Luke 1

Introduction

1:1–4Ref—Ac 1:1

1Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled^a among us, ²just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first^a were eyewitnesses^b and servants of the word.^{c 3}With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account^d for you, most excellent^e Theophilus,^{f 4}so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.^g

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

⁵In the time of Herod king of Judea^h there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah;ⁱ his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. ⁶Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.^{j 7}But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

⁸Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,^{k 9}he was chosen by lot,^l according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.^{m 10}And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.ⁿ

¹¹Then an angel^o of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.^{p 12}When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.^{q 13}But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid,^r Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.^{s 14}He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,^{t 15}for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink,^u and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit^v even before he is born.^{w 16}He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷And he will go on before the Lord,^x in the spirit and power of Elijah,^y to turn the hearts of the parents to their children^z and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”^a

¹⁸Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this?^b I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”^c

¹⁹The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel.^d I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. ²⁰And now you will be silent and not able to speak^e until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

²¹Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. ²²When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs^f to them but remained unable to speak.

²³When his time of service was completed, he returned home. ²⁴After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. ²⁵“The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace^g among the people.”

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

²⁶In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel^h to Nazareth,ⁱ a town in Galilee, ²⁷to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph,^j a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid,^k Mary; you have found favor with God.^{l 31}You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.^{m 32}He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.ⁿ The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,^{o 33}and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom^p will never end.”^q

³⁴“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

³⁵The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you,^r and the power of the Most High^s will overshadow you. So the holy one^t to be born will be called^b the Son of God.^{u 36}Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child^v in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. ³⁷For no word from God will ever fail.”^w

³⁸“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,^{x 40}where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.^{y 42}In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women,^z and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord^a should come to me? ⁴⁴As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Mary’s Song

1:46–53pp—1Sa 2:1–10

⁴⁶And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord^b

⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,^c

⁴⁸for he has been mindful

of the humble state of his servant.^d

From now on all generations will call me blessed,^e

⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things^f for me—

holy is his name.^g

⁵⁰His mercy extends to those who fear him,

from generation to generation.^h

⁵¹He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;ⁱ

he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.^j

⁵²He has brought down rulers from their thrones

but has lifted up the humble.^k

⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things^l

but has sent the rich away empty.

⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel,

remembering to be merciful^m

⁵⁵to Abraham and his descendantsⁿ forever,

just as he promised our ancestors.”

⁵⁶Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

The Birth of John the Baptist

⁵⁷When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

⁵⁹On the eighth day they came to circumcise^o the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, ⁶⁰but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”^p

⁶¹They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

⁶²Then they made signs^q to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. ⁶³He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”^{r 64}Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak,^s praising God. ⁶⁵All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea^t people were talking about all these things. ⁶⁶Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.^u

Zechariah’s Song

⁶⁷His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit^v and prophesied:^w

⁶⁸“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,^x

because he has come to his people and redeemed them.^y

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

in the house of his servant David^a

⁷⁰(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),^b

⁷¹salvation from our enemies

and from the hand of all who hate us—

⁷²to show mercy to our ancestors^c

and to remember his holy covenant,^d

⁷³the oath he swore to our father Abraham:^e

⁷⁴to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,

and to enable us to serve him^f without fear^g

⁷⁵in holiness and righteousness^h before him all our days.

⁷⁶And you, my child, will be called a prophetⁱ of the Most High;^j

for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,^k

⁷⁷to give his people the knowledge of salvation

through the forgiveness of their sins,^l

⁷⁸because of the tender mercy of our God,

by which the rising sun^m will come to us from heaven

⁷⁹to shine on those living in darkness

and in the shadow of death,ⁿ

to guide our feet into the path of peace.”^o

⁸⁰And the child grew and became strong in spirit^d;^p and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.