Luke 1
Christian Standard Bible
The Dedication to Theophilus
1 Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled[a] among us,(A) 2 just as the original eyewitnesses(B) and servants of the word(C) handed them down to us. 3 So it also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable(D) Theophilus,(E) 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.[b](F)
Gabriel Predicts John’s Birth
5 In the days of King Herod(G) of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah’s division(H) named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Both were righteous in God’s sight,(I) living without blame(J) according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord. 7 But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years.(K)
8 When his division was on duty(L) and he was serving as priest before God, 9 it happened that he was chosen by lot,(M) according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.(N) 10 At the hour of incense the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. 11 An angel of the Lord(O) appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.(P) 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified and overcome with fear.(Q) 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid,(R) Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard.(S) Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.(T) 14 There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or beer.(U) He will be filled with the Holy Spirit(V) while still in his mother’s womb.(W) 16 He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.(X) 17 And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children,(Y) and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.”(Z)
18 “How can I know this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.”
19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel,(AA) who stands in the presence of God,(AB) and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news. 20 Now listen. You will become 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 proper time.”
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. 22 When he did come out, he could not speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He was making signs to them(AC) and remained speechless. 23 When the days of his ministry were completed, he went back home.
24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived and kept herself in seclusion for five months. She said, 25 “The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace(AD) among the people.”
Gabriel Predicts Jesus’s Birth
26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel(AE) was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,(AF) 27 to a virgin engaged[c](AG) to a man named Joseph, of the house of David.(AH) The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.”[d] 29 But she was deeply troubled(AI) by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 Then the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary,(AJ) for you have found favor with God.(AK) 31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.(AL) 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High,(AM) and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.(AN) 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob(AO) forever, and his kingdom will have no end.” (AP)
34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” [e]
35 The angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,(AQ) and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.(AR) 36 And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”(AS)
38 “See, I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
Mary’s Visit to Elizabeth
39 In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah 40 where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.(AT) 42 Then she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed![f] 43 How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!”
Mary’s Praise
46 And Mary said:
My soul magnifies the Lord,(AU)
47 and my spirit rejoices(AV) in God my Savior,(AW)
48 because he has looked with favor
on the humble condition of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations
will call me blessed,(AX)
49 because the Mighty One(AY)
has done great things for me,(AZ)
and his name(BA) is holy.
50 His mercy is from generation to generation(BB)
on those who fear him.
51 He has done a mighty deed with his arm;(BC)
he has scattered the proud
because of the thoughts of their hearts;(BD)
52 he has toppled the mighty from their thrones
and exalted the lowly.(BE)
53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things(BF)
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering his mercy
55 to Abraham and his descendants[g] forever,(BG)
just as he spoke to our ancestors.
56 And Mary stayed with her about three months; then she returned to her home.
The Birth and Naming of John
57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son. 58 Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her his great mercy,(BH) and they rejoiced with her.
59 When they came to circumcise the child on the eighth day,(BI) they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But his mother responded, “No. He will be called John.”(BJ)
61 Then they said to her, “None of your relatives has that name.” 62 So they motioned to his father(BK) to find out what he wanted him to be called. 63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened(BL) and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard about him(BM) took it to heart, saying, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the Lord’s hand was with him.
Zechariah’s Prophecy
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit(BN) and prophesied:(BO)
68 Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel,(BP)
because he has visited
and provided redemption for his people.(BQ)
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us(BR)
in the house of his servant David,(BS)
70 just as he spoke by the mouth
of his holy prophets in ancient times;(BT)
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of those who hate us.
72 He has dealt mercifully with our ancestors(BU)
and remembered his holy covenant(BV)—
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham,(BW)
to grant that we,
74 having been rescued
from the hand of our enemies,
would serve him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness
in his presence all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called
a prophet of the Most High,(BX)
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare his ways,(BY)
77 to give his people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins.(BZ)
78 Because of our God’s merciful compassion,
the dawn from on high(CA) will visit us
79 to shine on those who live in darkness
and the shadow of death,(CB)
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80 The child grew up and became strong in spirit,[h](CC) and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Footnotes
- 1:1 Or events that have been accomplished, or events most surely believed
- 1:4 Or informed
- 1:27 Lit betrothed
- 1:28 Other mss add Blessed are you among women.
- 1:34 Lit since I do not know a man
- 1:42 Lit and the fruit of your abdomen (or womb) is blessed
- 1:55 Or offspring; lit seed
- 1:80 Or strong in the Spirit
Luke 1
International Standard Version
Luke’s Dedication to Theophilus
1 Since many people have attempted to write an orderly account of the events that have transpired among us, 2 just as they were passed down to us by those who had been eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning, 3 I, too, have carefully investigated everything from the beginning and have decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
The Birth of John the Baptist is Foretold
5 During the reign[a] of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Both of them were righteous before God, having lived blamelessly according to all of the commandments and regulations of the Lord. 7 They had no children because Elizabeth was barren and because both of them were getting old.[b]
8 When Zechariah[c] was serving with his division of priests in God’s presence, 9 he was chosen by lot to go into the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense, according to the custom of the priests. 10 And the entire congregation of people was praying outside at the time when the incense was burned.
11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the incense altar. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled, and fear overwhelmed him. 13 But the angel told him, “Stop being afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have great joy,[d] and many people will rejoice at his birth, 15 because he will be great in the Lord’s presence. He will never drink wine or any strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring many of Israel’s descendants back to the Lord their God. 17 He is the one who will go before the Lord[e] with the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, and to prepare the people to be ready for the Lord.”
18 Then Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this, since I am an old man, and my wife is getting older?”[f]
19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. I have been sent to speak to you and to announce this good news to you. 20 But because you did not believe my announcement, which will be fulfilled at its proper time,[g] you will become silent and unable to speak until the day this happens.”
21 Meanwhile, the people kept waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed in the sanctuary so long. 22 But when he did come out, he was unable to speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them but remained unable to speak. 23 When the days of his service were over, he went home.
24 After this,[h] his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and remained in seclusion for five months. She said, 25 “This is what the Lord did for me when he looked favorably on me and took away my public disgrace.”
The Birth of Jesus is Foretold
26 Now in the sixth month of her pregnancy,[i] the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant[j] of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel[k] came to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!”[l] 29 Startled by his statement, she tried to figure out what his greeting meant.
30 Then the angel told her, “Stop being afraid, Mary, because you have found favor with God. 31 Listen! You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.”
34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this happen, since I have not had relations with[m] a man?”
35 The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come over you, and the power of the Most High will surround you. Therefore, the child will be holy and will be called the Son of God. 36 And listen! Elizabeth, your relative, has herself conceived a son in her old age, this woman who was rumored to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 Nothing is impossible with respect to any of God’s promises.”
38 Then Mary said, “Truly I am the Lord’s servant. Let everything you have said happen to me.” Then the angel left her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 Later on,[n] Mary set out for a Judean city in the hill country. 40 She went into Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby jumped in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and she loudly exclaimed, “How blessed are you among women, and how blessed is the infant in[o] your womb! 43 Why should this happen to me, to have the mother of my Lord visit me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45 How blessed is this woman who believed that what the Lord told her would be fulfilled!”
Mary’s Song of Praise
46 Then Mary said,
“My soul praises the greatness of the Lord!
47 My spirit exults in God, my Savior,
48 because he has looked favorably on his humble servant.
From now on, all generations will call me blessed,
49 because the Almighty has done great things for me.
His name is holy.
50 His mercy lasts from generation to generation
for those who fear him.
51 He displayed his mighty power with his arm.
He scattered people who were proud in mind and heart.[p]
52 He pulled powerful rulers from their thrones
and lifted up humble people.
53 He filled hungry people with good things
and sent rich people away with nothing.
54 He helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful,
55 according to the promise he made[q] to our ancestors—
to Abraham and his descendants forever.”
56 Now Mary stayed with Elizabeth[r] about three months and then went back home.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 On the eighth day they went to circumcise the child. They were going to name him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother said, “Absolutely not! He must be named John.”
61 Their friends[s] told her, “None of your relatives has that name.”
62 So they motioned to the baby’s[t] father to see what he wanted to name him. 63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And everyone was amazed.
64 Suddenly, Zechariah could open his mouth,[u] his tongue was set free, and he began to speak and to praise God. 65 Fear came over all their neighbors, and throughout the hill country of Judea all these things were being discussed. 66 Everyone who heard about it kept thinking what had happened and asked, “What will this child become?” because it was obvious that the hand of the Lord was with him.
The Prophecy of Zechariah
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel!
He has taken care of his people and has set them free.
69 He has raised up a mighty Savior[v] for us
from the family of his servant David,
70 just as he promised long ago
through the mouth of his holy prophets
71 that he would save us from our enemies
and from the grip of all who hate us.
72 He has shown mercy to our ancestors
and remembered his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham.
He granted us 74 deliverance from our enemies’ grip
so that we could serve him without fear
75 and be holy and righteous before him all of our days.
76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High,
because you will go ahead of the Lord to prepare his way
77 and to give his people knowledge of salvation
through forgiveness of their sins.
78 Because of the tender mercy of our God,
his light[w] from on high has visited us,
79 to shine on those who sit in darkness and in death’s shadow,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 Now the child continued to grow and to become spiritually strong.[x] He lived in the wilderness until the day he appeared in Israel.
Footnotes
- Luke 1:5 Lit. In the days
- Luke 1:7 Lit. were advancing in their days
- Luke 1:8 Lit. he
- Luke 1:14 Lit. have joy and gladness
- Luke 1:17 Lit. before him
- Luke 1:18 Lit. is advancing in her days
- Luke 1:20 Lit. in their times
- Luke 1:24 Lit. After those days
- Luke 1:26 The Gk. lacks of her pregnancy
- Luke 1:27 Lit. of the house
- Luke 1:28 Lit. He
- Luke 1:28 Other mss. read is with you! How blessed are you among women!
- Luke 1:34 Lit. I have not known
- Luke 1:39 Lit. In those days
- Luke 1:42 Lit. the fruit of
- Luke 1:51 Lit. in the mind of their heart
- Luke 1:55 Lit. just as he spoke
- Luke 1:56 Lit. with her
- Luke 1:61 Lit. They
- Luke 1:62 Lit. to his
- Luke 1:64 Lit. his mouth was opened
- Luke 1:69 Lit. a horn of salvation
- Luke 1:78 Or dawn
- Luke 1:80 Or become strong in the Spirit
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