Luke
1:1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration
of those things which are most surely believed among us,
1:2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were
eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
1:3 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,
1:4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast
been instructed.
1:5 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.
1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
1:7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both
were now well stricken in years.
1:8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before
God in the order of his course,
1:9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn
incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
1:10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time
of incense.
1:11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right
side of the altar of incense.
1:12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
1:13 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.
1:14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his
birth.
1:15 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.
1:16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
1:17 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.
1:18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am
an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
1:19 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.
1:20 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.
1:21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so
long in the temple.
1:22 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.
1:23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were
accomplished, he departed to his own house.
1:24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five
months, saying,
1:25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to
take away my reproach among men.
1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city
of Galilee, named Nazareth,
1:27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of
David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
1:28 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.
1:29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her
mind what manner of salutation this should be.
1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour
with God.
1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and
shalt call his name JESUS.
1:32 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:
1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom
there shall be no end.
1:34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a
man?
1:35 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.
1:36 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.
1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
1:38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according
to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
1:39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste,
into a city of Juda;
1:40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
1:41 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:
1:42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among
women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
1:43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
1:44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears,
the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
1:45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of
those things which were told her from the Lord.
1:46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
1:47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
1:48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from
henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
1:49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his
name.
1:50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
1:51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the
imagination of their hearts.
1:52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low
degree.
1:53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent
empty away.
1:54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
1:55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
1:56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own
house.
1:57 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she
brought forth a son.
1:58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great
mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
1:59 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.
1:60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
1:61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by
this name.
1:62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
1:63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John.
And they marvelled all.
1:64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he
spake, and praised God.
1:65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings
were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
1:66 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.
1:67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied,
saying,
1:68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his
people,
1:69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his
servant David;
1:70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the
world began:
1:71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that
hate us;
1:72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy
covenant;
1:73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
1:74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of
our enemies might serve him without fear,
1:75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
1:76 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;
1:77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their
sins,
1:78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high
hath visited us,
1:79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
1:80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts
till the day of his shewing unto Israel.
