Luke:1

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* Since many have attempted to arrange a narrative about the matters which have taken place among us , * just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered [them ] to us , * it seemed good to me also , having followed up accurately all things from above , to write to you in orderly fashion , most distinguished Theophilus , * so that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed . * There was in the days of Herod , the king of Judea , a certain priest named Zacharias , of the division of Abijah . His wife was of the daughters of Aaron , and her name was Elizabeth . * And they were both righteous before God , walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless . * But they had no children , because Elizabeth was barren , and they were both well advanced in years . * So it was , that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division , * according to the custom of the priesthood , he was selected to burn incense when he entered into the temple of the Lord . * And all the multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense . * Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him , standing on the right side of the altar of incense . * And when Zacharias saw him , he was troubled , and fear fell upon him . * But the angel said to him , "Do not be afraid , Zacharias , because your prayer has been heard ; and your wife Elizabeth will bear a son to you , and you shall call his name John . * And you will have joy and gladness , and many will rejoice at his birth . * For he shall be great before the Lord , and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink . He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit , while still in his mother 's womb . * And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God . * And he himself will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah , 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children ,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous , to make ready a people prepared for the Lord ." * And Zacharias said to the angel , "How shall I know this ? For I am an old man , and my wife is well advanced in years ." * And the angel answered and said to him , "I am Gabriel , who stands before God , and I was sent to speak to you and to proclaim the good news to you of these things [.] * But behold , you shall be silent and not able to speak until the day these things take place , because you did not believe my words which shall be fulfilled in their season ." * And the people waited for Zacharias , and they marveled at his delaying in the temple . * But having come out , he was unable to speak to them ; and they recognized that he had seen a vision in the temple , for he was making signs to them and remained speechless . * And it happened , as soon as the days of his service were fulfilled , that he went away to his house . * Now after those days Elizabeth his wife conceived ; and stayed in seclusion five months , saying , * "Thus the Lord has dealt with me , in the days when He looked on [me ], to take away my reproach among men ." * Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth , * to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph , of the house of David . The virgin 's name [was ] Mary . * And the angel came to her and said , "Greetings , O favored [one ], the Lord is with you ; blessed [are ] you among women !" * But when she saw [him ], she was greatly perplexed by his saying , and she wondered what sort of greeting this was . * Then the angel said to her , "Fear not , Mary , for you have found grace with God . * And behold , you shall conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son , and you shall call His name JESUS . * He shall be great , and shall be called the Son of the Most High ; and the Lord God shall give Him the throne of His father David . * And He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever , and of His kingdom there shall be no end ." * Then Mary said to the angel , "How can this be , since I do not know a man ?" * And the angel answered and said to her , "The Holy Spirit shall come upon you , and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you ; therefore , also , that Holy Baby which is to be born shall be called the Son of God . * And behold , Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age ; and this is now the sixth month for she who was called barren . * For with God nothing shall be impossible ." * Then Mary said , "Behold the maidservant of the Lord ! May it be to me according to your word ."And the angel departed from her . * Now Mary rose up in those days and traveled into the hill country with haste , to a city of Judah , * and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth . * And it came to pass , that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary , that the baby leaped in her womb ; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit . * Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said , "Blessed are you among women , and blessed is the fruit of your womb ! * And why am I favored thus , that the mother of my Lord should come to me ? * For behold , as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears , the baby leaped for joy in my womb . * And blessed is she who has believed , because there shall be a fulfillment to the things having been spoken to her from the Lord ." * And Mary said : "My soul magnifies the Lord , * and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior . * Because He looked upon the lowly state of His maidservant ; for behold , henceforth all generations will call me blessed . * For He that is mighty has done great things for me , and holy is His name . * And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation . * He has shown strength with His arm ; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts . * He has overthrown the mighty from their thrones , and exalted the lowly . * He has filled the hungry with good things , and the rich He has sent away empty . * He has helped His servant Israel , in remembrance of His mercy , * As He spoke to our fathers , to Abraham and to his seed forever ." * And Mary remained with her about three months , and she returned to her house . * Now Elizabeth 's full time came for her to be delivered , and she bore a son . * And when her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her , they rejoiced with her . * Now it came to pass on the eighth day , [that ] they came to circumcise the child ; and they started to call him by the name of his father , Zacharias . * His mother answered and said , "No ; he shall be called John ." * But they said to her , "There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name ." * So they made signs to his father about what he wished him to be called . * And asking for a writing tablet , he wrote , saying , "His name is John ."And they all marveled . * Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed , and he started to speak , praising God . * Then fear came on all who lived around them ; and all these things were being talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea . * And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts , saying , "What kind of child will this be ?"And the hand of the Lord was with him . * Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit , and he prophesied , saying , * "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel , for He has visited and redeemed His people , * and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David , * as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets , who have been since the world began , * that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us , * to perform the mercy [promised ] to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant , * the oath which He swore to our father Abraham : * to grant us that we , being delivered from the hand of our enemies , might serve Him without fear , * in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life . * "And you , child , will be called the prophet of the Highest ; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways , * to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins , * through the tender mercy of our God , with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us ; * to give light to them that sit in darkness and [in ]the shadow of death , to guide our feet into the way of peace ." * So the child grew and became strong in spirit , and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel .

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