Luke 1–2

THE DEDICATION TO THEOPHILUS

1Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled^A among us,^{a 2}just as the original eyewitnesses^b and servants of the word^c handed them down to us. ³So it also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable^d Theophilus,^{e 4}so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.^Bf

GABRIEL PREDICTS JOHN’S BIRTH

⁵In the days of King Herod^g of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah’s division^h named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶Both were righteous in God’s sight,ⁱ living without blame^j according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord. ⁷But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years.^k

⁸When his division was on duty^l and he was serving as priest before God, ⁹it happened that he was chosen by lot,^m according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.^{n 10}At the hour of incense the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. ¹¹An angel of the Lord^o appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.^{p 12}When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified and overcome with fear.^{q 13}But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid,^r Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard.^s Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.^{t 14}There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or beer.^u He will be filled with the Holy Spirit^v while still in his mother’s womb.^{w 16}He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.^{x 17}And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children,^y and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.”^z

¹⁸“How can I know this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.”

¹⁹The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel,^aa who stands in the presence of God,^ab and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news. ²⁰Now listen. You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

²¹Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. ²²When he did come out, he could not speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He was making signs to them^ac and remained speechless. ²³When the days of his ministry were completed, he went back home.

²⁴After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived and kept herself in seclusion for five months. She said, ²⁵“The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace^ad among the people.”

GABRIEL PREDICTS JESUS’S BIRTH

²⁶In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel^ae was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,^{af 27}to a virgin engaged^Aag to a man named Joseph, of the house of David.^ah The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.”^{B 29}But she was deeply troubled^ai by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. ³⁰Then the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary,^aj for you have found favor with God.^{ak 31}Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.^{al 32}He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High,^a and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.^{b 33}He will reign over the house of Jacob^c forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”^d

³⁴Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?”^C

³⁵The angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,^e and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.^{f 36}And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. ³⁷For nothing will be impossible with God.”^g

³⁸“See, I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

MARY’S VISIT TO ELIZABETH

³⁹In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah ⁴⁰where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.^{h 42}Then she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed!^{D 43}How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me. ⁴⁵Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!”

MARY’S PRAISE

⁴⁶And Mary said:

My soul magnifies ^C the Lord,ⁱ

⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices^j in God my Savior,^k

⁴⁸because he has looked with favor

on the humble condition of his servant.

Surely, from now on all generations

will call me blessed,^l

⁴⁹because the Mighty One^m

has done great things for me,ⁿ

and his name^o is holy.

⁵⁰His mercy is from generation to generation^p

on those who fear him.

⁵¹He has done a mighty deed with his arm;^q

he has scattered the proud

because of the thoughts of their hearts;^r

⁵²he has toppled the mighty from their thrones

and exalted the lowly.^s

⁵³He has satisfied the hungry with good things^t

and sent the rich away empty.

⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel,

remembering his mercy

⁵⁵to Abraham and his descendants^A forever,^u

just as he spoke to our ancestors.

⁵⁶And Mary stayed with her about three months; then she returned to her home.

THE BIRTH AND NAMING OF JOHN

⁵⁷Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son. ⁵⁸Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her his great mercy,^v and they rejoiced with her.

⁵⁹When they came to circumcise the child on the eighth day,^w they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. ⁶⁰But his mother responded, “No. He will be called John.”^x

⁶¹Then they said to her, “None of your relatives has that name.” ⁶²So they motioned to his father^y to find out what he wanted him to be called. ⁶³He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. ⁶⁴Immediately his mouth was opened^z and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. ⁶⁵Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. ⁶⁶All who heard about him^aa took it to heart, saying, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the Lord’s hand was with him.

ZECHARIAH’S PROPHECY

⁶⁷Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit^ab and prophesied:^ac

⁶⁸Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel,^ad

because he has visited

and provided redemption for his people.^ae

⁶⁹He has raised up a horn of salvation for us^af

in the house of his servant David,^a

⁷⁰just as he spoke by the mouth

of his holy prophets in ancient times;^b

⁷¹salvation from our enemies

and from the hand of those who hate us.

⁷²He has dealt mercifully with our ancestors^c

and remembered his holy covenant^d—

⁷³the oath that he swore to our father Abraham.^e

He has given us the privilege,

⁷⁴since we have been rescued

from the hand of our enemies,

to serve him without fear

⁷⁵in holiness and righteousness

in his presence all our days.

⁷⁶And you, child, will be called

a prophet of the Most High,^f

for you will go before the Lord

to prepare his ways,^g

⁷⁷to give his people knowledge of salvation

through the forgiveness of their sins.^h

⁷⁸Because of our God’s merciful compassion,

the dawn from on highⁱ will visit us

⁷⁹to shine on those who live in darkness

and the shadow of death,^j

to guide our feet into the way of peace.

⁸⁰The child grew up and became strong in spirit,^A and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

THE BIRTH OF JESUS

2In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus^l that the whole empire^B should be registered. ²This first registration took place while^C Quirinius was governing Syria.^{m 3}So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.

⁴Joseph also went up from the town of Nazarethⁿ in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem,^o because he was of the house and family line of David,^{p 5}to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him^D and was pregnant. ⁶While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

THE SHEPHERDS AND THE ANGELS

⁸In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. ⁹Then an angel of the Lord^q stood before them,^r and the glory of the Lord^s shone around them, and they were terrified.^{F 10}But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid,^t for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:^{G 11}Today in the city of David a Savior^u was born for you, who is the Messiah,^v the Lord.^{w 12}This will be the sign for you:^x You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”

¹³Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host^H with the angel, praising God and saying:

¹⁴Glory to God in the highest heaven,^y

and peace on earth^z to people he favors!^IJaa

¹⁵When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

¹⁶They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph,…