1Forasmuch as many haue taken in hand to set foorth the storie of those things, whereof we are fully persuaded,
2As they haue deliuered them vnto vs, which from the beginning saw them their selues, and were ministers of ye word,
3It seemed good also to me (most noble Theophilus) assoone as I had searched out perfectly all things from the beginning, to write vnto thee thereof from point to point,
4That thou mightest acknowledge the certaintie of those things, whereof thou hast bene instructed.
5In the time of Herod King of Iudea, there was a certaine Priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabet.
6Both were iust before God, and walked in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord, without reproofe.
7And they had no childe, because that Elisabet was barren: and both were well stricken in age.
8And it came to passe, as he executed the Priestes office before God, as his course came in order,
9According to the custome of the Priests office, his lot was to burne incense, when he went into the Temple of the Lord.
10And the whole multitude of the people were without in prayer, while the incense was burning.
11Then appeared vnto him an Angel of the Lord standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
12And when Zacharias sawe him, he was troubled, and feare fell vpon him.
13But the Angel saide vnto him, Feare not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard, and thy wise Elisabet shall beare thee a sonne, and thou shalt call his name Iohn.
14And thou shalt haue ioy and gladnes, and many shall reioyce at his birth.
15For he shalbe great in the sight of the Lord, and shall neither drinke wine, nor strong drinke: and he shalbe filled with the holy Ghost, euen from his mothers wombe.
16And many of the children of Israel shall he turne to their Lord God.
17For he shall goe before him in the spirite and power of Elias, to turne the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisedome of the iust men, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
18Then Zacharias said vnto ye Angel, Whereby shall I knowe this? for I am an olde man, and my wife is of a great age.
19And the Angell answered, and sayde vnto him, I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God, and am sent to speake vnto thee, and to shew thee these good tidings.
20And beholde, thou shalt be domme, and not be able to speake, vntill the day that these things be done, because thou beleeuedst not my words, which shalbe fulfilled in their season.
21Now the people waited for Zacharias, and marueiled that he taried so long in the Temple.
22And when hee came out, hee coulde not speake vnto them: then they perceiued that hee had seene a vision in the Temple: For he made signes vnto them, and remained domme.
23And it came to passe, when the daies of his office were fulfilled, that he departed to his owne house.
24And after those daies, his wife Elisabet conceiued, and hid her selfe fiue moneths, saying,
25Thus hath the Lord dealt with me, in the daies wherein he looked on me, to take from me my rebuke among men.
26And in the sixth moneth, the Angell Gabriel was sent from God vnto a citie of Galile, named Nazareth,
27To a virgin affianced to a man whose name was Ioseph, of the house of Dauid, and the virgins name was Marie.
28And the Angel went in vnto her, and said, Haile thou that art freely beloued: the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and thought what maner of salutation that should be.
30Then the Angel saide vnto her, Feare not, Marie: for thou hast found fauour with God.
31For loe, thou shalt conceiue in thy wobe, and beare a sonne, and shalt call his name Iesus.
32He shall be great, and shall be called the Sonne of the most High, and the Lord God shall giue vnto him the throne of his father Dauid.
33And hee shall reigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer, and of his kingdome shall bee none ende.
34Then sayde Marie vnto the Angel, How shall this be, seeing I knowe not man?
35And the Angel answered, and said vnto her, The holy Ghost shall come vpon thee, and the power of the most High shall ouershadowe thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall bee borne of thee, shall be called the Sonne of God.
36And behold, thy cousin Elisabet, she hath also conceiued a sonne in her olde age: and this is her sixt moneth, which was called barren.
37For with God shall nothing be vnpossible.
38Then Marie said, Behold the seruant of the Lord: be it vnto me according to thy woorde. So the Angel departed from her.
39And Marie arose in those daies, and went into ye hil countrey with hast to a citie of Iuda,
40And entred into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabet.
41And it came to passe, as Elisabet heard the salutation of Marie, the babe sprang in her bellie, and Elisabet was filled with the holy Ghost.
42And she cried with a loud voice, and saide, Blessed art thou among women, because the fruit of thy wombe is blessed.
43And whence commeth this to mee, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44For loe, assoone as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine eares, the babe sprang in my bellie for ioye,
45And blessed is shee that beleeued: for those things shall be perfourmed, which were tolde her from the Lord.
46Then Marie sayde, My soule magnifieth the Lord,
47And my spirite reioyceth in God my Sauiour.
48For hee hath looked on the poore degree of his seruaunt: for beholde, from henceforth shall all ages call me blessed,
49Because hee that is mightie, hath done for me great things, and holy is his Name.
50And his mercie is from generation to generation on them that feare him.
51Hee hath shewed strength with his arme: hee hath scattered the proude in the imagination of their hearts.
52Hee hath put downe the mighty from their seates, and exalted them of lowe degree.
53Hee hath filled the hungrie with good things, and sent away the rich emptie.
54Hee hath vpholden Israel his seruaunt to be mindefull of his mercie
55(As hee hath spoken to our fathers, to wit, to Abraham, and his seede) for euer.
56And Marie abode with her about three moneths: after, shee returned to her owne house.
57Nowe Elisabets time was fulfilled, that shee should be deliuered, and shee brought foorth a sonne.
58And her neighbours, and cousins heard tell howe the Lord had shewed his great mercie vpon her, and they reioyced with her.
59And it was so that on the eight day they came to circumcise the babe, and called him Zacharias after the name of his father.
60But his mother answered, and saide, Not so, but he shalbe called Iohn.
61And they saide vnto her, There is none of thy kindred, that is named with this name.
62Then they made signes to his father, howe he would haue him called.
63So hee asked for writing tables, and wrote, saying, His name is Iohn, and they marueiled all.
64And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue, and he spake and praised God.
65Then feare came on all them that dwelt neere vnto them, and all these woordes were noised abroade throughout all the hill countrey of Iudea.
66And al they that heard them, laid them vp in their hearts, saying, What maner childe shall this be! and the hand of the Lord was with him.
67Then his father Zacharias was filled with the holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
68Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, because he hath visited and redeemed his people,
69And hath raised vp the horne of saluation vnto vs, in the house of his seruant Dauid,
70As he spake by ye mouth of his holy Prophets, which were since the world began, saying,
71That he would sende vs deliuerance from our enemies, and from the hands of all that hate vs,
72That he might shewe mercie towards our fathers, and remember his holy couenant,
73And the othe which he sware to our father Abraham.
74Which was, that he would graunt vnto vs, that we being deliuered out of the handes of our enemies, should serue him without feare,
75All the daies of our life, in holinesse and righteousnesse before him.
76And thou, babe, shalt be called the Prophet of the most High: for thou shalt goe before the face of the Lord, to prepare his waies,
77And to giue knowledge of saluation vnto his people, by the remission of their sinnes,
78Through ye tender mercy of our God, wherby the day spring from an hie hath visited vs,
79To giue light to them that sit in darknes, and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feete into the way of peace.
80And the childe grewe, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the wildernesse, til the day came that he should shewe him selfe vnto Israel.