LukeChapter 1

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¹Many people have tried to write down the story of the things that have come true among us. ²They wrote them just as they were passed down to us. These things came from the people who saw them from the start. They were also servants of the word. ³So I also looked into everything with care, right from the beginning. Then I decided it would be good to write it all down in order for you, most honored Theophilus. ⁴I want you to know for sure that the things you have been taught are true. ⁵Herod was king of Judea at that time. There was a priest named Zechariah. He belonged to the priestly group of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was also from the family line of Aaron. ⁶Both of them were righteous in God's sight. They followed all the Lord's commands and rules, and no one could blame them for anything. ⁷But they had no children, because Elizabeth was not able to have a baby. And they were both very old. ⁸One day Zechariah's group was on duty. He was serving as a priest in front of God. ⁹The priests had a custom of casting lots to choose who would serve. Zechariah was chosen by lot to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰When it was time to burn the incense, all the people were praying outside. ¹¹Just then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah. The angel was standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹²When Zechariah saw him, he was shocked and filled with fear. ¹³But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son for you. You are to name him John. ¹⁴He will bring you joy and gladness. And many people will be glad that he was born. ¹⁵For he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never drink wine or any other strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb. ¹⁶He will turn many of the people of Israel back to the Lord their God. ¹⁷He will go ahead of the Lord with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will turn the hearts of fathers back to their children. He will turn people who disobey to the wisdom of the righteous. He will get a people ready for the Lord." ¹⁸Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man, and my wife is very old too." ¹⁹The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God. I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. ²⁰But you did not believe my words. So now you will be silent. You won't be able to speak until the day this happens. My words will come true at the right time." ²¹Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah. They wondered why he was staying so long in the temple. ²²When he came out, he could not speak to them. Then they knew he had seen a vision in the temple. He kept making signs to them, but he still could not speak. ²³When his days of service were over, he went back home. ²⁴After this, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant. For five months she stayed hidden at home. She said, ²⁵"The Lord has done this for me. In these days he has been kind to me. He has taken away my shame among the people." ²⁶In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth. ²⁷He was sent to a virgin who was promised in marriage to a man named Joseph. Joseph came from the family of David. The virgin's name was Mary. ²⁸The angel came to her and said, "Greetings! God has shown you great favor. The Lord is with you." ²⁹Mary was very troubled by his words. She wondered what kind of greeting this could be. ³⁰So the angel told her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹Listen! You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You are to name him Jesus. ³²He will be great. He will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. ³³He will rule over the people of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!" ³⁴Mary asked the angel, "How can this happen? I am a virgin." ³⁵The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you. The power of the Most High will cover you like a shadow. So the Holy One who will be born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶Look, even your relative Elizabeth is going to have a son, though she is old. People said she could not have children. But now she is in her sixth month. ³⁷For no word from God will ever fail." ³⁸Mary answered, "I am the Lord's servant. Let it happen to me just as you have said." Then the angel left her. ³⁹In those days Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah. ⁴⁰There she went into Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby jumped inside her. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴²She called out in a loud voice, "Blessed are you among women! And blessed is the child inside you! ⁴³Why am I so honored? Why has the mother of my Lord come to me? ⁴⁴For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the baby inside me jumped for joy. ⁴⁵You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said to you." ⁴⁶Then Mary said, "My soul praises the greatness of the Lord. ⁴⁷My spirit is full of joy in God my Savior! ⁴⁸For he has looked with kindness on his humble servant. From now on, all people of every age will call me blessed. ⁴⁹For the Mighty One has done great things for me. His name is holy. ⁵⁰His mercy reaches those who fear him, from parents to children, age after age. ⁵¹He has done mighty things with his arm. He has scattered those who are proud in their hearts and thoughts. ⁵²He has pulled rulers down from their thrones. But he has lifted up the humble. ⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things. But he has sent the rich away with nothing. ⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel. He has remembered to show mercy, ⁵⁵just as he promised our fathers. He promised it to Abraham and his children forever." ⁵⁶Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months. Then she went back home. 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 the child. They were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. ⁶⁰But his mother said, "No! He will be called John." ⁶¹They said to her, "None of your relatives has that name." ⁶²So they made signs to his father. They wanted to find out what he wanted to name the child. ⁶³Zechariah asked for a writing tablet. He wrote, "His name is John." And they were all amazed. ⁶⁴Right away Zechariah's mouth was opened and his tongue was set free. He began to speak, and he praised God. ⁶⁵All their neighbors were filled with awe. People all through the hill country of Judea were talking about these things. ⁶⁶Everyone who heard about it wondered in their hearts. They asked, "What will this child grow up to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him. ⁶⁷Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit. He spoke this message from God: ⁶⁸"Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. ⁶⁹He has raised up a mighty Savior for us. He comes from the family of his servant David.a ⁷⁰He said he would do this long ago. He spoke through his holy prophets. ⁷¹He promised to save us from our enemies. He promised to save us from the power of all who hate us. ⁷²He did this to show mercy to our fathers. He did it to remember his holy covenant. ⁷³This was the promise he made with an oath to our father Abraham. He promised to give us ⁷⁴rescue from the hands of our enemies. Then we can serve him without fear. ⁷⁵We can be holy and do what is right in his sight for all our days. ⁷⁶And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High. You will go ahead of the Lord to prepare the way for him. ⁷⁷You will teach his people how they can be saved. They will be saved by having their sins forgiven. ⁷⁸This will happen because our God's mercy is so tender. Because of it, the Dawn from heaven will come to us. ⁷⁹He will shine on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death. He will guide our feet onto the path of peace." ⁸⁰The child grew and became strong in spirit. He lived in the wilderness until the day he showed himself to Israel.