1Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us,
2just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word,
3it seemed good to me also, having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,
4so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
5In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
7But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.
8Now it happened that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,
9according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering.
11And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
14And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
15For he will be great before the Lord. And he shall never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
16And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.
17And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
18And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”
19And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
20And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”
21Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple.
22But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute.
23And when the days of his service were completed, he went to his home.
24After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself in seclusion, saying,
25“Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked upon me, to take away my reproach among people.”
26In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.
28And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you.”
29But she was greatly troubled at his word, and was considering what sort of greeting this might be.
30And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace with God.
31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will call his name Jesus.
32He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.
34And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I do not know a man?”
35And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the holy one to be born will be called Son of God.
36And behold, your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren.
37For no word from God will be impossible.”
38And Mary said, “Behold, the servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
39In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town of Judah,
40and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
41And when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43And why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44For behold, as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of the things spoken to her from the Lord.”
46And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,
47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
48for he has looked upon the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
50And his mercy is for generation after generation to those who fear him.
51He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52He has brought down rulers from their thrones and has exalted the humble.
53He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
54He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
55as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
56And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
57Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.
58And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
59And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zechariah, after his father’s name.
60And his mother answered, “No; he will be called John.”
61And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”
62So they made signs to his father as to what he would want him to be called.
63And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all were amazed.
64And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, blessing God.
65And fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea.
66And all who heard took these things to heart, saying, “What then will this child become?” For the hand of the Lord was indeed with him.
67And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying:
68“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and provided redemption for his people,
69and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
70as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,
72to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
73the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74that we, having been rescued from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear,
75in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
78because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the Dawn from on high will visit us,
79to shine on those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
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