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,
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. 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.
