1Vibahlt (since) many Messianic Sofrim have attempted to compile a sefer, a historical narrative, about the momentous events that have been fulfilled among us,

2Just as these ⁰have been handed down to us by those who from HaReshit ¹were edei reiyah (eyewitnesses) and mesharetim (ministers) of the Dvar Hashem,

3I thought it expedient also, having done an iyun (investigative research), accurately and carefully being meayen (engaged in research) in every source and making a medakdeke (pain-stakingly thorough) investigation of every aspect from HaReshit (the Beginning), to write for you and to mesader (arrange, place in succession) an orderly account, most noble Theophilus,

4That you may have daas of HaEmes regarding the Divrei Moshiach about which you took shiurim (lessons).

5At the time of Herod king of Yehudah, there was a certain kohen by the name Zecharyah, who belonged to the Aviyah division. His isha was of the banot Aharon, name of Elisheva. ²

6And they were both tzaddikim before Hashem, walking a derech tamim in all the mitzvos and chukkim of the Torah of Adoneinu. ³

7But they had no ben, because Elisheva was barren, and they were both advanced in their yamim.

8And it came to pass in the performance of his avodas kodesh sherut as a kohen before Hashem in the appointed order of his division, ⁴

9According to the minhag (custom) of the kehunah, Zecharyah was chosen by lot to enter the Beis Hamikdash and to offer ketoret (incense). ⁵

10And when the hour of the offering of the ketoret came, all the multitude were davening outside. ⁶

11And there appeared to Zecharyah a malach Hashem, standing on the right side of the Mizbeach of ketoret. ⁷

12And, seeing the malach, Zecharyah was terrified, and pachad (fear) fell on him. ⁸

13But the malach said to him, Do not have pachad (fear), Zecharyah. Your tefillah (prayer) was heard and your isha, Elisheva, will bear a ben to you and you will call his shem Yochanan.

14And he will be a simcha to you and sasson (joy), and there will be sasson rav (great joy) at his huledet (birth).

15And he will be gadol before Hashem, and he will not drink yayin or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Ruach Hakodesh from the womb of his Em (mother), ⁹

16And many of the Bnei Yisroel he will turn back in teshuva to Hashem Eloheihem.

17And he will go forth before Adonoi in the ruach (spirit) and koach (power) of Eliyahu HaNavi, VEHESHIV LEV AVOT AL BANIM (And he will turn the heart of the fathers to the children) ¹⁰and those without mishma'at (obedience) he will turn to the chochmah of the tzaddikim to prepare for Adonoi an Am (People) having been made ready. ¹¹

18And Zecharyah said to the malach, Just how will I have daas that this is so? For I am old and my isha is advanced in her yamim (days). ¹²

19And in reply, the malach said to Zecharyah, I am Gavriel, I stand before Hashem. And I was sent to speak to you and to announce these things to you. ¹³

20And hinei! You will be illem (mute) and not be able to speak, until the yom (day) when these things come to pass, because you did not have emunah in my devarim (words), which will be fulfilled in their time. ¹⁴

21And the people were expecting Zecharyah and they were bewildered at his delay in the Beis HaMikdash.

22And when he came out, he was illem (mute) and not able to speak to them, and they had daas that he had seen a chazon in the Heikhal. He kept motioning to them and he remained illem.

23And it came about as the yamim of his sherut (service in the Beis HaMikdash) as a kohen were fulfilled, he went to his bais (house).

24And after these yamim, Elisheva, his isha, became with child, and she kept herself in hitbodedut for chamesh chodashim, saying,

25Hashem has done this for me. In these yamim he looked with Chen vChesed (favor and mercy, loving kindness) on me to take away my reproach among Bnei Adam. ¹⁵

26Now in the chodesh shishi the malach Gavriel was sent from Hashem to a shtetl in the Galil called Natzeret,

27To a betulah (virgin) given in erusin (betrothal, engagement) to an ish from the Beis Dovid named Yosef, ¹⁶and the shem of the almah was Miryam.

28And when the malach approached her, he said, Shalom, favored one! Hashem is with you!

29But she was greatly perplexed at the message, and kept pondering what sort of Shalom greeting this might be.

30And the malach said to her, Do not have pachad (fear), Miryam, for you have found chen before Hashem.

31And in your womb you will conceive and bear BEN ¹⁷and you will call SHMO YEHOSHUA. ¹⁸

32He will be gadol (great) and will be called Ben HaElyon (Son of the Most High). Adonoi Elohim will give him the kisse Dovid Aviv,

33And he will rule over the Beis Ya'akov Olam vaed, and his Malchut will never come to an end. ¹⁹

34But Miryam said to the malach, How will this be, vi-bahlt (since) I do not have daas of an ish?

35And in reply, the malach said to her, The Ruach Hakodesh will come upon you and the gevurah of HaElyon will overshadow you. Therefore, also, the one being born will be called HaKadosh (The Holy One), Ben HaElohim.

36And Elisheva your krovah also has conceived a ben in her old age, and this chodesh is hashishi (the sixth) for her who is called barren.

37For nothing will be impossible with Hashem.

38And Miryam said, Hinei! I am the shifcha of Hashem. May it be done to me according to your dvar. And the malach departed from her.

39And in those yamim, Miryam got up and traveled into the hill country with haste to a shtetl of Yehudah.

40And she entered into the bais of Zecharyah and gave Birkat Shalom greetings to Elisheva.

41And it came about, when Elisheva heard the Birkat Shalom of Miryam, the yeled leaped in Elishevaʼs womb, and she was filled with the Ruach Hakodesh.

42And Elisheva cried out with a kol gadol (loud voice) and said, Brucha at miNashim (Blessed art thou among women), and baruch (blessed is) the pri (fruit) of your womb! ²⁰

43And why has this happened to me that the Em Adoni should come to me?

44For hinei! When the sound of your Birkat Shalom came into my ears, the yeled leaped with simcha in my womb.

45And ashrey is the one having had emunah that there will be a fulfillment to the things having been spoken to Miryam by Hashem.

46And Miryam said, My soul doth magnify Hashem. ²¹

47ALATZ LIBI BA'HASHEM ²²(My heart rejoices in Hashem) and my neshamah exalts in Hashem Yishi ²³(G-d my Savior, Moshi'a), ²⁴

48For HASHEM VISHAFAL YIREH ²⁵looked upon the humble state of His shifcha (bond maid), for from now on KOL HADOROT ISHRUNI ²⁶(all generations will call me happy),

49For Shaddai (the Almighty) did gedolot for me and Kadosh is Shmo, ²⁷

50And the chesed of Hashem is DOR VDOR ²⁸to those with yirat Shomayim. ²⁹

51Hashem has done niflaot (wonders) with his zeroa (arm). ³⁰He scattered those who in the machshavot (thoughts) of their levavot are the Gaayonim (the Haughty ones).

52He brought down shalitim (rulers) from their kisot (thrones) and lifted up the Anavim (Humble),

53The ones hungering, Hashem made full of tov, and the ashirim he sent away empty. ³¹

54Hashem helped his servant Yisroel, in remembrance of his rachamim (mercy),

55Just as Hashem spoke to Avoteinu, to Avraham Avinu and his Zera ad Olam.

56And Miryam remained with Elisheva about shlosha chodashim, and then Miryam returned to her bais.

57Now when the time of Elisheva to give birth was fulfilled, she bore a ben.

58And Elishevaʼs shchenim (neighbors) and krovim (relatives) heard that Adoneinu greatly demonstrated his rachamim to her, and they had much simcha with her.

59And it came about on the yom hashemini (the eighth day) they came for the bris milah of the yeled, and they were calling him by the name of his abba, Zecharyah.

60And in reply, his Em said: Lo, but he will be called Yochanan.

61And they said to her, There is no one from your krovim who is called by this shem.

62And they began motioning to the yeledʼs abba to find out what shem he wanted to give him.

63And having asked for a luach (tablet), Zecharyah wrote, saying, Yochanan shmo. And everyone was amazed.

64And Zecharyahʼs mouth was loosed at once and the lashon of him, and he began speaking, saying Baruch Hashem!

65And upon all their shchenim (neighbors) came much yirat Shomayim, and in the entire hill country of Yehudah everyone was shmoozing about these matters.

66All who heard these things pondered them in their levavot, saying, What then will this yeled become? For, indeed, the yad Hashem was on him. ³²

67And Zecharyah, his abba, was filled with the Ruach Hakodesh and brought forth a dvar nevuah, saying,

68BARUCH HASHEM ELOHEI YISROEL, for Adonoi has visited his Am Berit and accomplished a pedut kofer ransom for the Geulah of his people.

69And Hashem raised up a Keren Yeshu'ah (Horn of Salvation), a mighty Moshia, for us in the Beis Dovid, His eved,

70Just as Hashem spoke through the mouth of His neviim hakedoshim meOlam (holy prophets from long ago), ³³

71That we should have Yeshu'at Eloheinu from our oyvim (enemies) and from the hand of all the ones who regard us with sinas chinom (baseless hatred).

72Thus Hashem has demonstrated his rachamim (mercy) to Avoteinu (our Fathers) and has remembered his Brit HaKodesh (Holy Covenant), ³⁴

73The Brit HaShevu'ah (the Covenant of the oath) which He swore to Avraham Avinu to grant us, ³⁵

74Having been delivered from the yad haoyvim (hand of enemies) of us to serve Hashem fearlessly,

75In kedushah (holiness) and tzedek (righteousness) before Him all our yamim (days).

76And you also, yeled (child), will be called Navi HaElyon (Prophet of the Most High); for you will go LIFNEI HAADON (before the L-rd) to prepare the DERECH HASHEM (The Way of the L-rd), ³⁶

77To give daas (knowledge) of Yeshu'at Eloheinu (the Salvation of our G-d) to Hashemʼs Am Berit (People of the Covenant) by the selichat (forgiveness) of their avon (sin), ³⁷

78Through the rav rachamim of Eloheinu (through the great mercy of our G-d), by which has visited us the rising SHEMESH (Sun) ³⁸from Shomayim, ³⁹

79To appear to the ones in CHOSHECH (darkness) and YOSHVEI BERETZ TZALMAVET (sitting in the land of the shadow of death), to direct our feet into the Derech Shalom. ⁴⁰

80And the yeled was growing and was being given chizzuk (strengthening) in the Ruach Hakodesh, and Yochanan was in the desolate places until the day of his hisgalus (revelation, manifestation) to Yisroel.