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.”

¹⁸And Zechariah said to the angel, “By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years!”^e ¹⁹And the angel answered and^* said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. ²⁰And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because^f you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”

²¹And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and began to wonder^* when^* he was delayed in the temple. ²²And when he^* came out he was not able to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them, and remained unable to speak. ²³And it happened that when the days of his service came to an end, he went away to his home.

²⁴Now after these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, ²⁵“Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which he has concerned himself with me,^* to take away my disgrace among people.”

The Prediction of Jesus’ Birth

²⁶Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named^g Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin legally promised in marriage to a man named^h Joseph of the house of David. And the name of the virgin was Mary. ²⁸And he came to her and^* said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” ²⁹But she was greatly perplexed at the statement, and was pondering what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰And the angel said to her,

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

³¹And behold, you will conceive in the womb and will give birth to a son,

and you will call his name Jesus.

³²This one will be great, and he 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 the house of Jacob forever,ⁱ

and of his kingdom there will be no end.

³⁴And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” ³⁵And the angel answered and^* said to her,

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,

and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Therefore also the one to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

³⁶And behold, your relative Elizabeth—she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren. ³⁷For nothing will be impossible with God.”^j

³⁸So Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s female slave! May it happen to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Read in Logos

Luke 1:32: He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David …

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
eLiterally “in her days”
*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
fLiterally “in return for which”
*The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to wonder”)
*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal infinitive (“was delayed”)
*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“came out”) which is understood as temporal
*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
gLiterally “to which the name”
hLiterally “to whom the name”
*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb
iLiterally “for the ages”
*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
jLiterally “every thing will not be impossible with God”