1Since many have attempted to compile an account concerning the events that have been fulfilled among us, ²just as those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning passed on to us, ³it seemed best to me also—because I^* have followed all things carefully from the beginning—to write them^* down in orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴so that you may know the certainty concerning the things about which you were taught.

The Prediction of John the Baptist’s Birth

⁵It happened that in the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest, Zechariah by name, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife^a from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶And they were both righteous in the sight of God, living blamelessly in all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. ⁷And they did not have^b a child, because Elizabeth was barren. And they were both advanced in years.^c

⁸And it happened that while^* he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, ⁹according to the custom of the priesthood he was chosen by lot to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense. ¹⁰And the whole crowd of the people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. ¹¹And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹²And Zechariah was terrified when he^* saw the angel,^* and fear fell upon him. ¹³But the angel said to him,

“Do not be afraid, Zechariah,

because your prayer has been heard,

and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,

and you will call his name John.

¹⁴And you will experience joy and exultation,^d

and many will rejoice at his birth.

¹⁵For he will be great in the sight of the Lord,

and he must never drink wine or beer,

and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit

while he is^* still in his mother’s womb.

¹⁶And he will turn many of the sons of Israel

to the Lord their God.

¹⁷And he will go on before him

in the spirit and power of Elijah,

to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,

and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous,

to prepare for the Lord a people made ready.”

Read in Logos

Luke 1:4: … that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

Footnotes

*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have followed”) which is understood as causal
*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
aLiterally “a wife to him”
bLiterally “there was not to them”
cLiterally “in their days”
*Here “while” is supplied as a component of the temporal infinitive (“was serving as priest”)
*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
dLiterally “joy and exultation will be to you”
*Here the phrase “while he is,” including the verb, is understood in Greek and is supplied in the translation