The Good News According to
Luke
1
1 Since
many have
undertaken to set
in order a narrative
concerning those matters
which have
been fulfilled among
us,
2 even
as those who
from the beginning
were eyewitnesses and
servants of the
word delivered
them to us,
3 it
seemed good to
me also, having traced
the course of all
things accurately from the first,
to write to
you in order,
most excellent
Theophilus;
4 that
you might know
the certainty concerning
the things in
which you were
instructed.
5 There
was in the
days of Herod,
the king of
Judea, a certain
priest named
Zacharias, of
the priestly division
of Abijah. He had
a wife of
the daughters
of Aaron, and her
name was Elizabeth.
6 They
were both
righteous before
God, walking blamelessly
in all the
commandments and
ordinances of the
Lord.
7 But
they had no
child, because
Elizabeth was
barren, and they
both were well
advanced in years.
8 Now
while he executed
the priest’s office before
God in the
order of his
division
9 according
to the custom
of the priest’s
office, his lot
was to enter
into the temple
of the Lord
and burn incense.
10 The
whole multitude of
the people were
praying outside at
the hour of
incense.
11 An angel
of the Lord
appeared to him,
standing on the
right side of
the altar of
incense.
12 Zacharias
was troubled when
he saw him,
and fear fell
upon him.
13 But
the angel said to
him, “Don’t be
afraid, Zacharias,
because your
request has been
heard. Your wife,
Elizabeth, will
bear you a
son, and you
shall call his
name John.
14 You
will have joy
and gladness, and
many will rejoice
at his birth.
15 For
he will be
great in the
sight of the
Lord, and he
will drink no
wine nor strong
drink. He will
be filled with
the Holy Spirit,
even from his
mother’s womb.
16 He
will turn many
of the children
of Israel to
the Lord their
God.
17 He
will go 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 just;
to prepare a
people prepared
for the Lord.”
18 Zacharias
said to the angel,
“How can I
be sure of
this? For I
am an old
man, and my
wife is well
advanced in years.”
19 The angel
answered him, “I
am Gabriel, who
stands in the
presence of God.
I was sent
to speak to
you and to
bring you this
good news.
20 Behold,
you will be
silent and not
able to speak
until the day
that these things
will happen,
because you didn’t
believe my words,
which will be
fulfilled in their
proper time.”
21 The
people were
waiting for
Zacharias, and
they marveled that
he delayed in the
temple.
22 When
he came out,
he could not
speak to them.
They perceived
that he had
seen a vision
in the temple.
He continued making
signs to them,
and remained mute.
23 When
the days of
his service
were fulfilled, he departed
to his house.
24 After
these days
Elizabeth his wife
conceived, and she
hid herself five
months, saying,
25 “Thus
has the Lord
done to me
in the days
in which he
looked at me,
to take away my
reproach among
men.”
26 Now
in the sixth
month, the angel
Gabriel was sent
from God to
a city of
Galilee named
Nazareth,
27 to
a virgin pledged
to be married to
a man whose
name was Joseph,
of David’s house.
The virgin’s name
was Mary.
28 Having
come in, the angel
said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored
one! The Lord
is with you.
Blessed are you
among women!”
29 But
when she saw him,
she was greatly
troubled at the
saying, and considered
what kind
of salutation this
might be.
30 The angel
said to her,
“Don’t be afraid,
Mary, for you
have found favor
with God.
31 Behold,
you will conceive
in your womb
and give birth
to a son,
and shall name
him ‘Jesus.’
32 He
will be great
and will be
called the Son
of the Most
High. The Lord
God will give
him the throne
of his father
David,
33 and
he will reign
over the house
of Jacob forever.
There will be
no end to
his Kingdom.”
34 Mary
said to the angel,
“How can this
be, seeing I
am a virgin?”
35 The angel
answered her, “The
Holy Spirit will
come on you,
and the power
of the Most
High will
overshadow you.
Therefore also the
holy one who
is born from
you will be
called the Son
of God.
36 Behold,
Elizabeth your
relative also has
conceived a son
in her old
age; and this
is the sixth
month with her
who was called
barren.
37 For
nothing spoken by
God is
impossible.”
38 Mary
said, “Behold, the
servant of the
Lord; let it
be done to
me according to
your word.”
Then the angel departed
from her.
39 Mary arose
in those days
and went into
the hill country
with haste, into
a city of
Judah,
40 and
entered into the
house of Zacharias
and greeted Elizabeth.
41 When
Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the baby leaped
in her womb;
and Elizabeth was
filled with the
Holy Spirit.
42 She
called out with
a loud voice
and said, “Blessed
are you among
women, and blessed
is the fruit
of your womb!
43 Why
am I so favored,
that the mother
of my Lord
should come to
me?
44 For
behold, when the
voice of
your greeting came
into my ears,
the baby leaped
in my womb
for joy!
45 Blessed
is she who
believed, for
there will be
a fulfillment of
the things which
have been spoken
to her from
the Lord!”
46 Mary
said,
“My soul magnifies
the Lord.
47 My
spirit has rejoiced
in God my
Savior,
48 for
he has looked
at the humble
state of his
servant.
For behold, from
now on, all
generations will
call me blessed.
49 For
he who is
mighty has done
great things for
me.
Holy is his name.
50 His
mercy is for
generations and
generations on
those who fear
him.
51 He has
shown strength
with his arm.
He has scattered
the proud in
the imagination of
their hearts.
52 He
has put
down princes from
their thrones,
and has exalted
the lowly.
53 He
has filled the
hungry with good
things.
He has sent
the rich away
empty.
54 He has given
help to Israel,
his servant, that
he might remember
mercy,
55 as
he spoke to
our fathers,
to Abraham and
his offspring
forever.”
56 Mary
stayed with her
about three months,
and then returned
to her house.
57 Now
the time that
Elizabeth should
give birth
was fulfilled, and
she gave birth
to a son.
58 Her
neighbors and her
relatives heard that
the Lord had
magnified his
mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced
with her.
59 On
the eighth day,
they came to
circumcise the
child; and they
would have called
him Zacharias,
after the name
of his father.
60 His
mother answered, “Not
so; but he
will be called
John.”
61 They
said to her, “There
is no one
among your
relatives who is
called by this
name.”
62 They
made signs to
his father, what
he would have
him called.
63 He
asked for a
writing tablet,
and wrote, “His
name is John.”
They all marveled.
64 His
mouth was opened
immediately and
his tongue freed,
and he spoke,
blessing God.
65 Fear
came on all
who lived around
them, and all
these sayings were
talked about
throughout all the
hill country of
Judea.
66 All
who heard them
laid them up
in their heart,
saying, “What then
will this child
be?” The hand
of the Lord
was with him.
67 His
father Zacharias
was filled with
the Holy Spirit,
and prophesied,
saying,
68 “Blessed
be the Lord,
the God of
Israel,
for he has
visited and
redeemed his
people;
69 and
has raised up
a horn of
salvation for us
in the house
of his servant
David
70 (as
he spoke by
the mouth of
his holy prophets
who have been from
of old),
71 salvation
from our enemies
and from the
hand of all
who hate us;
72 to
show mercy toward
our fathers,
to remember
his holy covenant,
73 the
oath which he
swore to Abraham
our father,
74 to grant
to us that we,
being delivered out
of the hand
of our enemies,
should serve him
without fear,
75 in
holiness and
righteousness before
him all the
days of our life.
76 And
you, child, will
be called a
prophet of the
Most High;
for you will
go before the
face of the
Lord to prepare
his ways,
77 to
give knowledge of
salvation to his
people by
the remission of
their sins,
78 because
of the tender
mercy of our
God,
by which the dawn
from on high
will visit us,
79 to
shine on those
who sit in
darkness and the
shadow of death;
to guide our
feet into the
way of peace.”
80 The
child was growing
and becoming strong
in spirit, and
was in the
desert until the
day of his public
appearance to Israel.