Forasmuch
as many have taken in hand to set forth in order
a declaration of those things which are most
surely believed among us,
02 Even as they delivered them unto us, which
from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and
ministers of the word;
03 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,
04 That thou mightest know the certainty of those
things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
05 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.
06 And they were both righteous before God,
walking in all the commandments and ordinances of
the Lord blameless.
07 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth
was barren, and they both were now well stricken
in years.
08 And it came to pass, that while he executed
the priest's office before God in the order of
his course,
09 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.
__________________________________ |
