| King James Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, | 1Since many people have attempted to write an orderly account of the events that have transpired among us, |
| 2Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; | 2just as they were passed down to us by those who had been eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning, |
| 3It 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, | 3I, too, have carefully investigated everything from the beginning and have decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, |
| 4That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed. | 4so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. |
| 5There 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. | 5During the reign of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. |
| 6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. | 6Both of them were righteous before God, having lived blamelessly according to all of the commandments and regulations of the Lord. |
| 7And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. | 7They had no children because Elizabeth was barren and because both of them were getting old. |
| 8And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, | 8When Zechariah was serving with his division of priests in God's presence, |
| 9According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. | 9he was chosen by lot to go into the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense, according to the custom of the priests. |
| 10And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. | 10And the entire congregation of people was praying outside at the time when the incense was burned. |
| 11And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. | 11An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the incense altar. |
| 12And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. | 12When Zechariah saw him, he was startled, and fear overwhelmed him. |
| 13But 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. | 13But the angel told him, "Stop being afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to name him John. |
| 14And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. | 14You will have great joy, and many people will rejoice at his birth, |
| 15For 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. | 15because he will be great in the Lord's presence. He will never drink wine or any strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. |
| 16And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. | 16He will bring many of Israel's descendants back to the Lord their God. |
| 17And 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. | 17He is the one who will go before the Lord with the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, and to prepare the people to be ready for the Lord." |
| 18And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. | 18Then Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this, since I am an old man, and my wife is getting older?" |
| 19And 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. | 19The angel answered him, "I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. I have been sent to speak to you and to announce this good news to you. |
| 20And, 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. | 20But because you did not believe my announcement, which will be fulfilled at its proper time, you will become silent and unable to speak until the day this happens." |
| 21And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. | 21Meanwhile, the people kept waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed in the sanctuary so long. |
| 22And 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. | 22But when he did come out, he was unable to speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them but remained unable to speak. |
| 23And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. | 23When the days of his service were over, he went home. |
| 24And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, | 24After this, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and remained in seclusion for five months. She said, |
| 25Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men. | 25"This is what the Lord did for me when he looked favorably on me and took away my public disgrace." |
| 26And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, | 26Now in the sixth month of her pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, |
| 27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. | 27to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. |
| 28And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. | 28The angel came to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!" |
| 29And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. | 29Startled by his statement, she tried to figure out what his greeting meant. |
| 30And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. | 30Then the angel told her, "Stop being afraid, Mary, because you have found favor with God. |
| 31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. | 31Listen! You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. |
| 32He 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: | 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. |
| 33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. | 33He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end." |
| 34Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? | 34Mary asked the angel, "How can this happen, since I have not had relations with a man?" |
| 35And 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. | 35The angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come over you, and the power of the Most High will surround you. Therefore, the child will be holy and will be called the Son of God. |
| 36And, 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. | 36And listen! Elizabeth, your relative, has herself conceived a son in her old age, this woman who was rumored to be barren is in her sixth month. |
| 37For with God nothing shall be impossible. | 37Nothing is impossible with respect to any of God's promises." |
| 38And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. | 38Then Mary said, "Truly I am the Lord's servant. Let everything you have said happen to me." Then the angel left her. |
| 39And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; | 39Later on, Mary set out for a Judean city in the hill country. |
| 40And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. | 40She went into Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. |
| 41And 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: | 41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby jumped in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit |
| 42And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. | 42and she loudly exclaimed, "How blessed are you among women, and how blessed is the infant in your womb! |
| 43And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? | 43Why should this happen to me, to have the mother of my Lord visit me? |
| 44For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. | 44As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. |
| 45And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. | 45How blessed is this woman for believing that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled!" |
| 46And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, | 46Then Mary said, "My soul praises the greatness of the Lord! |
| 47And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. | 47My spirit exults in God, my Savior, |
| 48For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. | 48because he has looked favorably on his humble servant. From now on, all generations will call me blessed, |
| 49For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. | 49because the Almighty has done great things for me. His name is holy. |
| 50And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. | 50His mercy lasts from generation to generation for those who fear him. |
| 51He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. | 51He displayed his mighty power with his arm. He scattered people who were proud in mind and heart. |
| 52He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. | 52He pulled powerful rulers from their thrones and lifted up humble people. |
| 53He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. | 53He filled hungry people with good things and sent rich people away with nothing. |
| 54He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; | 54He helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful, |
| 55As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. | 55according to the promise he made to our ancestors— to Abraham and his descendants forever." |
| 56And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house. | 56Now Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home. |
| 57Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. | 57When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a son. |
| 58And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. | 58Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. |
| 59And 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. | 59On the eighth day they went to circumcise the child. They were going to name him Zechariah after his father, |
| 60And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. | 60but his mother said, "Absolutely not! He must be named John." |
| 61And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. | 61Their friends told her, "None of your relatives has that name." |
| 62And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. | 62So they motioned to the baby's father to see what he wanted to name him. |
| 63And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. | 63He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And everyone was amazed. |
| 64And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. | 64Suddenly, Zechariah could open his mouth, his tongue was set free, and he began to speak and to praise God. |
| 65And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea. | 65Fear came over all their neighbors, and throughout the hill country of Judea all these things were being discussed. |
| 66And 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. | 66Everyone who heard about it kept thinking what had happened and asked, "What will this child become?" because it was obvious that the hand of the Lord was with him. |
| 67And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, | 67Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: |
| 68Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, | 68"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel! He has taken care of his people and has set them free. |
| 69And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; | 69He has raised up a mighty Savior for us from the family of his servant David, |
| 70As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: | 70just as he promised long ago through the mouth of his holy prophets |
| 71That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; | 71that he would save us from our enemies and from the grip of all who hate us. |
| 72To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; | 72He has shown mercy to our ancestors and remembered his holy covenant, |
| 73The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, | 73the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham. He granted us |
| 74That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, | 74deliverance from our enemies' grip so that we could serve him without fear |
| 75In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. | 75and be holy and righteous before him all of our days. |
| 76And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; | 76And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, because you will go ahead of the Lord to prepare his way |
| 77To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, | 77and to give his people knowledge of salvation through forgiveness of their sins. |
| 78Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, | 78Because of the tender mercy of our God, his light from on high has visited us, |
| 79To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. | 79to shine on those who sit in darkness and in death's shadow, and to guide our feet into the way of peace." |
| 80And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel. | 80Now the child continued to grow and to become spiritually strong. He lived in the wilderness until the day he appeared in Israel. |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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