³ it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write ^(A)an orderly account for you, ^(B)most excellent ^(C)Theophilus, ⁴ that you may have ^(D)certainty concerning the things ^(E)you have been taught.

Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

^5 (F)In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,^{[a] (G)}of ^(H)the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶ And they were both ^(I)righteous before God, walking ^(J)blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. ⁷ But they had no child, because ^(K)Elizabeth was barren, and ^(L)both were advanced in years.

⁸ Now ^(M)while he was serving as priest before God when ^(N)his division was on duty, ⁹ according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot ^(O)to enter ^(P)the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰ And the whole multitude of the people ^(Q)were praying ^(R)outside at the hour of incense. ¹¹ And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of ^(S)the altar of incense. ¹² And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and ^(T)fear fell upon him. ¹³ But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for ^(U)your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and ^(V)you shall call his name John. ¹⁴ And you will have joy and gladness, and many will ^(W)rejoice at his birth, ¹⁵ for he will be ^(X)great before the Lord. And ^(Y)he must not drink wine or strong ^(Z)drink, and ^(AA)he will be ^(AB)filled with the Holy Spirit, ^(AC)even from his mother's womb. ¹⁶ And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, ¹⁷ and ^(AD)he will go before him ^(AE)in the spirit and power of Elijah, ^(AF)to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and ^(AG)the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, ^(AH)to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

²⁴ After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, ²⁵ “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, ^(A)to take away my reproach among people.”

Birth of Jesus Foretold

²⁶ In the sixth month the angel ^(B)Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named ^(C)Nazareth, ^27 (D)to a virgin betrothed^[a] to a man whose name was Joseph, ^(E)of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. ²⁸ And he came to her and said, “Greetings, ^(F)O favored one, ^(G)the Lord is with you!”^{[b] 29} But ^(H)she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰ And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for ^(I)you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, ^(J)you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and ^(K)you shall call his name Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of ^(L)the Most High. And the Lord God ^(M)will give to him the throne of ^(N)his father David, ³³ and he will reign over the house of Jacob ^(O)forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

³⁴ And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”^[c]

³⁵ And the angel answered her, ^(P)“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of ^(Q)the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born^[d] will be called ^(R)holy—^(S)the Son of God. ³⁶ And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her ^(T)who was called barren. ³⁷ For ^(U)nothing will be impossible with God.” ³⁸ And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant^[e] of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And ^(V)the angel departed from her.

^80 (W)And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was ^(X)in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.