| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, | 1Now many have undertaken to compile an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, |
| 2just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. | 2like the accounts passed on to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning. |
| 3With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, | 3So it seemed good to me as well, because I have followed all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, |
| 4so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. | 4so that you may know for certain the things you were taught. |
| 5In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. | 5During the reign of Herod king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and he had a wife named Elizabeth, who was a descendant of Aaron. |
| 6Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commands and decrees blamelessly. | 6They were both righteous in the sight of God, following all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. |
| 7But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. | 7But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both very old. |
| 8Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, | 8Now while Zechariah was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, |
| 9he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. | 9he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the holy place of the Lord and burn incense. |
| 10And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. | 10Now the whole crowd of people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. |
| 11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. | 11An angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense, appeared to him. |
| 12When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. | 12And Zechariah, visibly shaken when he saw the angel, was seized with fear. |
| 13But 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 call him John. | 13But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you will name him John. |
| 14He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, | 14Joy and gladness will come to you, and many will rejoice at his birth, |
| 15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. | 15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. |
| 16He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. | 16He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. |
| 17And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." | 17And he will go as forerunner before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him." |
| 18Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." | 18Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well." |
| 19The angel said to him, "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. | 19The angel answered 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. |
| 20And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time." | 20And now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will be silent, unable to speak, until the day these things take place." |
| 21Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. | 21Now the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they began to wonder why he was delayed in the holy place. |
| 22When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. | 22When he came out, he was not able to speak to them. They realized that he had seen a vision in the holy place, because he was making signs to them and remained unable to speak. |
| 23When his time of service was completed, he returned home. | 23When his time of service was over, he went to his home. |
| 24After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. | 24After some time his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and for five months she kept herself in seclusion. She said, |
| 25"The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people." | 25"This is what the Lord has done for me at the time when he has been gracious to me, to take away my disgrace among people." |
| 26In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, | 26In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, |
| 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. | 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. |
| 28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." | 28The angel came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you!" |
| 29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. | 29But she was greatly troubled by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting. |
| 30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. | 30So the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God! |
| 31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. | 31Listen: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. |
| 32He 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, | 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 father David. |
| 33and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end." | 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end." |
| 34"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" | 34Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?" |
| 35The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. | 35The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God. |
| 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. | 36"And look, your relative Elizabeth has also become pregnant with a son in her old age--although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month! |
| 37For no word from God will ever fail." | 37For nothing will be impossible with God." |
| 38"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May your word to me be fulfilled." Then the angel left her. | 38So Mary said, "Yes, I am a servant of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her. |
| 39At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, | 39In those days Mary got up and went hurriedly into the hill country, to a town of Judah, |
| 40where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. | 40and entered Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. |
| 41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. | 41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. |
| 42In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! | 42She exclaimed with a loud voice, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child in your womb! |
| 43But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? | 43And who am I that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me? |
| 44As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. | 44For the instant the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. |
| 45Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!" | 45And blessed is she who believed that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled." |
| 46And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord | 46And Mary said, "My soul exalts the Lord, |
| 47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, | 47and my spirit has begun to rejoice in God my Savior, |
| 48for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, | 48because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. For from now on all generations will call me blessed, |
| 49for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name. | 49because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name; |
| 50His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. | 50from generation to generation he is merciful to those who fear him. |
| 51He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. | 51He has demonstrated power with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance of their hearts. |
| 52He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. | 52He has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; |
| 53He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. | 53he has filled the hungry with good things, and has sent the rich away empty. |
| 54He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful | 54He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, |
| 55to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors." | 55as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." |
| 56Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home. | 56So Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home. |
| 57When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. | 57Now the time came for Elizabeth to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son. |
| 58Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. | 58Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. |
| 59On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, | 59On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name him Zechariah after his father. |
| 60but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John." | 60But his mother replied, "No! He must be named John." |
| 61They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name." | 61They said to her, "But none of your relatives bears this name." |
| 62Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. | 62So they made signs to the baby's father, inquiring what he wanted to name his son. |
| 63He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John." | 63He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And they were all amazed. |
| 64Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. | 64Immediately Zechariah's mouth was opened and his tongue released, and he spoke, blessing God. |
| 65All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. | 65All their neighbors were filled with fear, and throughout the entire hill country of Judea all these things were talked about. |
| 66Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him. | 66All who heard these things kept them in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the Lord's hand was indeed with him. |
| 67His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: | 67Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, |
| 68"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. | 68"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, because he has come to help and has redeemed his people. |
| 69He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David | 69For he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, |
| 70(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), | 70as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago, |
| 71salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us-- | 71that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us. |
| 72to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, | 72He has done this to show mercy to our ancestors, and to remember his holy covenant-- |
| 73the oath he swore to our father Abraham: | 73the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham. This oath grants |
| 74to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear | 74that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, may serve him without fear, |
| 75in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. | 75in holiness and righteousness before him for as long as we live. |
| 76And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, | 76And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High. For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, |
| 77to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, | 77to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. |
| 78because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven | 78Because of our God's tender mercy the dawn will break upon us from on high |
| 79to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." | 79to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." |
| 80And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel. | 80And the child kept growing and becoming strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he was revealed to Israel. |
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