Luke:1

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* Inasmuch as many have undertaken to arrange a narrative of those things which are fully believed among us , * even as they were delivered to us by those who were eye –witnesses from the beginning and became ministers of the word , * it seemed good to me also , having accurately traced up all things from the first , to write to thee a connected account , most excellent Theophilus , * that thou mightst know the exact truth with regard to those things in which thou wast instructed . * There was in the days of Herod , king of Judaea , a certain priest named Zachariah , of the course of Abijah ; and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron , and her name was Elizabeth . * And they were both righteous in the sight of God , walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless . * And they had no child , because Elizabeth was barren , and they were both far advanced in years . * And it came to pass , that , while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his course , * according to the custom of the priesthood the lot fell to him to go into the temple of the Lord and burn the incense . * And the whole multitude of the people was praying without at the time of the incense . * And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord , standing on the right of the altar of incense . * And Zachariah was troubled at the sight , and fear fell upon him . * But the angel said to him , Fear not , Zachariah ; for thy prayer was heard , and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son ; and thou shalt call his name John . * And thou wilt have joy and gladness , and many will rejoice for his birth . * For he will be great in the sight of the Lord ; and will drink neither wine nor strong drink ; and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit from his very birth . * And many of the sons of Israel will he turn to the Lord their God . * And he will go before his face in the spirit and power of Elijah , to turn the hearts of fathers to children , and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous , to make ready for the Lord a prepared people . * And Zachariah said to the angel , Whereby shall I know this ? for I am an old man , and my wife is far advanced in years . * And the angel answering said to him , I am Gabriel , who stand in the presence of God ; and I was sent to speak to thee , and to tell thee these glad tidings . * And lo ! thou shalt be silent , and not able to speak , until the day when these things shall come to pass , because thou didst not believe my words , which will be fulfilled in their season . * And the people were looking for Zachariah , and wondering that he remained so long in the temple . * And on coming out , he was not able to speak to them ; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple ; and he was beckoning to them , and remained speechless . * And it came to pass , when the days of his ministration were completed , that he returned to his house . * And after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived , and hid herself five months , saying , * Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me to take away my reproach among men . * And in her sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee , called Nazareth , * to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph , of the house of David ; and the virgin ’s name was Mary . * And the angel came in to her and said , Hail , thou that art highly favored ! the Lord is with thee . * And she was troubled at the words , and was considering what this salutation could mean . * And the angel said to her , Fear not , Mary ; for thou hast found favor with God . * And lo ! thou shalt conceive in thy womb , and hear a son , and shalt call his name Jesus . * He shall be great , and shall be called the Son of the Most High ; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of David his father ; * and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever ; and of his kingdom there shall be no end . * Then said Mary to the angel , How shall this be , since I know not a man ? * And the angel answering said to her , The Holy Spirit will come upon thee , and the power of the Most High will overshadow thee ; wherefore the holy one that is to be born will be called the Son of God . * And lo ! Elizabeth , thy kinswoman , she also hath conceived a son in her old age ; and this is the sixth month with her who is called barren . * For nothing will be impossible with God . * And Mary said , Lo , the handmaid of the Lord ! May it be to me according to thy word . And the angel departed from her . * And Mary arose and went in those days into the hill –country with haste , into a city of Judah . * And she entered the house of Zachariah , and saluted Elizabeth . * And it came to pass , when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary , that the babe leaped in her womb ; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit , * and cried out with a loud voice , and said , Blessed art thou among women ; and blessed is the fruit of thy womb ! * And whence is this to me , that the mother of my Lord should come to me ? * For lo ! as soon as the voice of thy salutation came to my ears , the babe leaped in my womb in exultation . * And blessed is she who hath believed that there will be an accomplishment of those things which were told her from the Lord . * And Mary said , My soul magnifieth the Lord , * and my spirit hath exulted in God my Saviour ; * for he hath looked upon the low estate of his handmaiden . For lo ! from this time all generations will call me blessed ; * for the Mighty One hath done great things for me ; and holy is his name ; * and his mercy is from generation to generation on them that fear him . * He hath wrought mightily with his arm ; he hath scattered the proud in the device of their heart . * He hath cast down princes from thrones , and exalted men of low degree . * The hungry he hath filled with good things , and the rich he hath sent away empty . * He hath given help to Israel his servant , in remembrance of his mercy * toward Abraham and his offspring for ever , as he spoke to our fathers . * And Mary abode with her about three months , and returned to her own house . * Now Elizabeth ’s full time came that she should be delivered ; and she brought forth a son . * And her neighbors and her kinsfolk heard that the Lord had showed great mercy toward her ; and they rejoiced with her . * And it came to pass that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child ; and they were about to call him Zachariah , after the name of his father . * And his mother answering said , Not so ; but he shall be called John . * And they said to her , There is no one of thy kindred that is called by this name . * And they made signs to his father , how he would have him named . * And he asked for a writing –tablet , and wrote , saying , His name is John . And they all marveled . * And his mouth was opened immediately , and his tongue was loosed ; and he spoke , blessing God . * And fear came on all that dwelt around them ; and all these things were talked of throughout the whole of the hill –country of Judaea . * And all that heard them laid them up in their hearts , saying , What then will this child be ? For the hand of the Lord was with him . * And Zachariah his father was filled with the Holy Spirit , and prophesied , saying , * Blessed be the Lord , the God of Israel ! for he hath visited and redeemed his people , * and hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David his servant ,–– * as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets of old , * salvation from our enemies , and from the hand of all that hate us , * to accomplish his mercy toward our fathers , and to remember his holy covenant , * the oath which he swore to Abraham our father , * to grant to us , that being delivered from the hand of our enemies , we might worship him without fear , * in holiness and righteousness before him , all our days . * And thou , child , shalt be called a prophet of the Most High ; for thou shalt go in advance before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways , * to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the remission of their sins * through the tender mercy of our God , whereby the day –spring from on high hath visited us , * to give light to those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death , to guide our feet into the way of peace . * And the child grew , and waxed strong in spirit ; and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel .

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