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Joshua 4-6
New American Standard Bible

Memorial Stones from the Jordan

4 Now when the entire nation had finished crossing the (A)Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, 2 “(B)Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe, 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet are standing firmly, and carry them over with you and lay them down in (C)the encampment where you will spend the night.’” 4 So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe; 5 and Joshua said to them, “[a]Cross again to the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel. 6 [b]This shall be a sign among you; (D)when your children ask [c]later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall say to them, ‘That the (E)waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a (F)memorial to the sons of Israel forever.”

8 So the sons of Israel did exactly as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, just as the Lord spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel; and they carried them over with them to (G)the encampment and put them down there. 9 Then Joshua set up twelve (H)stones in the middle of the Jordan at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing, and they are there to this day. 10 For the priests who carried the ark were standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything was completed that the Lord had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. And the people hurried and crossed; 11 and when all the people had finished crossing, then the ark of the Lord and the priests crossed in front of the people. 12 (I)The sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over in battle formation before the sons of Israel, just as Moses had spoken to them; 13 about forty thousand equipped for war, crossed for battle before the Lord to the desert plains of Jericho.

14 (J)On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, so that they [d]revered him, just as they had [e]revered Moses all the days of his life.

15 Now the Lord said to [f]Joshua, 16 “Command the priests who carry (K)the ark of the testimony that they come up from the Jordan.” 17 So Joshua commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.” 18 It came about when the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord had come up from the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were [g]lifted up to the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks as before.

19 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the (L)tenth of the first month and camped at Gilgal, on the eastern edge of Jericho. 20 As for [h](M)those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set them up (N)at Gilgal. 21 And he said to the sons of [i]Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ 22 then you shall inform your children, saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on (O)dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the Lord your God had done to the [j]Red Sea, (P)which He dried up before us until we had crossed; 24 so that (Q)all the peoples of the earth may know that the (R)hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you may [k](S)fear the Lord your God [l]forever.”

Israel Is Circumcised

5 Now it came about when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the (T)Canaanites who were by the sea, (U)heard how the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until [m]they had crossed, that their hearts melted, and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the sons of Israel.

2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make for yourself (V)flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time.” 3 So Joshua made himself flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at [n]Gibeath-haaraloth. 4 This is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: (W)all the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way after they came out of Egypt. 5 For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6 For the sons of Israel walked (X)forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is, the men of war who came out of Egypt, [o]perished because they did not listen to the voice of the Lord, (Y)to whom the Lord had sworn that He would not let them see the land which the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 So their children whom He raised up in their place, Joshua [p]circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them along the way.

8 Now when they had finished circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they recovered. 9 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away (Z)the shame of Egypt from you.” So the name of that place is called [q]Gilgal to this day.

10 While the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal (AA)they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the (AB)fourteenth day of the month on the desert plains of Jericho. 11 Then on the day after the Passover, on [r]that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and roasted grain. 12 And (AC)the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan during that year.

13 Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, he raised his eyes and looked, and behold, (AD)a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” 14 He said, “No; rather I have come now as captain of the army of the Lord.” And Joshua (AE)fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down, and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?” 15 And the captain of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “(AF)Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

The Conquest of Jericho

6 Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel; no one went out and no one came in. 2 But the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have handed Jericho over to you, with (AG)its king and the valiant warriors. 3 And you shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days. 4 Also seven priests shall carry seven (AH)trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down [s]flat, and the people shall go up, everyone [t]straight ahead.”

6 So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and have seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark of the Lord.” 7 Then [u]he said to the people, “Go forward and march around the city, and the armed men shall go on ahead of the ark of the Lord.” 8 And it was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Lord went forward and blew the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. 9 And the armed men went ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and (AI)the rear guard came after the ark, while they continued to blow the trumpets. 10 But Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard, nor let a word proceed from your mouth, until the day I tell you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout!” 11 So he had the ark of the Lord [v]taken around the city, circling it once; then they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp.

12 Now Joshua got up early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13 Then (AJ)the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew the trumpets; and the armed men went ahead of them, and (AK)the rear guard came after the ark of the Lord, while they continued to blow the trumpets. 14 So the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp; they did the same for six days.

15 Then on the seventh day they got up early at the dawning of the day and marched around the city in the same way seven times; only on that day did they march around the city seven times. 16 And at the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “(AL)Shout! For the Lord has given you the city. 17 But the city shall be (AM)designated for [w]destruction, it and everything that is in it belongs to the Lord; only Rahab the prostitute [x]and all who are with her in the house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. 18 But as for you, only keep yourselves from the things designated for destruction, so that you do not covet them and (AN)take some of the designated things, and turn the camp of Israel into something designated for destruction and bring disaster on it. 19 (AO)But all the silver and gold, and articles of bronze and iron are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.” 20 So the people shouted, and [y]the priests blew the trumpets; and when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout, and the (AP)wall fell down [z]flat, so that the people went up into the city, everyone straight [aa]ahead, and they took the city. 21 (AQ)They [ab]utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword.

22 And Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “(AR)Go into the prostitute’s house and bring the woman and all she has out of there, just as you have sworn to her.” 23 So the young men who were spies went in and (AS)brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all she had; they also brought out all her relatives, and placed them outside the camp of Israel. 24 Then (AT)they burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only the silver and gold, and the articles of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the [ac]house of the Lord. 25 However, (AU)Rahab the prostitute and her father’s household and all she had, Joshua [ad]spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, because (AV)she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

26 Then Joshua made them take an oath at that time, saying, “(AW)Cursed before the Lord is the man who rises up and builds this city Jericho; with the loss of his firstborn he will lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he will set up its gates.” 27 So (AX)the Lord was with Joshua, and his (AY)fame was in all the land.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 4:5 Lit Cross before the ark
  2. Joshua 4:6 Lit So that this may be
  3. Joshua 4:6 Lit tomorrow
  4. Joshua 4:14 Or feared
  5. Joshua 4:14 Or feared
  6. Joshua 4:15 Lit Joshua, saying
  7. Joshua 4:18 Lit drawn out
  8. Joshua 4:20 Lit these
  9. Joshua 4:21 Lit Israel, saying,
  10. Joshua 4:23 Lit Sea of Reeds
  11. Joshua 4:24 Or revere
  12. Joshua 4:24 Lit all the days
  13. Joshua 5:1 Other mss we
  14. Joshua 5:3 I.e., the hill of the foreskins
  15. Joshua 5:6 Lit were finished
  16. Joshua 5:7 Lit circumcised them
  17. Joshua 5:9 I.e., wheel, or stone circle
  18. Joshua 5:11 Lit this
  19. Joshua 6:5 Lit in its place
  20. Joshua 6:5 Lit before himself
  21. Joshua 6:7 Another reading is they
  22. Joshua 6:11 Lit to go around
  23. Joshua 6:17 I.e., as an offering to God
  24. Joshua 6:17 Lit she and all
  25. Joshua 6:20 Lit they
  26. Joshua 6:20 Lit in its place
  27. Joshua 6:20 Lit before himself
  28. Joshua 6:21 Or put under the ban
  29. Joshua 6:24 I.e., tabernacle
  30. Joshua 6:25 Lit let live
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Joshua 4-6
New International Version

4 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan,(A) the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Choose twelve men(B) from among the people, one from each tribe, 3 and tell them to take up twelve stones(C) from the middle of the Jordan,(D) from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.(E)”

4 So Joshua called together the twelve men(F) he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan.(G) Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign(H) among you. In the future, when your children(I) ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’(J) 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off(K) before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial(L) to the people of Israel forever.”

8 So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones(M) from the middle of the Jordan,(N) according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua;(O) and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. 9 Joshua set up the twelve stones(P) that had been[a] in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.(Q)

10 Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over, 11 and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the Lord and the priests came to the other side while the people watched. 12 The men of Reuben,(R) Gad(S) and the half-tribe of Manasseh(T) crossed over, ready for battle, in front of the Israelites,(U) as Moses had directed them.(V) 13 About forty thousand armed for battle(W) crossed over(X) before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war.

14 That day the Lord exalted(Y) Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses.

15 Then the Lord said to Joshua, 16 “Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant law(Z) to come up out of the Jordan.”

17 So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.”

18 And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place(AA) and ran at flood stage(AB) as before.

19 On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal(AC) on the eastern border of Jericho. 20 And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones(AD) they had taken out of the Jordan. 21 He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’(AE) 22 tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’(AF) 23 For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea[b] when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over.(AG) 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know(AH) that the hand of the Lord is powerful(AI) and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.(AJ)”

5 Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast(AK) heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until they[c] had crossed over, their hearts melted in fear(AL) and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.

Circumcision and Passover at Gilgal

2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives(AM) and circumcise(AN) the Israelites again.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth.[d]

4 Now this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of military age(AO)—died in the wilderness on the way after leaving Egypt.(AP) 5 All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness during the journey from Egypt had not. 6 The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness(AQ) forty years(AR) until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the Lord. For the Lord had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us,(AS) a land flowing with milk and honey.(AT) 7 So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. 8 And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.(AU)

9 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal[e](AV) to this day.

10 On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month,(AW) while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover.(AX) 11 The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land:(AY) unleavened bread(AZ) and roasted grain.(BA) 12 The manna stopped the day after[f] they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.(BB)

The Fall of Jericho

13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man(BC) standing in front of him with a drawn sword(BD) in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

14 “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown(BE) to the ground(BF) in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord[g] have for his servant?”

15 The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.”(BG) And Joshua did so.

6 Now the gates of Jericho(BH) were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered(BI) Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns(BJ) in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets.(BK) 5 When you hear them sound a long blast(BL) on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout;(BM) then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

6 So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.”(BN) 7 And he ordered the army, “Advance(BO)! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark(BP) of the Lord.”

8 When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. 9 The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard(BQ) followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. 10 But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!(BR)” 11 So he had the ark of the Lord carried around the city, circling it once. Then the army returned to camp and spent the night there.

12 Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13 The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding. 14 So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

15 On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times.(BS) 16 The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!(BT) 17 The city and all that is in it are to be devoted[h](BU) to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute(BV) and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid(BW) the spies we sent. 18 But keep away from the devoted things,(BX) so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction(BY) and bring trouble(BZ) on it. 19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron(CA) are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”

20 When the trumpets sounded,(CB) the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout,(CC) the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.(CD) 21 They devoted(CE) the city to the Lord and destroyed(CF) with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.

22 Joshua said to the two men(CG) who had spied out(CH) the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.(CI)” 23 So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her.(CJ) They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.

24 Then they burned the whole city(CK) and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron(CL) into the treasury of the Lord’s house.(CM) 25 But Joshua spared(CN) Rahab the prostitute,(CO) with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho(CP)—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.

26 At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath:(CQ) “Cursed(CR) before the Lord is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho:

“At the cost of his firstborn son
    he will lay its foundations;
at the cost of his youngest
    he will set up its gates.”(CS)

27 So the Lord was with Joshua,(CT) and his fame spread(CU) throughout the land.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 4:9 Or Joshua also set up twelve stones
  2. Joshua 4:23 Or the Sea of Reeds
  3. Joshua 5:1 Another textual tradition we
  4. Joshua 5:3 Gibeath Haaraloth means the hill of foreskins.
  5. Joshua 5:9 Gilgal sounds like the Hebrew for roll.
  6. Joshua 5:12 Or the day
  7. Joshua 5:14 Or lord
  8. Joshua 6:17 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verses 18 and 21.
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Joshua 7
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Luke 1:1-20
New American Standard Bible

Introduction

1 Since many have undertaken to compile an account of the things [a](A)accomplished among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who (B)from the beginning [b]were (C)eyewitnesses and [c](D)servants of (E)the [d]word, 3 it seemed fitting to me as well, (F)having [e]investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you (G)in an orderly sequence, (H)most excellent (I)Theophilus; 4 so that you may know the exact truth about the [f]things you have been [g](J)taught.

John the Baptist’s Birth Foretold

5 (K)In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the (L)division of [h]Abijah; and he had a wife [i]from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both (M)righteous in the sight of God, walking (N)blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7 And yet they had no child, because Elizabeth was infertile, and they were both advanced in [j]years.

8 Now it happened that while (O)he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot (P)to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer (Q)outside at the hour of the incense offering. 11 Now (R)an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 Zechariah was troubled when he saw the angel, and (S)fear [k]gripped him. 13 But the angel said to him, “(T)Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and (U)you shall [l]name him John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will (V)drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [m]while still in his mother’s womb. 16 And he will (W)turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 And it is he who will (X)go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of (Y)Elijah, (Z)to turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to (AA)make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this? For (AB)I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her [n]years.” 19 The angel answered and said to him, “I am (AC)Gabriel, who [o](AD)stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 1:1 Or on which there is full conviction
  2. Luke 1:2 Lit became
  3. Luke 1:2 Or ministers
  4. Luke 1:2 I.e., gospel
  5. Luke 1:3 Or followed
  6. Luke 1:4 Lit words
  7. Luke 1:4 Or orally instructed in
  8. Luke 1:5 Gr Abia
  9. Luke 1:5 I.e., of priestly descent
  10. Luke 1:7 Lit days
  11. Luke 1:12 Lit fell upon
  12. Luke 1:13 Lit call his name
  13. Luke 1:15 Lit still from his
  14. Luke 1:18 Lit days
  15. Luke 1:19 Lit stand beside
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Luke 1:1-20
New International Version

Introduction(A)

1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled[a] among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first(B) were eyewitnesses(C) and servants of the word.(D) 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account(E) for you, most excellent(F) Theophilus,(G) 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.(H)

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

5 In the time of Herod king of Judea(I) there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah;(J) his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.(K) 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,(L) 9 he was chosen by lot,(M) according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.(N) 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.(O)

11 Then an angel(P) of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.(Q) 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.(R) 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid,(S) Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.(T) 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,(U) 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink,(V) and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit(W) even before he is born.(X) 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord,(Y) in the spirit and power of Elijah,(Z) to turn the hearts of the parents to their children(AA) and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”(AB)

18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this?(AC) I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”(AD)

19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel.(AE) I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak(AF) until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 1:1 Or been surely believed
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Luke 2
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New American Standard Bible (NASB)

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible is made available by The Lockman Foundation
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

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