1To his Excellency, Theophilus. Many attempts have been already made to draw up an account of those events which have reached their conclusion among us,
2just as they were reported to us by those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses, and afterward became bearers of the message.
3And, therefore, I also, since I have investigated all these events with great care from their very beginning, have resolved to write a connected history of them for you,
4in order that you may be able to satisfy yourself of the accuracy of the story which you have heard from the lips of others. Birth, Parentage, Infancy and Boyhood
5In the reign of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the division called after Abijah. His wife, whose name was Elizabeth, was also a descendant of Aaron.
6They were both righteous people, who lived blameless lives, guiding their steps by all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
7But they had no child, Elizabeth being barren; and both of them were advanced in years.
8One day, when Zechariah was officiating as priest before God, during the turn of his division,
9it fell to him by lot, in accordance with the practice among the priests, to go into the Temple of the Lord and burn incense;
10and, as it was the Hour of Incense, the people were all praying outside.
11And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the Altar of Incense.
12Zechariah was startled at the sight and was awe-struck.
13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, whom you will call by the name John.
14He will be to you a joy and a delight; and many will rejoice over his birth.
15For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he will not drink any wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the very hour of his birth,
16and will reconcile many of the Israelites to the Lord their God.
17He will go before him in the spirit and with the power of Elijah, to reconcile fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, and so make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.”
18“How can I be sure of this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”
19“I am Gabriel,” the angel answered, “who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
20And now you will be silent and unable to speak until the day when this takes place, because you did not believe what I said, though my words will be fulfilled in due course.”
21Meanwhile the people were watching for Zechariah, wondering at his remaining so long in the Temple.
22When he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision there. But Zechariah kept making signs to them, and remained dumb.
23And, as soon as his term of service was finished, he returned home.
24After this his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and lived in seclusion for five months.
25“The Lord has done this for me,” she said, “he has shown me kindness and taken away the public disgrace of childlessness under which I have been living.”
26Six months later the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
27to a maiden there who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. Her name was Mary.
28Gabriel came into her presence and greeted her, saying, “You have been shown great favor – the Lord is with you.”
29Mary was much disturbed at his words, and was wondering to herself what such a greeting could mean,
30when the angel spoke again, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31And now, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will give him the name Jesus.
32The child will be great and will be called ‘Son of the Most High,’ and the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David,
33and he will reign over the descendants of Jacob for ever; And to his kingdom there will be no end.”
34“How can this be?” Mary asked the angel. “For I have no husband.”
35“The Holy Spirit will descend on you,” answered the angel, “and the Power of the Most High will overshadow you; and therefore the child will be called ‘holy,’ and ‘Son of God.’
36And Elizabeth, your cousin, is herself also expecting a son in her old age; and it is now the sixth month with her, though she is called barren;
37for no promise from God will fail to be fulfilled.”
38“I am the servant of the Lord,” exclaimed Mary. “Let it be with me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
39Soon after this Mary set out, and made her way quickly into the hill-country, to a town in Judah;
40and there she went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.
41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child moved within her, and Elizabeth herself was filled with the Holy Spirit,
42and cried aloud, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is your unborn child!
43But how have I this honor, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44For, as soon as your greeting reached my ears, the child moved within me with delight!
45Happy indeed is she who believed that the promise which she received from the Lord would be fulfilled.”
46And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord,
47and my spirit delights in God my Savior,
48for he has looked with favor on his humble servant girl. From now on all generations will call me blessed!
49“For the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
50He has mercy on those who revere him in every generation.
51“Mighty are the deeds of his arm! He has scattered the self-satisfied proud,
52he has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and he uplifts the humble,
53he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
54“He has stretched out his hand to his servant Israel, ever mindful of his mercy,
55as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and his descendants for ever.”
56Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months, and then returned to her home.
57When Elizabeth’s time came, she gave birth to a son;
58and her neighbors and relatives, hearing of the great goodness of the Lord to her, came to share her joy.
59A week later they met to circumcise the child, and were about to call him Zechariah after his father,
60when his mother spoke up, “No, he is to be called John.”
61“You have no relation of that name!” they exclaimed;
62and they made signs to the child’s father, to find out what he wished the child to be called.
63Asking for a writing tablet, he wrote the words – ‘His name is John.’ Everyone was surprised
64and immediately Zechariah recovered his voice and the use of his tongue, and began to bless God.
65All their neighbors were awe-struck at this, and throughout the hill-country of Judea the whole story was much talked about.
66All who heard it kept it in mind, asking one another – “What can this child be destined to become?” For the Power of the Lord was with him.
67Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and, speaking under inspiration, said:
68“Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, who has visited his people and wrought their deliverance,
69and has raised up for us the strength of our salvation in the house of his servant David –
70as he promised by the lips of his holy prophets of old –
71salvation from our enemies and from the hands of all who hate us,
72showing mercy to our ancestors, and mindful of his sacred covenant.
73This was the oath which he swore to our ancestor Abraham –
74that we should be rescued from the hands of our enemies,
75and should serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness, in his presence all our days.
76And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to make ready his way,
77to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
78through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dawn will break on us from heaven,
79to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, and guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he lived in the wilds until the time came for his appearance before Israel.