1Seeing that many took in hand to set in order a narration of the matters that have been fully assured among us, 2as they delivered to us, who from the beginning became eyewitnesses, and officers of the word, 3it seemed good also to me, having followed from the first after all things exactly, to write to you in order, most noble Theophilus, 4that you may know the certainty of the things wherein you were instructed.

5There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest, by name Zacharias, of the division of Abijah, and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth; 6and they were both righteous before God, going on in all the commands and righteousnesses of the LORD blameless, 7and they had no child, because that Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in their days.

8And it came to pass, in his acting as priest, in the order of his division before God, 9according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot was to make incense, having gone into the temple of the LORD, 10and all the multitude of the people were praying outside, at the hour of the incense. 11And there appeared to him a messenger of the LORD standing on the right side of the altar of the incense, 12and Zacharias, having seen, was troubled, and fear fell on him; 13and the messenger said to him, “Do not fear, Zacharias, for your supplication was heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear a son to you, and you will call his name John, 14and there will be joy to you, and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15for he will be great before the LORD, and wine and strong drink he may not drink, and he will be full of the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb; 16and he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the LORD their God, 17and he will go before Him, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn hearts of fathers to children, and disobedient ones to the wisdom of righteous ones, to make ready for the LORD, a people prepared.”

18And Zacharias said to the messenger, “Whereby will I know this? For I am aged, and my wife is advanced in her days?” 19And the messenger answering said to him, “I am Gabriel, who has been standing near before God, and I was sent to speak to you, and to proclaim this good news to you, 20and behold, you will be silent, and not able to speak, until the day that these things will come to pass, because you did not believe my words that will be fulfilled in their season.”

21And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and wondering at his lingering in the temple, 22and having come out, he was not able to speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, and he was beckoning to them, and remained mute. 23And it came to pass, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he went away to his house,

24and after those days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, 25“Thus the LORD has done to me, in days in which He looked on [me], to take away my reproach among men.”

26And in the sixth month the messenger Gabriel was sent by God, to a city of Galilee, the name of which [is] Nazareth, 27to a virgin, betrothed to a man, whose name [is] Joseph, of the house of David, and the name of the virgin [is] Mary. 28And the messenger having come in to her, said, “Greetings, favored one, the LORD [is] with you; blessed [are] you among women”; 29and she, having seen, was troubled at his word, and was reasoning of what kind this salutation may be. 30And the messenger said to her, “Do not fear, Mary, for you have found favor with God; 31and behold, you will conceive in the womb, and will bring forth a Son, and call His Name Jesus; 32He will be great, and He will be called Son of the Highest, and the LORD God will give Him the throne of His father David, 33and He will reign over the house of Jacob for all ages; and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34And Mary said to the messenger, “How will this be, seeing I do not know a husband?” 35And the messenger answering said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you, therefore also the holy-begotten thing will be called Son of God; 36and behold, Elizabeth, your relative, she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month to her who was called barren; 37because nothing will be impossible with God.” 38And Mary said, “Behold, the maidservant of the LORD; let it be to me according to your saying,” and the messenger went away from her.

39And Mary having arisen in those days, went into the hill-country, with haste, to a city of Judea, 40and entered into the house of Zacharias, and greeted Elizabeth. 41And it came to pass, when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the baby leapt in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42and spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed [are] you among women, and blessed [is] the Fruit of your womb; 43and from where [is] this to me, that the mother of my Lord might come to me? 44For behold, when the voice of your salutation came to my ears, the baby in my womb leapt in gladness; 45and blessed [is] she who believed, for there will be a completion to the things spoken to her from the LORD.”

46And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the LORD,

47And my spirit was glad on God my Savior,

48Because He looked on the lowliness of His maidservant, "" For behold, from now on all the generations will call me blessed,

49For He who is mighty did great things to me, "" And holy [is] His Name,

50And His kindness [is] to generations of generations, "" To those fearing Him;

51He did powerfully with His arm, "" He scattered abroad the proud in the thought of their heart,

52He brought down the mighty from thrones, "" And He exalted the lowly,

53He filled the hungry with good, "" And the rich He sent away empty;

54He has taken hold of His servant Israel, "" To remember kindness,

55As He spoke to our fathers, "" To Abraham and to his seed—throughout the age.”

56And Mary remained with her about three months, and turned back to her house.

57And to Elizabeth was the time fulfilled for her bringing forth, and she bore a son, 58and the neighbors and her relatives heard that the LORD was making His kindness great with her, and they were rejoicing with her.

59And it came to pass, on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, and they were calling him by the name of his father, Zacharias, 60and his mother answering said, “No, but he will be called John.” 61And they said to her, “There is none among your relatives who is called by this name,” 62and they were making signs to his father, what he would wish him to be called, 63and having asked for a tablet, he wrote, saying, “John is his name”; and they all wondered; 64and his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue, and he was speaking, praising God. 65And fear came on all those dwelling around them, and in all the hill-country of Judea were all these sayings spoken of, 66and all who heard laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” And the hand of the LORD was with him.

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

68“Blessed [is] the LORD, the God of Israel, "" Because He looked on, "" And worked redemption for His people,

69And raised a horn of salvation to us, "" In the house of His servant David,

70As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, "" Which have been from the age;

71Salvation from our enemies, "" And out of the hand of all hating us,

72To do kindness with our fathers, "" And to be mindful of His holy covenant,

73An oath that He swore to Abraham our father,

74To give to us, without fear, "" Having been delivered out of the hand of our enemies,

75To serve Him, in holiness and righteousness "" Before Him, all the days of our life.

76And you, child, "" Prophet of the Highest will you be called; For you will go before the face of the LORD, "" To prepare His ways.

77To give knowledge of salvation to His people "" In forgiveness of their sins,

78Through the yearnings of our God, "" In which the rising from on high looked on us,

79To give light to those sitting in darkness and death-shade, "" To guide our feet to a way of peace.”

80And the child grew, and was strengthened in spirit, and he was in the deserts until the day of his showing to Israel.