| 1 | Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us , |
| 2 | Even as they delivered them unto us , which from the beginning were eyewitnesses , and ministers of the word ; |
| 3 | It 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 , |
| 4 | That thou mightest know the certainty of those things , wherein thou hast been instructed . |
| 5 | There 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 . |
| 6 | And they were both righteous before God , walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless . |
| 7 | And they had no child , because that Elisabeth was barren , and they both were [now] well stricken in years . |
| 8 | And it came to pass , that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course , |
| 9 | According to the custom of the priest's office , his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord . |
| 10 | And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense . |
| 11 | And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense . |
| 12 | And when Zacharias saw [him], he was troubled , and fear fell upon him . |
| 13 | But 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 . |
| 14 | And thou shalt have joy and gladness ; and many shall rejoice at his birth . |
| 15 | For 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 . |
| 16 | And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God . |
| 17 | And 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 . |
| 18 | And Zacharias said unto the angel , Whereby shall I know this ? for I am an old man , and my wife well stricken in years . |
| 19 | And 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 . |
| 20 | And , 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 . |
| 21 | And the people waited for Zacharias , and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple . |
| 22 | And 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 . |
| 23 | And it came to pass , that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished , he departed to his own house . |
| 24 | And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived , and hid herself five months , saying , |
| 25 | Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on [me], to take away my reproach among men . |
| 26 | And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee , named Nazareth , |
| 27 | To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph , of the house of David ; and the virgin's name [was] Mary . |
| 28 | And the angel came in unto her , and said , Hail , [thou that art] highly favoured , the Lord [is] with thee : blessed [art] thou among women . |
| 29 | And when she saw [him], she was troubled at his saying , and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be . |
| 30 | And the angel said unto her , Fear not , Mary : for thou hast found favour with God . |
| 31 | And , behold , thou shalt conceive in thy womb , and bring forth a son , and shalt call his name JESUS . |
| 32 | He 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 : |
| 33 | And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever ; and of his kingdom there shall be no end . |
| 34 | Then said Mary unto the angel , How shall this be , seeing I know not a man ? |
| 35 | And 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 . |
| 36 | And , 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 . |
| 37 | For with God nothing shall be impossible . |
| 38 | And Mary said , Behold the handmaid of the Lord ; be it unto me according to thy word . And the angel departed from her . |
| 39 | And Mary arose in those days , and went into the hill country with haste , into a city of Juda ; |
| 40 | And entered into the house of Zacharias , and saluted Elisabeth . |
| 41 | And 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 : |
| 42 | And she spake out with a loud voice , and said , Blessed [art] thou among women , and blessed [is] the fruit of thy womb . |
| 43 | And whence [is] this to me , that the mother of my Lord should come to me ? |
| 44 | For , lo , as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears , the babe leaped in my womb for joy . |
| 45 | And blessed [is] she that believed : for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord . |
| 46 | And Mary said , My soul doth magnify the Lord , |
| 47 | And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour . |
| 48 | For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden : for , behold , from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed . |
| 49 | For he that is mighty hath done to me great things ; and holy [is] his name . |
| 50 | And his mercy [is] on them that fear him from generation to generation . |
| 51 | He hath shewed strength with his arm ; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts . |
| 52 | He hath put down the mighty from [their] seats , and exalted them of low degree . |
| 53 | He hath filled the hungry with good things ; and the rich he hath sent empty away . |
| 54 | He hath holpen his servant Israel , in remembrance of [his] mercy ; |
| 55 | As he spake to our fathers , to Abraham , and to his seed for ever . |
| 56 | And Mary abode with her about three months , and returned to her own house . |
| 57 | Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered ; and she brought forth a son . |
| 58 | And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her ; and they rejoiced with her . |
| 59 | And 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 . |
| 60 | And his mother answered and said , Not [so]; but he shall be called John . |
| 61 | And they said unto her , There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name . |
| 62 | And they made signs to his father , how he would have him called . |
| 63 | And he asked for a writing table , and wrote , saying , His name is John . And they marvelled all . |
| 64 | And his mouth was opened immediately , and his tongue [loosed], and he spake , and praised God . |
| 65 | And fear came on all that dwelt round about them : and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea . |
| 66 | And 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 . |
| 67 | And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost , and prophesied , saying , |
| 68 | Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel ; for he hath visited and redeemed his people , |
| 69 | And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David ; |
| 70 | As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets , which have been since the world began : |
| 71 | That we should be saved from our enemies , and from the hand of all that hate us ; |
| 72 | To perform the mercy [promised] to our fathers , and to remember his holy covenant ; |
| 73 | The oath which he sware to our father Abraham , |
| 74 | That he would grant unto us , that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear , |
| 75 | In holiness and righteousness before him , all the days of our life . |
| 76 | And thou , child , shalt be called the prophet of the Highest : for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways ; |
| 77 | To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins , |
| 78 | Through the tender mercy of our God ; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us , |
| 79 | To give light to them that sit in darkness and [in] the shadow of death , to guide our feet into the way of peace . |
| 80 | And the child grew , and waxed strong in spirit , and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel . |
