1Or, fully established among us,
1: 2 even as they delivered them unto us, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and attendants of the word,
1: 3 it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus;
1: 4 that thou mightest know the certainty concerning the 2things 3wherein thou wast instructed.
2Gk. words
3Or, which thou wast taught by word of mouth.
1: 5 There was in the days of Herod, king of Judea, a certain priest named Zachariah, of 4the course of Abijah: and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
4Or, the eighth course (of 24): Cf. 1Chr 24:1-10.
1: 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
1: 7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now 5well stricken in years.
5Gk. advanced in their days.
1: 8 Now it came to pass, while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course,
1: 9 according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to enter into the 6temple of the Lord and burn incense.
6Or, sanctuary Gk. ναος, naos, temple house Also in vss. 21 and 22.
1: 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the hour of incense.
1: 11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
1: 12 And Zachariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
1: 13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zachariah: because thy supplication is heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name 7John.
7Hb. Johanan, “To whom Jehovah is gracious.”
1: 14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
1: 15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor 8strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
8Gk. sikera; (English cognate: hard cider)
1: 16 And many of the sons of Israel shall he turn unto the Lord their God.
1: 17 And he shall 9go before his face in a spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to walk in the wisdom of the just; to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.
9So ℵ 33 and a majority of lesser Gk. mss., copsa,bo. B*L read come nigh before
1: 18 And Zachariah said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife 10well stricken in years.
10Gk. advanced in her days.
1: 19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand before God; and I was sent to speak unto thee, and to bring thee these good tidings.
1: 20 And behold, thou shalt be silent and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall come to pass, because thou believedst not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
1: 21 And the people were waiting for Zachariah, and they marvelled 11while he tarried in the temple.
11Or, at his tarrying
1: 22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: and he continued making signs unto them, and remained dumb.
1: 23 And it came to pass, when the days of his ministration were fulfilled, he departed unto his house.
1: 24 And after these days Elisabeth his wife conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying,
1: 25 Thus hath the Lord done unto me in the days wherein he looked upon me, to take away my reproach among men.
1: 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
1: 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was 12Mary.
12Gk. Mariam (Hb. Miriam) And so everywhere.
1: 28 And he came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art 13highly favored, the Lord is with thee.14
13Or, endued with grace,
14So BℵL 579 copsa,bo geo arm. 33 and a majority of lesser Gk. mss., vg ite add Blessed art thou among women. See vs. 42.
1: 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this might be.
1: 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found 15favor with God.
15Or, grace
1: 31 And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name 16JESUS.
16Hb. Jehoshua, “Whose help is Jehovah” So Thayer. Or, “Whose salvation is Yahweh”
1: 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
1: 33 and he shall reign over the house of Jacob 17for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
17Gk. unto the ages;
1: 34 And Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
1: 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, 18The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also 19the holy thing which is begotten20 shall be called, Son of God.
18Or, A Holy Spirit
19Or, that which is to be born shall be called holy, the Son of God.
20So BℵL 579 and most, copsa,bo vg geo arm. C* ite add of thee
1: 36 And behold, Elisabeth thy kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her 21that was called barren.
21Or, that is called barren. Lit. being called barren.
1: 37 For no word from God shall be void of power.
1: 38 And Mary said, Behold, the 22handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
22Gk. bondmaid and in vs. 48.
1: 39 And Mary arose in these days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah;
1: 40 and entered into the house of Zachariah and saluted Elisabeth.
1: 41 And it came to pass, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit;
1: 42 and she lifted up her voice with a loud cry, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
1: 43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come unto me?
1: 44 For behold, when the voice of thy salutation came into mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
1: 45 And blessed is she that 23believed; for there shall be a fulfilment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord.
23Or, believed that there shall be
1: 46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
1: 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
1: 48 For he hath looked upon the low estate of his handmaid: For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
1: 49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; And holy is his name.
1: 50 And his mercy is unto generations and generations On them that fear him.
1: 51 He hath showed strength with his arm; He hath scattered the proud 24in the imagination of their heart.
24Or, by
1: 52 He hath put down princes from their thrones, And hath exalted them of low degree.
1: 53 The hungry he hath filled with good things; And the rich he hath sent empty away.
1: 54 He hath given help to Israel his servant, That he might remember mercy
1: 55 (As he spake unto our fathers) Toward Abraham and his seed for ever.
1: 56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned unto her house.
1: 57 Now Elisabeth’s time was fulfilled that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
1: 58 And her neighbors and her kinsfolk heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her; and they rejoiced with her.
1: 59 And it came to pass on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zachariah, after the name of his father.
1: 60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
1: 61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
1: 62 And they made signs to his father, what he would have him called.
1: 63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
1: 64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, blessing God.
1: 65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea.
1: 66 And all that heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then shall this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him.
1: 67 And his father Zachariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying
1: 68 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; For he hath visited and wrought ransoming for his people,
1: 69 And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of his servant David
1: 70 (As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that have been from of old),
1: 71 Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
1: 72 To show mercy towards our fathers, And to remember his holy covenant;
1: 73 The oath which he sware unto Abraham our father,
1: 74 To grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies Should serve him without fear,
1: 75 In holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
1: 76 Yes and thou, child, shalt be called a prophet of the Most High: For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to make ready his ways;
1: 77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people In the remission of their sins,
1: 78 Because of the tender mercy of our God, Whereby the sunrising from on high 25shall visit us,
25So Bℵ(L) 0177 copsa,bo sys. 040 579 R 33 vg ite read hath visited us,
1: 79 To shine upon them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death; To guide our feet into the way of peace.
1: 80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the desert till the days of his showing unto Israel.
