3it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely from the beginning, to write them to you in orderly sequence, most excellent Theophilus,

4so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you were instructed.

5In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, from the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

6And both of them were righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.

7And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both of them were advanced in years.

8It happened, while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,

9according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to burn incense when he entered into the temple of the Lord,

10And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering.

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

12And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.

13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.”

14And there will be joy and exultation for you, and many will rejoice at his birth.

15For he will be great before the Lord, and he will drink neither wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.

16And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.

17And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready.

18And Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her days.”

19And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.”

20And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day these things happen, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their appointed time.

21And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were marveling at his delay in the temple.

22But when he came out, he was not able to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute.

23And it happened that when the days of his service were completed, he went to his home.

24After these days Elizabeth his wife conceived, and she kept herself hidden for five months, saying,

25because this is how the Lord has dealt with me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.

26In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

27to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man whose name was Joseph, from the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

28And coming in to her, he said, “Greetings, favored one; the Lord is with you.”

29But she was greatly troubled at the message, and kept considering what kind of greeting this might be.

30And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”

31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will call his name Jesus.

32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,

33And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.

34But Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not known a man?”

35And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore also the holy one being born will be called the Son of God.”

36And look, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren.

37For no word from God will be impossible.

38And Mary said, “Behold, I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

39In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town of Judah,

40and entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

41And it happened that, when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,

42And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

43And why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

44For behold, when the sound of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped for joy in my womb.

45And blessed is she who believed that there will be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.

46And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord,”

47and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

48because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.

49because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

50And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.

51He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

52He has brought down rulers from thrones and exalted the humble.

53He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.

54He has helped Israel his servant, in remembrance of mercy,

55just as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.

56And Mary stayed with her about three months, and returned to her home.

57The time was fulfilled for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.

58And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

59And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were calling him Zechariah, after the name of his father.

60And his mother answered, “No; rather, he shall be called John.”

61And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.”

62So they motioned to his father to find out what he wanted him to be called.

63And after asking for a writing tablet, he wrote, saying, “John is his name.” And they all marveled.

64And immediately his mouth was opened, and his tongue also, and he began speaking, blessing God.

65And fear came upon all those living around them, and throughout all the hill country of Judea all these things were being talked about.

66And all who heard it laid it up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child become?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

67And Zechariah his father was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying:

68Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and brought redemption to his people,

69and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David his servant,

70just as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

71salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,

72to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,

73the oath that he swore to Abraham our father, to grant to us

74that, having been rescued from the hand of our enemies, we might serve him without fear

75in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

76And you also, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

77to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,

78because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the sunrise from on high will visit us,

79to shine on those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

80And the child kept growing and becoming strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.