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1 Now many have attempted to compile an account concerning the things that have been fulfilled among us,
2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.
3 So it seemed good to me also, having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, to write for you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus,
4 so that you might know the certainty concerning the things that you have been taught.
5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zechariah, from the division of Abijah. Now his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6 Now they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.
7 But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.
8 Now it came about that in his performing as priest before God, in the order of his division,
9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense.
10 Now the whole crowd of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
12 Now Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell on him.
13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you will call his name John.
14 And there will be joy and gladness to you, and many will rejoice at his birth.
15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’ s womb.
16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.
17 And he will go as a forerunner before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers back to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous— to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.”
18 Then Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in her years.”
19 So the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who 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 not able to speak until that day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”
21 Now the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delaying in the temple.
22 But when he came out, he was not able to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to them, and remained unable to speak.
23 Now it came about that, when the days of his priestly service were fulfilled, he went away to his home.
24 Now after these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying,
25 “This is what the Lord has done for me, in the days in which he looked upon me with favor, to take away my disgrace among people.”
26 Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee which was named Nazareth,
27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the name of the virgin was Mary.
28 And coming to her, the angel said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
29 But she was troubled by his words and she was considering what kind of greeting this might be.
30 So the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 And see, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will call his name ‘Jesus.’
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David.
33 And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end of his kingdom.”
34 But Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not known a man?”
35 Then answering, the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one who will be born will be called the Son of God.
36 And see, your relative Elizabeth— she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren.
37 For nothing will be impossible for God.”
38 Then Mary said, “See, I am the female servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel went away from her.
39 Then Mary arose in those days and quickly went into the hill country, to a city of Judah,
40 and she entered into the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
41 Now it happened that when Elizabeth heard Mary’ s greeting, the baby in her womb leaped, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 Then she exclaimed in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
43 And how has this happened to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For see, as soon as the sound of your greeting reached to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her from the Lord.”
46 Then Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
48 For he has looked at the low condition of his female servant. For see, from now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and his name is holy,
50 and his mercy is from generation to generation to those who fear him.
51 He has done mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has thrown down rulers from their thrones and he has raised up those of low condition.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things, but the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers— to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
56 Now Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months, and then returned to her home.
57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to deliver her baby, and she gave birth to a son.
58 Then her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 Now it happened on the eighth day that they came to circumcise the child, and they would have named him after the name of his father, Zechariah.
60 But his mother answered and said, “No. Rather, he will be called John.”
61 But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”
62 Then they made signs to his father as to what he wanted him to be named.
63 So he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” And they all were astonished.
64 Then immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was freed, and he spoke, blessing God.
65 So fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these matters were being talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea.
66 And all those who heard these things stored them in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child become?” For indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
68 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to help and he has accomplished redemption for his people.
69 And he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
70 (as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago),
71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all those who hate us.
72 He will do this to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to Abraham our father, to grant to us
74 that we, having been delivered out of the hand of our enemies, would serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76 And indeed, you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his paths;
77 to give the knowledge of salvation to his people through the forgiveness of their sins.
78 This will happen because of the tender mercy of our God, because of which the sunrise from on high will come to help us,
79 to shine on those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
80 Now the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
The Gospel of Luke