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Luke writes the facts about Jesus

1 Many people have written about the things that have happened in our country. 2 Some people were present when these things started to happen. They saw everything that happened and they told us about it. They are the people who wrote down the Good News for us. 3 I have checked the facts about what really happened. So now, I know about all the things that happened from the beginning. I am writing to make the facts clear to you, my important friend Theophilus. 4 People have already taught you about these things. Now you can be sure that they are true.

What happened before John the Baptist was born

5 There was a man whose name was Zechariah. He lived when Herod was king of Judea. [ a ] Zechariah was a priest and he belonged to a group of priests from the family of Abijah. He had a wife called Elizabeth. She also was from the family of the priest called Aaron. [ b ]

6 Zechariah and Elizabeth obeyed God's commands and rules. God saw that they were righteous people. They did not do wrong things. 7 But they had no children. Elizabeth could not give birth and they were both getting old. [ c ]

8 One day, Zechariah's group of priests was working at the temple. He had a special job to do there. 9 The priests chose one of their group to go into the holy place in the temple. This time they chose Zechariah. [ d ] His job was to burn incense there.

10 While Zechariah was burning incense in the special room, many men were outside in the yard. [ e ] They were praying to God.

11 The incense was burning on a special altar, when one of God's angels appeared to Zechariah. The angel was standing at the right hand side of the altar. [ f ]

12 When Zechariah saw the angel, he was very surprised and very afraid. 13 The angel said to him, ‘Zechariah, do not be afraid. God has heard what you prayed. He will give you what you asked for. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to a baby boy. You will give him the name “John”. 14-15 He will be very important to the Lord God. So he will make you very happy. Many other people will also be very happy because he has been born. He must never drink anything with alcohol in it. From the time that he is born, the Holy Spirit will live inside him.

16 He will teach many people in Israel. [ g ] Then they will turn their lives back to the Lord their God and they will obey God again. 17 John will prepare the people for the Lord to come to them. The Holy Spirit will lead John as he led Elijah. [ h ] John will do powerful things as Elijah did. He will help fathers to love their children. He will teach people who do not obey God. Then they will know what things are right. And they will do them. Then they will be ready when the Lord comes.’

18 Zechariah asked the angel, ‘How can I be sure about this? You know that I am an old man. My wife is also old.’

19 The angel answered, ‘I am called Gabriel. My place is to stand in front of God. I am always ready to work for God. He has sent me to speak to you. He told me that I should tell you this good news. 20 Now listen to me. Because you did not believe my message, you will not be able to speak. You will not speak again until the time that your son is born. My message will really become true at the right time.’

21 While this was happening, the people outside were waiting for Zechariah. They were thinking, ‘Why has Zechariah stayed for such a long time in the special room? Why has he not come out yet?’ 22 When he did come out, he tried to talk to them. But he could not speak. So they knew that God had showed him something special in the room. He was moving his head and his hands about, to tell them what had happened. But still he could not speak.

23 When Zechariah had finished his work in the temple, he returned home. 24 Soon, a baby was growing inside his wife Elizabeth. She stayed in her house for five months. 25 ‘The Lord has now given me a baby,’ she said. ‘He has been kind to me. Because of this, other people cannot say bad things about me now.’

What happened before Jesus was born

26 When Elizabeth's baby had grown inside her for nearly six months, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth. Nazareth is a town in Galilee. 27 Gabriel went there to visit a young woman. Her name was Mary. She had never had sex with anyone. She had promised to marry a man called Joseph. He belonged to the family of King David. [ i ]

28 Gabriel went to Mary and said, ‘Hello, Mary. The Lord God loves you very much. He is very near to you.’

29 Mary had a lot of problems in her mind about Gabriel's message. She did not understand what he meant. 30 Then Gabriel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary. God has been kind to you. 31 Listen! A baby boy will grow inside you. When he is born, you will call him Jesus. 32 He will be great. People will call him the Son of the powerful God who is over all. The Lord God will make him king. He will rule as his ancestor King David ruled. [ j ] 33 He will rule over the family of Jacob for all time. [ k ] He will be king for all time, without end.’

34 Mary asked, ‘How can this happen? I have never had sex with anyone.’ 35 Gabriel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come to you. The power of God who is over all will cover you like a shadow. So your child will be special to God. He will be completely good. He will be called God's Son. 36 Another thing! Your cousin, Elizabeth, is very old. People said that she could not have a baby. Listen! She also will have a son. The baby has grown inside her now for nearly six months. 37 There is nothing that God cannot do.’

38 Mary answered, ‘I am the servant of the Lord. I have heard what you have said. I want it to happen to me just like that.’ Then the angel left her.

Mary visits Elizabeth

39 After that, Mary prepared herself to travel. She hurried to a town in the hills of Judea. 40 When she arrived at the home of Zechariah, she said ‘hello’ to Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary speak, she felt her baby move quickly inside her. The Holy Spirit filled her. 42 She spoke to Mary in a loud voice, ‘God has made you very happy. He has been good and kind to you more than to other women. He has also been good and kind to your baby. 43 You are the mother of my Lord and I am not an important person. So it is very good that you have visited me. 44 Listen! When I heard you say, “Hello” to me, my baby moved quickly inside me. He was very happy. 45 The Lord has told you what will happen. And you believed what he told you. Because of that, God has made you a happy person.’

Mary's song

46 Then Mary said,

‘All of me wants to praise God and say,
“Lord, how good and great you are!”
47 I thank God because he is the one who saves me.
48 I know that I am not an important person.
God knows this, and he has been kind to me.
Listen! From now on, all people will say that God has made me happy.
49 Yes, God has done great things for me.
He is very powerful and strong. He is good in every way.
50 He is kind to people who respect and obey him.
He will always be kind to people like that.
51 He has shown how strong he is to do great things.
Some people think that they are very important.
But he has sent them away in different directions.
52 Some people were ruling countries.
But he has taken their power away from them.
He has given power to people who do not feel important.
53 He has fed hungry people with good things to eat.
But he has sent rich people away with nothing.
54 He promised that he would be kind to his people, Israel.
Now he has come and helped them.
55 He made a promise to Abraham and to our other ancestors.
Now he has done what he promised.’ [ l ]

56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months. Then she returned to her home.

John the Baptist is born

57 The time arrived for Elizabeth to have her baby. She had a son. 58 Her family and the people who lived near her heard about her baby. They knew that the Lord had been very kind to her. They saw that she was happy. So they were happy too. 59 When the child was eight days old, people met together to circumcise him. [ m ] They wanted to call the child Zechariah. This was the same name that his father had.

60 Elizabeth said, ‘No. His name will be John.’

61 They replied, ‘But you do not have anyone in your family called John. That cannot be right.’ 62 So they used their hands to make signs to the baby's father. They wanted to ask him what his son's name should be. [ n ]

63 Zechariah asked for something to write on. He wrote, ‘His name is John.’ Everyone was very surprised at what he wrote. 64 Immediately, Zechariah could speak again. He could speak easily. He began to thank God aloud. [ o ]

65 The people who lived near Zechariah and Elizabeth were very surprised. They saw how great God was. Many people who lived in the hills of Judea also talked about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard about these things thought about them. They asked each other, ‘When this child becomes a man, what will he be?’ They could see that God really was with him.

Zechariah's song

67 The Holy Spirit filled John's father, Zechariah, so that he spoke God's message:

68 ‘The Lord God of Israel is a great God.
He has come to save his people. He has come to make them free.
69 He has sent a very strong person who will save us. [ p ]
This person comes from the family of his servant, King David.
70 Long ago, God promised that he would do this.
He gave his own prophets this message to speak.
71 God will save us from our enemies.
He will save us from everyone that hates us.
72 He has promised to be kind to our ancestors.
He will do the things that he promised in his holy covenant.
73 Yes, he will remember the strong promises that he spoke to Abraham. [ q ]
74 God said, “I will keep you safe from your enemies.
Then you can serve me and not be afraid.
75 You can live in a way that is good and right.
You can do this all your lives.” ’ [ r ]

76 Zechariah then spoke to John:

‘You, my child, will be called a prophet of the powerful God who is over all.
You will go in front of the Lord to prepare a way for him.
77 You will tell God's people how God can save them.
They have done wrong things but God will forgive them.
78 Our God will forgive us because he is very kind.
He will send someone from the highest place.
When this person comes, it will be like the sunrise for us. [ s ]
79 He will bring light to people who are living without God.
It is like those people are living in the dark. They are afraid to die.
But he will shine on them.
He will show us how to live so that we will not be afraid.’ [ t ]

80 Zechariah's child grew. God made him strong in his mind. He went into the wilderness and he lived there for many years. Later, God sent him to Israel's people, to teach them. [ u ]

Footnotes

  1. 1:5 This Herod was called Herod the Great. He was king in Judea from the year 37 BC to the year 4 BC.
  2. 1:5 A priest is a special servant of God who worked at the temple in Jerusalem. All the priests were descendants of Moses' brother, Aaron. He was the brother of Moses. They both lived a long time before Jesus. We can read about Aaron in the book called Exodus. There were 24 groups of priests. One group at a time worked in the temple. Every group had a name. Zechariah was in the group of Abijah.
  3. 1:7 At that time, people without children thought that God was angry with them. Elizabeth and Zechariah would have felt very sad because they had no children.
  4. 1:9 They did a special thing to know who would go into the room. It was something like a game that we play. But it was serious and important.
  5. 1:10 The Jews made incense from special oil that they got from certain kinds of trees. It makes a sweet smell when it burns. They used it in the temple. They burned incense in God's house while they prayed. God had said in his rules that they should do this.
  6. 1:11 An angel is a servant of God that brings his messages. The ‘right hand side’ means the place of importance.
  7. 1:16 The people of Israel came from the family of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their children. We call them Jews. God chose them as his special people. He gave the name Israel to Jacob. We can read about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the book called Genesis.
  8. 1:17 God chose Elijah to speak for him. The Holy Spirit showed him what to say. Elijah gave special messages from God to his people. He taught them to stop doing the things that God did not like. He told them that they should obey God. We can read about Elijah in 1 Kings 17 .
  9. 1:27 David had been a king of Israel. We can read about him in 1 Samuel 16 .
  10. 1:32 Both Joseph and Mary came from the family of King David.
  11. 1:33 The family of Jacob means all the Jews.
  12. 1:55 Mary is very happy. She knows that God has been good to her and to Elizabeth. She sings about God. She sings about the great things that he has done. She sings that he will use his power to be kind. He will also use his power against people that do not obey him. Mary is a Jew. She remembers God's promise to the Jews.
  13. 1:59 They circumcised all baby boys in Israel on the eighth day. It means to cut off the skin from the end of the sex part of a boy or a man. For the Jews, it was a special mark. It showed that they were the people of God. Friends and people that lived near would also be there. They had a party and they gave a name to the boy. See Genesis 17 .
  14. 1:62 Because Zechariah was deaf, they had to make signs to ask him.
  15. 1:64 Everything had happened as the angel had said.
  16. 1:69 Jesus is the strong person that God sent. Zechariah knew why Jesus was coming to the earth.
  17. 1:73 Because Christians are a part of the family of Abraham, God promised this to them too.
  18. 1:75 Zechariah's song shows how happy he is. God has been good to him and to Elizabeth. God has shown him how important John will be. Zechariah thanks God. He tells the people that God is great.
  19. 1:78 The ‘sunrise’ is a picture story. It describes Jesus when he came to earth.
  20. 1:79 God told Zechariah what John would do. John would speak to the people. He would tell them that Jesus was coming.
  21. 1:80 You can read what John taught the people in Luke 3 .

Luke Writes About the Life of Jesus

1 Most Honorable Theophilus:

Many others have tried to give a report of the things that happened among us to complete God’s plan. 2 What they have written agrees with what we learned from the people who saw those events from the beginning. They also served God by telling people his message. 3 I studied it all carefully from the beginning. Then I decided to write it down for you in an organized way. 4 I did this so that you can be sure that what you have been taught is true.

Zechariah and Elizabeth

5 During the time when Herod ruled Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah. He belonged to Abijah’s group. [ a ] His wife came from the family of Aaron. Her name was Elizabeth. 6 Zechariah and Elizabeth were both good people who pleased God. They did everything the Lord commanded, always following his instructions completely. 7 But they had no children. Elizabeth could not have a baby, and both of them were very old.

8 Zechariah was serving as a priest before God for his group. It was his group’s time to serve. 9 The priests always chose one priest to offer the incense, and Zechariah was the one chosen this time. So he went into the Temple of the Lord to offer the incense. 10 There was a large crowd outside praying at the time the incense was offered.

11 Then, on the right side of the incense table, an angel of the Lord came and stood before Zechariah. 12 When he saw the angel, Zechariah was upset and very afraid. 13 But the angel said to him, “Zechariah, don’t be afraid. Your prayer has been heard by God. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to a baby boy, and you will name him John. 14 You will be very happy, and many others will share your joy over his birth. 15 He will be a great man for the Lord. He will never drink wine or beer. Even before he is born, he will be filled with the Holy Spirit.

16 “John will help many people of Israel return to the Lord their God. 17 John himself will go ahead of the Lord and make people ready for his coming. He will be powerful like Elijah and will have the same spirit. He will make peace between fathers and their children. He will cause people who are not obeying God to change and start thinking the way they should.”

18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I know that what you say is true? I am an old man, and my wife is also old.”

19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, the one who always stands ready before God. He sent me to talk to you and to tell you this good news. 20 Now, listen! You will not be able to talk until the day when these things happen. You will lose your speech because you did not believe what I told you. But everything I said will really happen.”

21 Outside, the people were still waiting for Zechariah. They were surprised that he was staying so long in the Temple. 22 Then Zechariah came outside, but he could not speak to them. So the people knew that he had seen a vision inside the Temple. He was not able to speak, so he could only make signs to the people. 23 When his time of service was finished, he went home.

24 Later, Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth became pregnant. So she did not go out of her house for five months. She said, 25 “Look what the Lord has done for me! He decided to help me. Now people will stop thinking there is something wrong with me.”

The Virgin Mary

26-27 During Elizabeth’s sixth month of pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to a virgin girl who lived in Nazareth, a town in Galilee. She was engaged to marry a man named Joseph from the family of David. Her name was Mary. 28 The angel came to her and said, “Greetings! The Lord is with you; you are very special to him.”

29 But Mary was very confused about what the angel said. She wondered, “What does this mean?”

30 The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, because God is very pleased with you. 31 Listen! You will become pregnant and have a baby boy. You will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great. People will call him the Son of the Most High God, and the Lord God will make him king like his ancestor David. 33 He will rule over the people of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen? I am still a virgin.”

35 The angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High God will cover you. The baby will be holy and will be called the Son of God. 36 And here’s something else: Your relative Elizabeth is pregnant. She is very old, but she is going to have a son. Everyone thought she could not have a baby, but she has been pregnant now for six months. 37 God can do anything!”

38 Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let this thing you have said happen to me!” Then the angel went away.

Mary Visits Zechariah and Elizabeth

39 Mary got up and went quickly to a town in the hill country of Judea. 40 She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the unborn baby inside her jumped, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 In a loud voice she said to Mary, “God has blessed you more than any other woman. And God has blessed the baby you will have. 43 You are the mother of my Lord, and you have come to me! Why has something so good happened to me? 44 When I heard your voice, the baby inside me jumped with joy. 45 Great blessings are yours because you believed what the Lord said to you! You believed this would happen.”

Mary Praises God

46 Then Mary said,

“I praise the Lord with all my heart.
47 I am very happy because God is my Savior.
48 I am not important,
but he has shown his care for me, his lowly servant.
From now until the end of time,
people will remember how much God blessed me.
49 Yes, the Powerful One has done great things for me.
His name is very holy.
50 He always gives mercy
to those who worship him.
51 He reached out his arm and showed his power.
He scattered those who are proud and think great things about themselves.
52 He brought down rulers from their thrones
and raised up the humble people.
53 He filled the hungry with good things,
but he sent the rich away with nothing.
54 God has helped Israel—the people he chose to serve him.
He did not forget his promise to give us his mercy.
55 He has done what he promised to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.”

56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then went home.

The Birth of John

57 When it was time for Elizabeth to give birth, she had a boy. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord was very good to her, and they were happy for her.

59 When the baby was eight days old, they came to circumcise him. They wanted to name him Zechariah because this was his father’s name. 60 But his mother said, “No, he will be named John.”

61 The people said to Elizabeth, “But no one in your family has that name.” 62 Then they made signs to his father, “What would you like to name him?”

63 Zechariah asked for something to write on. Then he wrote, “His name is John.” Everyone was surprised. 64 Then Zechariah could talk again, and he began praising God. 65 And all their neighbors were afraid. In all the hill country of Judea, people continued talking about these things. 66 Everyone who heard about these things wondered about them. They thought, “What will this child be?” They could see that the Lord was with him.

Zechariah Praises God

67 Then Zechariah, John’s father, was filled with the Holy Spirit and told the people a message from God:

68 “Praise to the Lord God of Israel.
He has come to help his people
and has given them freedom.
69 He has given us a powerful Savior
from the family of his servant David.
70 This is what he promised
through his holy prophets long ago.
71 He will save us from our enemies
and from the power of all those who hate us.
72 God said he would show mercy to our fathers,
and he remembered his holy agreement.
73 This was the promise he made to our father Abraham,
74 a promise to free us from the power of our enemies,
so that we could serve him without fear
75 in a way that is holy and right for as long as we live.

76 “Now you, little boy, will be called a prophet of the Most High God.
You will go first before the Lord to prepare the way for him.
77 You will make his people understand that they will be saved
by having their sins forgiven.

78 “With the loving mercy of our God,
a new day [ b ] from heaven will shine on us.
79 It will bring light to those who live in darkness, in the fear of death.
It will guide us into the way that brings peace.”

80 And so the little boy John grew up and became stronger in spirit. Then he lived in areas away from other people until the time when he came out to tell God’s message to the people of Israel.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 1:5 Abijah’s group Jewish priests were divided into 24 groups. See 1 Chron. 24.
  2. Luke 1:78 new day Literally, “dawn,” used here as a symbol, probably meaning the Lord’s Messiah.

1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,

2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;

3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,

4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

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

7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,

9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

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

13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.

22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.

23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.

24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus .

32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;

40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

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

44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

54 He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;

55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

57 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.

58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.

60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.

61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.

62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.

64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.

66 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.

67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

Introduction

1 Since many have undertaken to compile an account of the things [ a ] ( A ) accomplished among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who ( B ) from the beginning [ b ] were ( C ) eyewitnesses and [ c ] ( D ) servants of ( E ) the [ d ] word, 3 it seemed fitting to me as well, ( F ) having [ e ] investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you ( G ) in an orderly sequence, ( H ) most excellent ( I ) Theophilus; 4 so that you may know the exact truth about the [ f ] things you have been [ g ] ( J ) taught.

John the Baptist’s Birth Foretold

5 ( K ) In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the ( L ) division of [ h ] Abijah; and he had a wife [ i ] from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both ( M ) righteous in the sight of God, walking ( N ) blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7 And yet they had no child, because Elizabeth was infertile, and they were both advanced in [ j ] years.

8 Now it happened that while ( O ) he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot ( P ) to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer ( Q ) outside at the hour of the incense offering. 11 Now ( R ) an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 Zechariah was troubled when he saw the angel , and ( S ) fear [ k ] gripped him. 13 But the angel said to him, “ ( T ) Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and ( U ) you shall [ l ] name him John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will ( V ) drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [ m ] while still in his mother’s womb. 16 And he will ( W ) turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 And it is he who will ( X ) go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of ( Y ) Elijah, ( Z ) to turn the hearts of fathers back to their children , and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to ( AA ) make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this? For ( AB ) I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her [ n ] years.” 19 The angel answered and said to him, “I am ( AC ) Gabriel, who [ o ] ( AD ) stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”

21 And meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple, and he repeatedly ( AE ) [ p ] made signs to them, and remained speechless. 23 When the days of his priestly service were concluded, he went back home.

24 Now after these days his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and she kept herself [ q ] in seclusion for five months, saying, 25 “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me , to ( AF ) take away my disgrace among people.”

Jesus’ Birth Foretold

26 Now in the sixth month the angel ( AG ) Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named ( AH ) Nazareth, 27 to ( AI ) a virgin [ r ] betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, ( AJ ) of the [ s ] descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was [ t ] Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord [ u ] is with you.” 29 But she ( AK ) was very perplexed at this statement, and was pondering what kind of greeting this was. 30 And the angel said to her, “ ( AL ) Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you ( AM ) shall name Him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of ( AN ) the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him ( AO ) the throne of His father David; 33 ( AP ) and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, ( AQ ) and His kingdom will have no end.” 34 But Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I [ v ] am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “ ( AR ) The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of ( AS ) the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also ( AT ) the [ w ] holy Child will be called ( AU ) the Son of God. 36 And behold, even your relative Elizabeth herself has conceived a son in her old age, and [ x ] she who was called infertile is now in her sixth month. 37 For ( AV ) nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39 Now [ y ] at this time Mary set out and went in a hurry to ( AW ) the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was ( AX ) filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And [ z ] how has it happened to me that the mother of ( AY ) my Lord would come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 45 And ( AZ ) blessed is she who [ aa ] believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her [ ab ] by the Lord.”

Mary’s Song: The Magnificat

46 And Mary said:

“ ( BA ) My soul [ ac ] ( BB ) exalts the Lord,
47 And ( BC ) my spirit has rejoiced in ( BD ) God my Savior.
48 For ( BE ) He has had regard for the humble state of His bond-servant;
For behold, from now on all generations will [ ad ] call me ( BF ) blessed.
49 For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.
50 ( BG ) And His mercy is to generation [ ae ] after generation
Toward those who fear Him.
51 ( BH ) He has done [ af ] mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the [ ag ] thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has ( BI ) exalted those who were humble.
53 ( BJ ) He has filled the hungry with good things,
And sent the rich away empty-handed.
54 He has given help to His servant Israel,
[ ah ] In remembrance of His mercy,
55 ( BK ) Just as He spoke to our fathers,
( BL ) To Abraham and his [ ai ] descendants forever.”

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

John the Baptist Is Born

57 Now the time [ aj ] had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had [ ak ] ( BM ) displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.

59 And it happened that on ( BN ) the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zechariah, [ al ] after his father. 60 And yet his mother responded and said, “No indeed; but ( BO ) he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 And they [ am ] ( BP ) made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. 63 And he asked for a tablet and wrote [ an ] as follows, “ ( BQ ) His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 64 ( BR ) And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue freed , and he began speaking in praise of God. 65 And fear came on all those who lived around them; and all these matters were being talked about in ( BS ) the entire hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For indeed ( BT ) the hand of the Lord was with him.

Zechariah’s Prophecy

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

68 “ ( BW ) Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited us and accomplished ( BX ) redemption for His people,
69 And has raised up a ( BY ) horn of salvation for us
In the house of ( BZ ) His servant David—
70 ( CA ) Just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets ( CB ) from ancient times—
71 [ ao ] ( CC ) Salvation ( CD ) from our enemies,
And from the hand of all who hate us;
72 ( CE ) To show mercy to our fathers,
( CF ) And to remember His holy covenant,
73 ( CG ) The oath which He swore to our father Abraham,
74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
Would serve Him without fear,
75 ( CH ) In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
76 And you, child, also will be called the ( CI ) prophet of ( CJ ) the Most High;
For you will go on ( CK ) before the Lord to ( CL ) prepare His ways;
77 To give His people the knowledge of salvation
[ ap ] By ( CM ) the forgiveness of their sins,
78 Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which ( CN ) the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
79 ( CO ) To shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the ( CP ) way of peace.”

80 ( CQ ) Now the child grew and was becoming strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 1:1 Or on which there is full conviction
  2. Luke 1:2 Lit became
  3. Luke 1:2 Or ministers
  4. Luke 1:2 I.e., gospel
  5. Luke 1:3 Or followed
  6. Luke 1:4 Lit words
  7. Luke 1:4 Or orally instructed in
  8. Luke 1:5 Gr Abia
  9. Luke 1:5 I.e., of priestly descent
  10. Luke 1:7 Lit days
  11. Luke 1:12 Lit fell upon
  12. Luke 1:13 Lit call his name
  13. Luke 1:15 Lit still from his
  14. Luke 1:18 Lit days
  15. Luke 1:19 Lit stand beside
  16. Luke 1:22 Possibly gesturing or nodding to them
  17. Luke 1:24 Or hidden
  18. Luke 1:27 Unlike engagement, a betrothed couple was considered married, but did not yet live together
  19. Luke 1:27 Lit house
  20. Luke 1:27 Gr Mariam , Heb Miriam ; so throughout Luke
  21. Luke 1:28 Or be
  22. Luke 1:34 Lit do not know a man
  23. Luke 1:35 Lit the holy one fathered
  24. Luke 1:36 Lit this is the sixth month for her who
  25. Luke 1:39 Lit in these days
  26. Luke 1:43 Lit from where this to me
  27. Luke 1:45 Or believed, because there will be
  28. Luke 1:45 Lit from
  29. Luke 1:46 Lit makes great
  30. Luke 1:48 Or consider
  31. Luke 1:50 Lit and
  32. Luke 1:51 Lit might
  33. Luke 1:51 Lit thought, attitude
  34. Luke 1:54 Lit So as to remember
  35. Luke 1:55 Lit seed
  36. Luke 1:57 Lit was fulfilled
  37. Luke 1:58 Lit magnified His mercy with her
  38. Luke 1:59 Lit after the name of
  39. Luke 1:62 I.e., gestured or nodded
  40. Luke 1:63 Lit saying
  41. Luke 1:71 Or Deliverance
  42. Luke 1:77 Or Consisting in

Introduction ( A )

1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled [ a ] among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first ( B ) were eyewitnesses ( C ) and servants of the word. ( D ) 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account ( E ) for you, most excellent ( F ) Theophilus, ( G ) 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. ( H )

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

5 In the time of Herod king of Judea ( I ) there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; ( J ) 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. ( K ) 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, ( L ) 9 he was chosen by lot, ( M ) according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ( N ) 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. ( O )

11 Then an angel ( P ) of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ( Q ) 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. ( R ) 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, ( S ) Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. ( T ) 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, ( U ) 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, ( V ) and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit ( W ) even before he is born. ( X ) 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, ( Y ) in the spirit and power of Elijah, ( Z ) to turn the hearts of the parents to their children ( AA ) and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” ( AB )

18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? ( AC ) I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” ( AD )

19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. ( AE ) 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 ( AF ) 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 ( AG ) 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 ( AH ) among the people.”

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel ( AI ) to Nazareth, ( AJ ) a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, ( AK ) 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, ( AL ) Mary; you have found favor with God. ( AM ) 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ( AN ) 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. ( AO ) The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ( AP ) 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom ( AQ ) will never end.” ( AR )

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, ( AS ) and the power of the Most High ( AT ) will overshadow you. So the holy one ( AU ) to be born will be called [ b ] the Son of God. ( AV ) 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child ( AW ) 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.” ( AX )

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, ( AY ) 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. ( AZ ) 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, ( BA ) and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord ( BB ) 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 ( BC )

46 And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord ( BD )
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, ( BE )
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant. ( BF )
From now on all generations will call me blessed, ( BG )
49 for the Mighty One has done great things ( BH ) for me—
holy is his name. ( BI )
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation. ( BJ )
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; ( BK )
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. ( BL )
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble. ( BM )
53 He has filled the hungry with good things ( BN )
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful ( BO )
55 to Abraham and his descendants ( BP ) 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 ( BQ ) 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.” ( BR )

61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

62 Then they made signs ( BS ) 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.” ( BT ) 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, ( BU ) praising God. 65 All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea ( BV ) 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. ( BW )

Zechariah’s Song

67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit ( BX ) and prophesied: ( BY )

68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, ( BZ )
because he has come to his people and redeemed them. ( CA )
69 He has raised up a horn [ c ] ( CB ) of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David ( CC )
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), ( CD )
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
72 to show mercy to our ancestors ( CE )
and to remember his holy covenant, ( CF )
73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham: ( CG )
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him ( CH ) without fear ( CI )
75 in holiness and righteousness ( CJ ) before him all our days.

76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet ( CK ) of the Most High; ( CL )
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, ( CM )
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins, ( CN )
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun ( CO ) will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death, ( CP )
to guide our feet into the path of peace.” ( CQ )

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit [ d ] ; ( CR ) and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 1:1 Or been surely believed
  2. Luke 1:35 Or So the child to be born will be called holy,
  3. Luke 1:69 Horn here symbolizes a strong king.
  4. Luke 1:80 Or in the Spirit
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