Luke 1:1-25

Darby Translation

1 Forasmuch as many have undertaken to draw up a relation concerning the matters fully believed among us,

² as those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses of and attendants on the Word have delivered them to us,

³ it has seemed good to *me* also, accurately acquainted from the origin with all things, to write to thee with method, most excellent Theophilus,

⁴ that thou mightest know the certainty of those things in which thou hast been instructed.

⁵ There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest, by name Zacharias, of the course of Abia, and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth.

⁶ And they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

⁷ And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.

⁸ And it came to pass, as he fulfilled his priestly service before God in the order of his course,

⁹ it fell to him by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense.

¹⁰ And all the multitude of the people were praying without at the hour of incense.

¹¹ And an angel of [the] Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the altar of incense.

¹² And Zacharias was troubled, seeing [him], and fear fell upon him.

¹³ But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias, because thy supplication has been heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

¹⁴ And he shall be to thee joy and rejoicing, and many shall rejoice at his birth.

¹⁵ For he shall be great before [the] Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with [the] Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.

¹⁶ And many of the sons 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 hearts of fathers to children, and disobedient ones to [the] thoughts of just [men], to make ready for [the] Lord a prepared people.

¹⁸ And Zacharias said to the angel, How shall I know this, for *I* am an old man, and my wife advanced in years?

¹⁹ And the angel answering, said to him, *I* am Gabriel, who stand before God, and I have been sent to speak to thee, and to bring these glad tidings to thee;

²⁰ and behold, thou shalt be silent and not able to speak, till the day in which these things shall take place, because thou hast not believed my words, the which shall be fulfilled in their time.

²¹ And the people were awaiting Zacharias, and they wondered at his delaying in the temple.

²² But when he came out he could not speak to them, and they recognised that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was making signs to them, and continued dumb.

²³ And it came to pass, when the days of his service were completed, he departed to his house.

²⁴ Now after these days, Elizabeth his wife conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

²⁵ Thus has [the] Lord done to me in [these] days in which he looked upon [me] to take away my reproach among men.