Luke 1
An Old Woman Conceives and a Priest Is Struck Dumb
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The Purpose of This Account
1:1Since many have undertaken to arrange an account of the events fulfilled among us,
1:2just as those who from the beginning became eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us,
1:3it seemed good to me also, having followed everything carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,
1:4so that you may know the certainty of the matters in which you have been instructed.
Zechariah and Elizabeth
1:5In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. He had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
1:6Both were righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the Lord’s commandments and ordinances.
1:7They had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in their days.
The Birth of John Foretold
1:8While he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,
1:9according to the priesthood’s custom, he was chosen by lot to enter the Lord’s sanctuary and burn incense.
1:10The whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.
1:11An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense.
1:12Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
1:13But the angel said to him, “Do not fear, Zechariah, for your petition has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John.
1:14You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,
1:15for he will be great before the Lord. He will certainly drink neither wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.
1:16He will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.
1:17He himself will go before Him in Elijah’s spirit and power, to turn fathers’ hearts toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready.”
1:18Zechariah said to the angel, “By what shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her days.”
1:19The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands before God, and I was sent to speak to you and announce this good news to you.
1:20And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day these things happen, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their appointed time.”
1:21The people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering at his delay in the sanctuary.
1:22When he came out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept making signs to them and remained mute.
1:23When the days of his service were completed, he went home.
1:24After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she kept herself secluded for five months, saying,
1:25“Thus the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked upon me to remove my reproach among people.”
In the Sixth Month, the Angel Was Sent
1:26In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
1:27to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary.
1:28He entered and said to her, “Rejoice, you who have been graced! The Lord is with you.”
1:29She was greatly troubled at the saying and considered what sort of greeting this might be.
1:30The angel said to her, “Do not fear, Mary, for you have found grace with God.
1:31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus.
1:32He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David,
1:33and He will reign over Jacob’s house forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
1:34Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I do not know a man?”
1:35The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the holy One being born will also be called Son of God.
1:36And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren,
1:37for no word from God will be powerless.”
1:38Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
1:39In those days Mary arose and went in haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah.
1:40She entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.
1:41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
1:42She cried out with a loud shout and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
1:43And why has this come to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
1:44For behold, when the sound of your greeting entered my ears, the infant in my womb leaped with gladness.
1:45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of the things spoken to her from the Lord.”
My Soul Magnifies the Lord
1:46Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord,
1:47and my spirit rejoiced in God my Savior,
1:48because He looked upon the low estate of His servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed,
1:49because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His name.
1:50His mercy is for generations and generations upon those who fear Him.
1:51He has performed a mighty deed with His arm; He scattered the proud in the thought of their heart.
1:52He brought rulers down from thrones and raised up the lowly.
1:53He filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.
1:54He helped Israel His servant, remembering mercy,
1:55as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his offspring forever.”
1:56Mary stayed with her about three months and returned to her home.
The Birth of John
1:57The time was fulfilled for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.
1:58Her neighbors and kinsmen heard that the Lord had magnified His mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her.
1:59On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child and were calling him Zechariah after his father’s name.
1:60But his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.”
1:61They said to her, “No one among your kinsmen is called by this name.”
1:62They made signs to his father about what he wished him to be called.
1:63He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered.
1:64Immediately his mouth and tongue were opened, and he spoke, blessing God.
1:65Fear came upon all who lived around them, and all these matters were discussed throughout the whole hill country of Judea.
1:66Everyone who heard placed them in their heart, saying, “What then will this child become?” For the Lord’s hand was indeed with him.
The Prophecy of Zechariah
1:67His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
1:68“Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and accomplished redemption for His people,
1:69and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant,
1:70as He spoke through the mouth of His holy prophets from long ago:
1:71salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,
1:72to show mercy to our fathers and remember His holy covenant,
1:73the oath He swore to Abraham our father, to grant us
1:74that, rescued from our enemies’ hand, we might serve Him without fear,
1:75in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
1:76And you also, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways,
1:77to give His people knowledge of salvation in the forgiveness of their sins,
1:78through the tender mercy of our God, by which the dawn from on high will visit us,
1:79to shine upon those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow, to direct our feet into a way of peace.”
The Child in the Wilderness
1:80The child grew and became strong in spirit. He remained in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.