²⁵ From the time your ancestors left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again^(A) I sent you my servants^(B) the prophets.^(C)

² “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow^(A), a vow of dedication^(B) to the Lord as a Nazirite,^{(C) 3} they must abstain from wine^(D) and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar^(E) made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes^(F) or raisins.

⁵¹ “You stiff-necked people!^(A) Your hearts^(B) and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!

²⁸ “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,”^(A) he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”^(B)

¹⁸ Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.^(A)

³ With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account^(A) for you, most excellent^(B) Theophilus,^{(C) 4} so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.^(D)

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

⁵ In the time of Herod king of Judea^(E) there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah;^(F) 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.^{(G) 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,^{(H) 9} he was chosen by lot,^(I) according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.^{(J) 10} And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.^(K)

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

³⁴ When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants^(A) to the tenants to collect his fruit.

³⁵ “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.^{(B) 36} Then he sent other servants^(C) to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. ³⁷ Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

³⁸ “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir.^(D) Come, let’s kill him^(E) and take his inheritance.’^(F)