Introduction
1 Many have undertaken to
draw up an
account of
the things
that have
been
fulfilled
among us,
2 just as
they were
handed
down to us
by those
who from
the first
were
eyewitnesses
and
servants
of the
word.
3 With
this in
mind,
since I
myself
have
carefully
investigated
everything
from the
beginning,
I too
decided to
write an
orderly
account
for you,
most
excellent
Theophilus,
4 so that
you may
know the
certainty
of the
things you
have been
taught.
The Birth of John
the
Baptist
Foretold
5 In the time of Herod
king of
Judea
there was
a priest
named
Zechariah,
who
belonged
to the
priestly
division
of Abijah;
his wife
Elizabeth
was also a
descendant
of Aaron.
6 Both of
them were
righteous
in the
sight of
God,
observing
all the
Lord’s
commands
and
decrees
blamelessly.
7 But they
were
childless
because
Elizabeth
was not
able to
conceive,
and they
were both
very old.
8 Once when Zechariah’s
division
was on
duty and
he was
serving as
priest
before
God,
9 he
was chosen
by lot,
according
to the
custom of
the
priesthood,
to go into
the temple
of the
Lord and
burn
incense.
10 And
when the
time for
the
burning of
incense
came, all
the
assembled
worshipers
were
praying
outside.
11 Then an angel of the
Lord
appeared
to him,
standing
at the
right side
of the
altar of
incense.
12 When
Zechariah
saw him,
he was
startled
and was
gripped
with fear.
13 But the
angel said
to him:
“Do not be
afraid,
Zechariah;
your
prayer has
been
heard.
Your wife
Elizabeth
will bear
you a son,
and you
are to
call him
John.
14 He
will be a
joy and
delight to
you, and
many will
rejoice
because of
his birth,
15 for he
will be
great in
the sight
of the
Lord. He
is never
to take
wine or
other
fermented
drink, and
he will be
filled
with the
Holy
Spirit
even
before he
is born.
16 He will
bring back
many of
the people
of Israel
to the
Lord their
God.
17 And
he will go
on before
the Lord,
in the
spirit and
power of
Elijah, to
turn the
hearts of
the
parents to
their
children
and the
disobedient
to the
wisdom of
the
righteous—to
make ready
a people
prepared
for the
Lord.”
18 Zechariah asked the
angel,
“How can I
be sure of
this? I am
an old man
and my
wife is
well along
in years.”
19 The angel said to him,
“I am
Gabriel. I
stand in
the
presence
of God,
and I have
been sent
to speak
to you and
to tell
you this
good news.
20 And now
you will
be silent
and not
able to
speak
until the
day this
happens,
because
you did
not
believe my
words,
which will
come true
at their
appointed
time.”
21 Meanwhile, the people
were
waiting
for
Zechariah
and
wondering
why he
stayed so
long in
the
temple.
22 When he
came out,
he could
not speak
to them.
They
realized
he had
seen a
vision in
the
temple,
for he
kept
making
signs to
them but
remained
unable to
speak.
23 When his time of
service
was
completed,
he
returned
home.
24 After
this his
wife
Elizabeth
became
pregnant
and for
five
months
remained
in
seclusion.
25 “The
Lord has
done this
for me,”
she said.
“In these
days he
has shown
his favor
and taken
away my
disgrace
among the
people.”
The Birth of Jesus
Foretold
26 In the sixth month of
Elizabeth’s
pregnancy,
God sent
the angel
Gabriel to
Nazareth,
a town in
Galilee,
27 to a
virgin
pledged to
be married
to a man
named
Joseph, a
descendant
of David.
The
virgin’s
name was
Mary.
28 The
angel went
to her and
said,
“Greetings,
you who
are highly
favored!
The Lord
is with
you.”
29 Mary was greatly
troubled
at his
words and
wondered
what kind
of
greeting
this might
be.
30 But
the angel
said to
her, “Do
not be
afraid,
Mary; you
have found
favor with
God.
31 You
will
conceive
and give
birth to a
son, and
you are to
call him
Jesus.
32 He
will be
great and
will be
called the
Son of the
Most High.
The Lord
God will
give him
the throne
of his
father
David,
33 and
he will
reign over
Jacob’s
descendants
forever;
his
kingdom
will never
end.”
34 “How will this be,”
Mary asked
the angel,
“since I
am a
virgin?”
35 The angel answered,
“The Holy
Spirit
will come
on you,
and the
power of
the Most
High will
overshadow
you. So
the holy
one to be
born will
be called
the Son of
God.
36 Even
Elizabeth
your
relative
is going
to have a
child in
her old
age, and
she who
was said
to be
unable to
conceive
is in her
sixth
month.
37 For
no word
from God
will ever
fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s
servant,”
Mary
answered.
“May your
word to me
be
fulfilled.”
Then the
angel left
her.
Mary Visits
Elizabeth
39 At that time Mary got
ready and
hurried to
a town in
the hill
country of
Judea,
40 where
she
entered
Zechariah’s
home and
greeted
Elizabeth.
41 When
Elizabeth
heard
Mary’s
greeting,
the baby
leaped in
her womb,
and
Elizabeth
was filled
with the
Holy
Spirit.
42 In a
loud voice
she
exclaimed:
“Blessed
are you
among
women, and
blessed is
the child
you will
bear!
43 But
why am I
so
favored,
that the
mother of
my Lord
should
come to
me?
44 As
soon as
the sound
of your
greeting
reached my
ears, the
baby in my
womb
leaped for
joy.
45 Blessed
is she who
has
believed
that the
Lord would
fulfill
his
promises
to her!”
Mary’s Song
46 And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the
Lord
47 and
my spirit
rejoices
in God my
Savior,
48 for
he has
been
mindful
of the
humble
state of
his
servant.
From now
on all
generations
will call
me
blessed,
49 for
the Mighty
One has
done great
things for
me—
holy
is his
name.
50 His
mercy
extends to
those who
fear him,
from
generation
to
generation.
51 He
has
performed
mighty
deeds with
his arm;
he has
scattered
those who
are proud
in their
inmost
thoughts.
52 He
has
brought
down
rulers
from their
thrones
but
has lifted
up the
humble.
53 He
has filled
the hungry
with good
things
but
has sent
the rich
away
empty.
54 He
has helped
his
servant
Israel,
remembering
to be
merciful
55 to
Abraham
and his
descendants
forever,
just
as he
promised
our
ancestors.”
56 Mary stayed with
Elizabeth
for about
three
months and
then
returned
home.
The Birth of John
the
Baptist
57 When it was time for
Elizabeth
to have
her baby,
she gave
birth to a
son.
58 Her
neighbors
and
relatives
heard that
the Lord
had shown
her great
mercy, and
they
shared her
joy.
59 On the eighth day they
came to
circumcise
the child,
and they
were going
to name
him after
his father
Zechariah,
60 but his
mother
spoke up
and said,
“No! He is
to be
called
John.”
61 They said to her,
“There is
no one
among your
relatives
who has
that
name.”
62 Then they made signs to
his
father, to
find out
what he
would like
to name
the child.
63 He
asked for
a writing
tablet,
and to
everyone’s
astonishment
he wrote,
“His name
is John.”
64 Immediately
his mouth
was opened
and his
tongue set
free, and
he began
to speak,
praising
God.
65 All
the
neighbors
were
filled
with awe,
and
throughout
the hill
country of
Judea
people
were
talking
about all
these
things.
66 Everyone
who heard
this
wondered
about it,
asking,
“What then
is this
child
going to
be?” For
the Lord’s
hand was
with him.
Zechariah’s Song
67 His father Zechariah
was filled
with the
Holy
Spirit and
prophesied:
68 “Praise be to the Lord,
the God of
Israel,
because
he has
come to
his people
and
redeemed
them.
69 He has
raised up
a horn
of
salvation
for us
in the
house of
his
servant
David
70 (as
he said
through
his holy
prophets
of long
ago),
71 salvation
from our
enemies
and
from the
hand of
all who
hate us—
72 to
show mercy
to our
ancestors
and to
remember
his holy
covenant,
73 the
oath he
swore to
our father
Abraham:
74 to
rescue us
from the
hand of
our
enemies,
and to
enable us
to serve
him
without
fear
75 in
holiness
and
righteousness
before him
all our
days.
76 And you, my child, will
be called
a prophet
of the
Most High;
for
you will
go on
before the
Lord to
prepare
the way
for him,
77 to
give his
people the
knowledge
of
salvation
through
the
forgiveness
of their
sins,
78 because
of the
tender
mercy of
our God,
by
which the
rising sun
will come
to us from
heaven
79 to
shine on
those
living in
darkness
and in
the shadow
of death,
to guide
our feet
into the
path of
peace.”
80 And the child grew and
became
strong in
spirit;
and he
lived in
the
wilderness
until he
appeared
publicly
to Israel.