Lukas 1
Bibelen på hverdagsdansk
1 1-3 Højtærede Teofilus!
Der er mange, som har berettet om de begivenheder, der har fundet sted iblandt os, og vi har hørt det fortalt af dem, der fra begyndelsen var øjenvidner og senere forkyndte os Guds ord. Når jeg nu har sat mig for at gennemgå det alt sammen og nedskrive det for dig i rækkefølge, 4 er det, for at du kan blive overbevist om pålideligheden af det, du er blevet undervist om.
Johannes Døbers mirakuløse undfangelse
5 Dengang Herodes[a] regerede over jødernes land, var der en jødisk præst ved navn Zakarias. Han hørte til Abijas skiftehold[b] blandt præsterne. Hans kone, Elisabet, var efterkommer af Aron, ligesom han selv var. 6 De var retskafne mennesker og efterlevede Guds lov til punkt og prikke. 7 Men de havde ingen børn, for Elisabet kunne ikke få børn, og nu var de begge oppe i årene.
8 En dag, da Zakarias var i færd med sin tjeneste i templet, for det var hans hold, der havde tjeneste i den uge, 9 tilfaldt det ham ved lodtrækning at gå ind i det hellige rum i templet for at bringe røgelsesofferet. 10 Imens han var i færd med det, stod en stor forsamling af jøder ude i tempelgården og bad, som de plejede, når der brændtes røgelse. 11 Pludselig fik Zakarias inde i templet øje på en engel, der stod på højre side af røgelsesalteret, 12 og det gjorde ham skrækslagen.
13 „Vær ikke bange, Zakarias!” sagde englen. „Jeg er kommet for at fortælle dig, at Gud har hørt dine bønner. Din kone Elisabet vil få en søn, som du skal kalde Johannes. 14 Han vil blive til stor glæde for dig selv og mange andre, 15 for han vil blive en af Guds største tjenere. Han må aldrig drikke vin eller øl, og han vil blive fyldt med Helligåndens kraft,[c] allerede før han bliver født. 16 Mange af Israels folk vil vende om fra deres ondskab og søge Herren, deres Gud, når de hører ham tale. 17 Johannes vil træde frem i profeten Elias’ ånd og kraft. Han vil hjælpe forældre til at blive forsonet med deres børn og hjælpe de ulydige til at forstå visdommen i at gøre Guds vilje. Han vil gøre folket parat til at møde Herren.[d]”
18 „Det har jeg svært ved at tro,” indvendte Zakarias. „Jeg er jo en halvgammel mand, og min kone er også godt oppe i årene. Giver du mig et tegn, så jeg kan tro på det?”
19 Englen svarede: „Jeg er Gabriel, Guds betroede tjener, og han har sendt mig herhen for at fortælle dig den gode nyhed. 20 Men fordi du tvivlede på, hvad jeg sagde, vil du få det tegn at blive stum. Du vil ikke kunne sige et eneste ord, før barnet er født. Men det, jeg har sagt, vil ske til den fastsatte tid!”
21 Forsamlingen udenfor stod og ventede på, at Zakarias skulle komme ud til dem, og de undrede sig over, at han blev så længe inde i templet. 22 Da han endelig kom ud, kunne han ikke få et ord frem, og folk forstod, at han havde haft et syn i templet. Han forsøgte med tegn og fagter at forklare, hvad der var sket.
23 Efter at Zakarias havde fuldført sin tjenesteuge i templet, vendte han tilbage til sit hjem. 24 Og det varede ikke længe, før Elisabet blev gravid, hvorefter hun holdt sig inden døre i fem måneder.
25 „Det er Gud, der har gjort det!” udbrød hun. „Han har været nådig imod mig og taget min skam bort.”[e]
Den mirakuløse undfangelse af Jesus, Guds Søn
26 Et halvt år efter at Gud havde sendt Gabriel til Zakarias, sendte han ham til Nazaret i Galilæa, 27 hvor der var en ung pige ved navn Maria. Hun var forlovet med en mand, der hed Josef, og han var af Kong Davids slægt. 28 Da Gabriel kom til hende, sagde han: „Fred være med dig! Du er elsket af Gud, og han har store planer med dig.” 29 Maria blev forbløffet over de ord og spekulerede på, hvad meningen kunne være.
30 „Vær ikke bange, Maria,” sagde englen, „for du er udvalgt af Gud. 31 Du vil blive gravid og føde en søn, som du skal give navnet Jesus. 32 Han vil få stor betydning, for han er den Almægtiges Søn. Gud Herren vil sætte ham på Davids trone, 33 og han skal for altid være konge over Israels folk. Hans herredømme vil aldrig få ende.”
34 „Men hvordan skulle jeg kunne få et barn?” spurgte Maria. „Jeg har jo ikke nogen mand.”[f]
35 Englen svarede: „Helligånden vil komme over dig, og den almægtige Guds kraft vil gøre et under i dig. Derfor vil det barn, du skal føde, blive et helligt barn, Guds Søn. 36 Og jeg kan fortælle dig, at din gamle slægtning Elisabet, som aldrig har kunnet få børn, nu venter et barn. Hun er allerede i sjette måned. 37 Intet er umuligt for Gud.”
38 „Så er jeg parat til at acceptere Guds vilje,” udbrød Maria. „Lad det blot ske, som du har sagt.” Så forlod englen hende.
Maria besøger Elisabet
39-40 Maria tog nu af sted til Judæas højland, til den by, hvor Zakarias boede, for hun ville besøge Elisabet. 41 I samme øjeblik Elisabet hørte Marias fredshilsen, sparkede barnet inde i hendes mave, og hun blev fyldt med Helligåndens kraft.
42 „Maria!” råbte hun glædestrålende, „hvor er du en velsignet kvinde, og velsignet er det barn, du venter. 43 Hvilken ære, at min Herres mor kommer og besøger mig. 44 Netop da jeg hørte din fredshilsen, hoppede barnet inden i mig af fryd. 45 Du er velsignet, fordi du troede på, at Gud ville opfylde det løfte, han gav dig.”
Marias lovprisning
46 Maria brød nu ud i en lovprisning til Gud:
„Jeg priser Herren af hele mit hjerte!
47 Jeg fryder mig over Gud, min Frelser,
48 for han har udvalgt mig, sin ringe tjener.
Alle kommende slægter vil kalde mig velsignet,
49 for den Almægtige har gjort store ting mod mig.
Han er en hellig Gud,
50 og hans trofaste nåde gælder alle, der ærer ham.
51 Han straffer enhver, som har hovmod i hjertet,
og spreder dem for alle vinde.
52 Verdens fyrster styrter han fra tronen,
men de ydmyge ophøjer han.
53 De sultne mætter han med alt godt,
men de rige sender han tomhændet bort.
54 Han er kommet for at hjælpe sin tjener Israel
ved at opfylde sit løfte om nåde,
55 det løfte, han gav vores forfædre,
om at velsigne Abraham og hans børn for evigt.”
56 Maria blev hos Elisabet i omtrent tre måneder og vendte så tilbage til sit hjem.
Johannes Døbers fødsel
57 Dagen kom, hvor Elisabet skulle føde, og hun fik en dreng. 58 Familie og naboer fik hurtigt den gode nyhed at vide, og alle glædede sig over Guds godhed mod hende.
59 Ugedagen[g] efter kom slægt og venner for at deltage i omskærelsesceremonien. Alle regnede med, at drengen skulle hedde Zakarias som sin far, 60 men Elisabet sagde: „Nej, han skal hedde Johannes!”[h]
61 „Hvorfor?” udbrød de. „Der er ikke én i hele familien, der hedder sådan.” 62 Så spurgte de med tegn og fagter barnets far, hvad han ønskede, drengen skulle hedde. 63 Han bad om en tavle, og til alles store overraskelse skrev han: „Drengens navn er Johannes.”
64 I samme øjeblik kunne Zakarias tale igen, og han begyndte at lovprise Gud. 65 Naboerne blev slået af forundring, og beretningen herom gik fra mund til mund over hele Judæas højland. 66 Alle, der hørte om det, undrede sig og sagde: „Hvad mon Gud har for med den dreng?” De mirakler, der var sket, gjorde det klart, at Gud havde særlige planer med ham.
67 Johannes’ far, Zakarias, blev fyldt med Helligåndens kraft og profeterede:
68 „Lovet være Herren, Israels Gud,
for han har besluttet at befri sit folk.
69 Han har ladet fremstå en forunderlig Frelser
af sin tjener Davids slægt.
70 Det forudsagde han gennem sine hellige profeter
i fordums tid:
71 En Frelser, der skal befri os fra vore fjender,
fra alle, der hader os.
72-75 Han husker sin pagt med Abraham,
det løfte, han selv har givet,
om at vi altid kunne tjene ham i hellighed og retfærdighed
uden frygt for vore fjender.
76 Og du, mit barn,
du skal kaldes den Højestes profet,
for du skal bane vej for Herren.
77 Du skal fortælle hans folk om frelsen,
ved at de får deres synd tilgivet
78 som følge af Guds inderlige barmhjertighed.
Solen fra det Høje er på vej for at hjælpe os.
79 Hans lys vil skinne for dem,
som lever i mørke og i dødens skygge,
og han vil lede vore fødder ind på fredens vej.”
80 Johannes voksede op og var meget modtagelig for åndelig åbenbarelse. Han opholdt sig i ødemarken, mens han forberedte sig til den dag, da han skulle træde offentligt frem for Israels folk.
Footnotes
- 1,5 Kong Herodes den Store, som man hidtil har ment døde i år 4 f.Kr., men som nogle nu mener døde i 1 f. Kr.
- 1,5 Alle de jødiske præster nedstammede fra den første præst Aron fra Levis stamme. De var inddelt i 24 skiftehold, og hvert hold gjorde tjeneste i helligdommen i én uge ca. to gange om året. Jf. 1.Krøn. 24.
- 1,15 Se noten til Matt. 1,18.
- 1,17 Jf. Mal. 3,23-24.
- 1,25 At være barnløs blev betragtet som en straf fra Gud, og folk så ned på sådanne kvinder.
- 1,34 En kvinde, der fik et barn, før hun var gift, risikerede dødsstraf.
- 1,59 Teksten siger: „på den ottende dag”, hvilket er det samme som „syv dage efter”.
- 1,60 Navne havde en betydning, som var væsentlig for jøderne. Johannes er det samme som Johanan, og det betyder: „Gud bringer nåde”.
Luke 1
Worldwide English (New Testament)
1 Many people have tried already to write down the things that have happened among us.
2 These things were told us by men who saw them happen from the time they began to happen. And these men helped tell the good news.
3 I have tried to find out all that has happened from the beginning. And so, Theophilus, great ruler, I myself will write you the whole story.
4 Then you will know that the things people have told you are true.
5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah. He was one of a group of priests, and Abijah was their leader. Zechariah's wife Elizabeth came from the family of Aaron.
6 Both of them were good people as God saw them. They obeyed all the laws and the things that the Lord said they should do.
7 But they had no children. Elizabeth was not able to have a baby and they were both very old.
8 Zechariah was doing his work one day as a priest to God. It was time for his group to do the work in the temple.
9 The priests had a certain way of dividing their work. This day it was Zechariah's turn to go into the temple of the Lord and burn the incense [that smells sweet when it is burned].
10 All the people were talking to God outside the temple at this time.
11 An angel of the Lord came to Zechariah. He was standing on the right side of the incense table.
12 When Zechariah saw him, he was surprised and afraid.
13 But the angel said, `Do not be afraid, Zechariah. You have been talking to God. He has heard you. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son. Name him John.
14 `You will be glad and happy. Many people will be glad when he is born.
15 He will be great in the way the Lord calls people great. He must not drink wine or any strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the time he is born.
16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.
17 He will go ahead of the Lord. He will have the spirit and power of Elijah. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children. And he will bring back the people who do not obey, so that they will want to do what good people do. He will make people ready for the Lord.'
18 Then Zechariah said to the angel, `How can I know that this will happen? I am an old man and my wife is also old.'
19 The angel answered him, `I am Gabriel and I stand before God. I have been sent to talk to you and to bring you this good news.
20 Now listen. You will be silent and not be able to talk until the day that all this has happened. This is because you did not believe what I told you. At the right time all that I said will come true.'
21 the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the temple. They were surprised that he stayed in so long.
22 When he came out, he could not talk to them. They knew that he had seen something in the temple. He made signs to them with his hands and did not talk.
23 When his time for doing the work of a priest was finished, Zechariah went home.
24 After that, his wife Elizabeth found she was going to have a baby. For five months she stayed away from people.
25 She said to herself, `The Lord has done this for me. At this time he has remembered me so that I need not be ashamed among people anymore.'
26 Elizabeth was now in her sixth month. God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee.
27 The angel was sent to a young woman there. Her name was Mary. She was promised to a man named Joseph, to be his wife. He was of David's family line.
28 The angel went into the house and said to her, `Be happy! God has blessed you more than other women. The Lord is with you!'
29 What the angel said troubled Mary. She wondered what this greeting meant.
30 The angel said to her, `Do not be afraid, Mary. God has blessed you.
31 You will have a baby son. Name him Jesus.
32 He will be a great man. He will be called the Son of the Highest One [a name for God]. The Lord God will make him king where his father David was king.
33 He will be king over the people of Israel for ever. He will never stop being king.'
34 Then Mary said to the angel, `How can this happen? I have no husband.'
35 The angel answered, `The Holy Spirit will come to you. The power of the Highest One will be over you. That is why the holy child who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
36 `Your cousin Elizabeth is also going to have a baby son, though she is an old woman. This is the sixth month for her. She is one whom people said would not have a baby.
37 But God can do anything.'
38 Mary said, `I am the Lord's servant. Let it be as you have said.' Then the angel left her.
39 At that time, Mary got ready and went as quickly as she could to the hill country. She went to a town in Judah.
40 She went into the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby in her moved. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 She said in a loud voice, `God has made you happy and blessed you more than all other women. He has blessed your baby.
43 Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 Listen! When I heard your greeting, the baby inside me moved because he was glad.
45 She who has believed what was told her is blessed. What the Lord said to her will come true.'
46 Mary said, `My heart is praising the Lord.
47 And my spirit is happy because God has saved me.
48 He has remembered his servant even though she is not a great person. From now on all people of all times will say God has blessed me.
49 He who has all power has done a big work for me. His name is holy.
50 `He is kind to people of all times who respect him.
51 He has shown how strong he is with his arm. He has taken away people who were proud in their hearts.
52 He has moved big rulers from power, and those that were not great he has made great.
53 He has given hungry people good things to eat, and sent away the rich people with nothing.
54 He has helped his servant Israel.
55 He has remembered to be kind just as he said to our fathers of long ago. He promised to be kind to Abraham and his children's children for ever.'
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months. Then she went home.
57 The time had now come for Elizabeth's child to be born. She had a son.
58 When her neighbours and family heard that the Lord had been so kind to her, they were glad, too.
59 On the eighth day people came to circumcise [make a special mark on] the child. They were going to name him Zechariah like his father.
60 But his mother said, `No, his name is to be John.'
61 They said to her, `But no one in your family has that name.'
62 They made signs to the father to find out what name he wanted the child to have.
63 He asked for something to write on. He wrote, `His name is John.' They were all surprised.
64 Right then he opened his mouth and his tongue was free. He began to speak and to praise God.
65 Everyone who lived around there began to wonder at these things. And everywhere in the hill country of Judea, all these things were talked about.
66 All those who heard them thought much about them. They said, `What will this child be some day?' They said this because the power of the Lord was with him.
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke words from God.
68 He said, `Praise the Lord God of Israel! He has remembered his people, and set them free.
69 He has chosen one from the family of his servant David. He has given him power to save us.
70 That is what he promised through his holy prophets of God long ago.
71 He said he would save us from our enemies and set us free from those who hate us.
72 `He said he would be kind to our fathers. He said he would remember his agreement with them.
73-75 That was what he promised our father Abraham he would surely do. He promised to set us free from our enemies. He promised that we should be without fear. He promised that we would worship him and be holy and good before him as long as we live.
76 `You, my child, will be called the prophet or messenger of the Highest One. You will go ahead of the Lord to make his way ready.
77 You will tell his people how to be saved by being forgiven for their wrong ways.
78 `Our God is kind. A light from heaven will shine.
79 That light will shine on those who are in darkness, and are going to die. That light will show us how to walk in peace.'
80 The child grew. He became strong in spirit. He lived in the desert until the day when he came to the people of Israel.
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