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have undertaken to compile an orderly 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 Therefore it seemed good to me also, since I have carefully investigated everything closely from the beginning, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things in which you have been instructed.
5 In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah. His wife was also a decendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both getting on in years.
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 enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.
10 At the time for the burning of incense, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside, 11 an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and overcome 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 name him John. 14 He will bring you joy and delight, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He will never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers 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 know this? I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.”
19 The angel answered, “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 But now you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they realised that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them and remained unable to speak. 23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home.
24 After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself in seclusion. She said, 25 “The Lord has done this for me. In these days He has looked favourably on me to take away my disgrace among people.”
26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel came to her and said, “Greetings, highly favoured one! The Lord is with you.”
29 But Mary was greatly troubled at his words, wondering what kind of a greeting this might be. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. 31 And now, you will conceive and give birth to a Son, and you will call His name 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 the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is now the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”
38 “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord,” Mary answered. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.
39 In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 How has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For 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.”
46 And Mary said,
“My soul glorifies the Lord,
47and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
48 for He has looked with favour
on the humbled condition of His handmaiden.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed,
49for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and His name is holy.
50 His mercy is on those who fear Him
from generation to generation.
51 He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered the proud
in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
and exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
but the rich He has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of His mercy,
55 just as He spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months, and then returned to her home.
57 Now when it was time for Elizabeth to give birth, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbours and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But his mother spoke up and told them, “No! He is to be called John.”
61 But they said to her, “None of your relatives has this name.”
62 So they made signs to his father, to find out what he wanted the child to be named. 63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John”. And they were all amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 Then fear came on all who lived around them, and all these things were talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. 66 Everyone who heard about him took it to heart, and said, “What then is this child going to be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for 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 by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient times;
71 salvation from our enemies,
and from the hand of all who hate us.
72 Thus He has dealt mercifully with our fathers,
and remembered His holy covenant,
73 the oath that He swore to our father Abraham:
to grant us 74 that we,
being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
might serve Him without fear,
75in 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 before the Lord to prepare His ways,
77 to give the knowledge of salvation to His people
through the forgiveness of their sins.
78 By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on High will break upon us,
79 to give light to those who live in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.