1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us ,
2 Even as they delivered them unto us , which from the beginning were eyewitnesses , and ministers of the word ;
3 It seemed good to me also , having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first , to write unto thee in order , most excellent Theophilus ,
4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things , wherein thou hast been instructed .
5 There was in the days of Herod , the king of Judaea , a certain priest named Zacharias , of the course of Abia : and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron , and her name was Elisabeth .
6 And they were both righteous before God , walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless .
7 And they had no child , because that Elisabeth was barren , and they both were now well stricken in years .
8 And it came to pass , that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course ,
9 According to the custom of the priest's office , his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord .
10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense .
11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense .
12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled , and fear fell upon him .
13 But the angel said unto him , Fear not , Zacharias : for thy prayer is heard ; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son , and thou shalt call his name John .
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness ; and many shall rejoice at his birth .
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord , and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink ; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost , even from his mother's womb .
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God .
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias , to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children , and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just ; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord .
18 And Zacharias said unto the angel , Whereby shall I know this ? for I am an old man , and my wife well stricken in years .
19 And the angel answering said unto him , I am Gabriel , that stand in the presence of God ; and am sent to speak unto thee , and to shew thee these glad tidings .
20 And , behold , thou shalt be dumb , and not able to speak , until the day that these things shall be performed , because thou believest not my words , which shall be fulfilled in their season .
21 And the people waited for Zacharias , and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple .
22 And when he came out , he could not speak unto them : and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple : for he beckoned unto them , and remained speechless .
23 And it came to pass , that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished , he departed to his own house .
24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived , and hid herself five months , saying ,
25 G3754 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men .
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee , named Nazareth ,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph , of the house of David ; and the virgin's name was Mary .
28 And the angel came in unto her , and said , Hail , thou that art highly favoured , the Lord is with thee : blessed art thou among women .
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying , and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be .
30 And the angel said unto her , Fear not , Mary : for thou hast found favour with God .
31 And , behold , thou shalt conceive in thy womb , and bring forth a son , and shalt call his name JESUS .
32 He shall be great , and shall be called the Son of the Highest : and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David :
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever ; and of his kingdom there shall be no end .
34 Then said Mary unto the angel , How shall this be , seeing I know not a man ?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her , The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee , and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee : therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God .
36 And , behold , thy cousin Elisabeth , she hath also conceived a son in her old age : and this is the sixth month with her , who was called barren .
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible .
38 And Mary said , Behold the handmaid of the Lord ; be it unto me according to thy word . And the angel departed from her .
39 And Mary arose in those days , and went into the hill country with haste , into a city of Juda ;
40 And entered into the house of Zacharias , and saluted Elisabeth .
41 And it came to pass , that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary , the babe leaped in her womb ; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost :
42 And she spake out with a loud voice , and said , Blessed art thou among women , and blessed is the fruit of thy womb .
43 And whence is this to me , that the mother of my Lord should come to me ?
44 For , lo , as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears , the babe leaped in my womb for joy .
45 And blessed is she that believed : for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord .
46 And Mary said , My soul doth magnify the Lord ,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour .
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden : for , behold , from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed .
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things ; and holy is his name .
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation .
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm ; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts .
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats , and exalted them of low degree .
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things ; and the rich he hath sent empty away .
54 He hath holpen his servant Israel , in remembrance of his mercy ;
55 As he spake to our fathers , to Abraham , and to his seed for ever .
56 And Mary abode with her about three months , and returned to her own house .
57 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered ; and she brought forth a son .
58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her ; and they rejoiced with her .
59 And it came to pass , that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child ; and they called him Zacharias , after the name of his father .
60 And his mother answered and said , Not so; but he shall be called John .
61 And they said unto her , There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name .
62 And they made signs to his father , how he would have him called .
63 And he asked for a writing table , and wrote , saying , His name is John . And they marvelled all .
64 And his mouth was opened immediately , and his tongue loosed, and he spake , and praised God .
65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them : and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea .
66 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts , saying , What manner of child shall this be ! And the hand of the Lord was with him .
67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost , and prophesied , saying ,
68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel ; for he hath visited and redeemed his people ,
69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David ;
70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets , which have been since the world began :
71 That we should be saved from our enemies , and from the hand of all that hate us ;
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers , and to remember his holy covenant ;
73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham ,
74 That he would grant unto us , that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear ,
75 In holiness and righteousness before him , all the days of our life .
76 And thou , child , shalt be called the prophet of the Highest : for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways ;
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins ,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God ; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us ,
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death , to guide our feet into the way of peace .
80 And the child grew , and waxed strong in spirit , and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel .
