01Since many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us,
02even as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word delivered them to us,
03it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus;
05There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
06They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
09according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
13But the angel said to him, "Don't be afraid, Zacharias, because your request has been heard, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
15For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.
17He will 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 prepare a people prepared for the Lord."
18Zacharias said to the angel, "How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."
19The angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news.
20Behold, you will be silent and not able to speak, until the day that these things will happen, because you didn't believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time."
22When he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. He continued making signs to them, and remained mute.
25"Thus has the Lord done to me in the days in which he looked at me, to take away my reproach among men."
27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
28Having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!"
29But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be.
32He 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,
35The angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God.
36Behold, Elizabeth, your relative, also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
38Mary said, "Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to your word." The angel departed from her.
41It happened, when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, that the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42She called out with a loud voice, and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
45Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!"
48for he has looked at the humble state of his handmaid. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.
58Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her, and they rejoiced with her.
59It happened on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of the father.
65Fear came on all who lived around them, and all these sayings were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea.
66All who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, "What then will this child be?" The hand of the Lord was with him.
74to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear,
76And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways,
79to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace."
80The child was growing, and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
