Dedicatory

1Given that many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those things that really did take place among us, ⁰

2just as those who became eyewitnesses, from the beginning, and ministers of the Word delivered them to us, ¹

3it seemed good to me also, most excellent Theophilus, ²having taken careful note of everything from Above, ³to write to you with precision and in sequence, ⁴

4so that you may know the certainty of the things in which you were instructed. ⁵

5In the days of Herod, the king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. ⁶His wife was of the daughters of Aaron and her name was Elizabeth.

6They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.

7But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren; and they both were well advanced in years.

The setting

8Now it happened, as he was officiating as priest before God in the order of his division,

9according to the custom of the priesthood, that his lot was to burn incense, upon entering the sanctuary of the Lord;

10and the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.

11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense;

12and upon seeing him Zacharias was shaken, and a fear fell upon him.

Gabriel delivers

13But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, because your prayer was heard, ⁷and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

14And you will have joy and exultation, and many will rejoice over his birth.

15For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he must not drink either wine or strong drink; ⁸indeed, he will be filled with Holy Spirit ⁹already from his mother's womb.

16And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God;

17in fact he himself will go before Him ¹⁰in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of fathers to children’ ¹¹and the disobedient to the mindset of the righteous, ¹²to prepare a people made ready for the Lord.”

Zacharias doubts

18But 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.” ¹³

19So in answer the angel said to him: “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God; ¹⁴I was sent to speak to you and bring you this good news.

20Now look, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day in which these things happen, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

Zacharias punished

21Now the people were waiting for Zacharias and wondering at his delay in the sanctuary.

22But when he came out he was unable to speak to them, and they understood that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary—he kept gesturing to them while remaining mute.

23And so, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he took off for home. ¹⁵

24Well after those days ¹⁶his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and stayed in seclusion five months. ¹⁷She kept saying,

25“So that's what the Lord has done for me in the days ¹⁸when He concerned Himself to take away my reproach among the people!” ¹⁹

26Now in the sixth month ²⁰the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee named Natsareth, ²¹

27to a virgin betrothed ²²to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house ²³of David; the virgin's name was Mary.

28So upon entering where she was the angel said, “Rejoice, recipient of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” ²⁴

29But upon seeing him she was perplexed at his word and was trying to figure out what sort of greeting it might be. ²⁵

Gabriel delivers

30The angel said to her: “Do not be afraid, ²⁶Mary, because you have found favor with God.

31Now then, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS. ²⁷

32He will be great, and will be called ‘Son of the Most High’; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, ²⁸

33and He will reign over the house of Jacob ²⁹into the ages; indeed, of His kingdom there will be no end!” ³⁰

Mary agrees

34So Mary said to the angel, “How shall this be, since I do not know a man?” ³¹

35In answer the angel said to her: “Holy Spirit ³²will come upon you and the power of the Most High will hover over you; precisely for this reason the holy One who is to be born will be called ‘Son of God’! ³³

36Furthermore, your relative Elizabeth, she has actually conceived a son in her old age and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren;

37because any word spoken by God will be possible.”

38So Mary said: “Yes, I am the Lord's slave! Let it happen to me according to your word.” ³⁴And the angel departed from her.

Mary visits Elizabeth

39Then Mary quickly got ready and went into the hill country in those days, to a town of Judah,

40and entered the house of Zacharias and saluted Elizabeth. ³⁵

41Well it happened that as Elizabeth heard Mary's salutation the babe bounced up and down in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with Holy Spirit.

Elizabeth prophesies

42And she cried out with a great voice ³⁶and said: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the Fruit of your womb!

43Why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord ³⁷should come to me?

44Yes indeed, because as the sound of your salutation came into my ears the babe bounced up and down in my womb for joy. ³⁸

45Blessed is she who believed, because there will be a fulfillment of the things that have been spoken to her from the Lord.” ³⁹

Mary worships

46So Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,

47and my spirit has exulted over God my Savior, ⁴⁰

48in that He paid attention to the humble station of His slave (f). Yes indeed, because from now on all generations will declare me to be highly favored, ⁴¹

49in that the Mighty One did sublime things for me, and Holy is His name.

50His mercy is for generations of generations to those fearing Him.

51He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has dispersed the arrogant in the reasoning of their hearts.

52He has dethroned rulers and exalted the lowly.

53He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. ⁴²

54He has taken the part of His servant Israel, in remembrance of mercy,

55just as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed while there is an age.” ⁴³

56So Mary stayed with her about three months, ⁴⁴and returned to her house.

57Now the time for Elizabeth to give birth was completed and she bore a son.

58Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had used His great mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her.

John is named

59So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child, ⁴⁵and they started calling him by the name of his father, Zacharias.

60His mother reacted and said, “Absolutely not; ⁴⁶he shall be called John!”

61So they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”

62So they started motioning to his father, as to what he would have him called.

63Asking for a writing tablet he wrote this: “His name is to be John!” They all marveled.

64Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed and he started to speak, blessing God.

65(Well a fear came on all who lived around them; and all these sayings kept being talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea.

66All who heard kept them in their hearts saying, “What then will this child be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.) ⁴⁷

Zacharias prophesies

67Now his father Zacharias was filled with Holy Spirit and prophesied saying:

68“Blessed be the Lord, ⁴⁸the God of Israel, because He has visited and provided redemption for His people;

69and has raised up a horn of deliverance for us in the house of His servant David

70—just as He spoke through the mouth of His holy prophets from antiquity—

71deliverance from our enemies and out of the hand of all who hate us; ⁴⁹

72to use mercy with our fathers, even to remember His Holy covenant,

73the oath that He swore to our father Abraham;

74to grant to us (having been rescued from the hand of our enemies) to serve Him without fear,

75in holiness and righteousness ⁵⁰before Him all the days of our life.

76And you, child, will be called Prophet of the Most High, because you will go before the face of the Lord ⁵¹
to prepare His ways,

77to give a knowledge of salvation to His people by the forgiveness of their sins, ⁵²

78through the merciful compassions of our God, with which the divine Dawn has contemplated us, ⁵³

79to give light to those who are sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

80So the child kept growing and being strengthened in spirit, ⁵⁴and he stayed in uninhabited areas until the day of his manifestation to Israel. ⁵⁵