路加福音 1
Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified)
路加自序
1 提阿非罗大人哪，有好些人提笔作书，述说在我们中间所成就的事，是照传道的人从起初亲眼看见又传给我们的。 3 这些事我既从起头都详细考察了，就定意要按着次序写给你， 4 使你知道所学之道都是确实的。
5 当犹太王希律的时候，亚比雅班里有一个祭司，名叫撒迦利亚。他妻子是亚伦的后人，名叫伊利莎白。 6 他们二人在神面前都是义人，遵行主的一切诫命礼仪，没有可指摘的。 7 只是没有孩子，因为伊利莎白不生育，两个人又年纪老迈了。
预言施洗约翰的生
8 撒迦利亚按班次在神面前供祭司的职分， 9 照祭司的规矩掣签，得进主殿烧香。 10 烧香的时候，众百姓在外面祷告。 11 有主的使者站在香坛的右边向他显现。 12 撒迦利亚看见，就惊慌害怕。 13 天使对他说：“撒迦利亚，不要害怕，因为你的祈祷已经被听见了。你的妻子伊利莎白要给你生一个儿子，你要给他起名叫约翰。 14 你必欢喜快乐，有许多人因他出世也必喜乐。 15 他在主面前将要为大，淡酒浓酒都不喝，从母腹里就被圣灵充满了。 16 他要使许多以色列人回转，归于主他们的神。 17 他必有以利亚的心志能力，行在主的前面，叫为父的心转向儿女，叫悖逆的人转从义人的智慧，又为主预备合用的百姓。” 18 撒迦利亚对天使说：“我凭着什么可知道这事呢？我已经老了，我的妻子也年纪老迈了。” 19 天使回答说：“我是站在神面前的加百列，奉差而来对你说话，将这好信息报给你。 20 到了时候，这话必然应验。只因你不信，你必哑巴，不能说话，直到这事成就的日子。” 21 百姓等候撒迦利亚，诧异他许久在殿里。 22 及至他出来，不能和他们说话，他们就知道他在殿里见了异象，因为他直向他们打手势，竟成了哑巴。 23 他供职的日子已满，就回家去了。
24 这些日子以后，他的妻子伊利莎白怀了孕，就隐藏了五个月， 25 说：“主在眷顾我的日子这样看待我，要把我在人间的羞耻除掉。”
加百列预言耶稣的生
26 到了第六个月，天使加百列奉神的差遣往加利利的一座城去，这城名叫拿撒勒； 27 到一个童女那里，是已经许配大卫家的一个人，名叫约瑟，童女的名字叫马利亚。 28 天使进去，对她说：“蒙大恩的女子，我问你安，主和你同在了！” 29 马利亚因这话就很惊慌，又反复思想这样问安是什么意思。 30 天使对她说：“马利亚，不要怕，你在神面前已经蒙恩了。 31 你要怀孕生子，可以给他起名叫耶稣。 32 他要为大，称为至高者的儿子；主神要把他祖大卫的位给他， 33 他要做雅各家的王，直到永远；他的国也没有穷尽。” 34 马利亚对天使说：“我没有出嫁，怎么有这事呢？” 35 天使回答说：“圣灵要临到你身上，至高者的能力要荫庇你。因此，所要生的圣者必称为神的儿子[a]。 36 况且你的亲戚伊利莎白，在年老的时候也怀了男胎，就是那素来称为不生育的，现在有孕六个月了。 37 因为出于神的话，没有一句不带能力的。” 38 马利亚说：“我是主的使女，情愿照你的话成就在我身上！”天使就离开她去了。
马利亚往看伊利莎白
39 那时候，马利亚起身急忙往山地里去，来到犹大的一座城， 40 进了撒迦利亚的家，问伊利莎白安。 41 伊利莎白一听马利亚问安，所怀的胎就在腹里跳动，伊利莎白且被圣灵充满， 42 高声喊着说：“你在妇女中是有福的！你所怀的胎也是有福的！ 43 我主的母到我这里来，这是从哪里得的呢？ 44 因为你问安的声音一入我耳，我腹里的胎就欢喜跳动。 45 这相信的女子是有福的！因为主对她所说的话都要应验。”
马利亚尊主为大
46 马利亚说：“我心尊主为大， 47 我灵以神我的救主为乐， 48 因为他顾念他使女的卑微。从今以后，万代要称我有福， 49 那有权能的为我成就了大事，他的名为圣！ 50 他怜悯敬畏他的人，直到世世代代。 51 他用膀臂施展大能，那狂傲的人正心里妄想就被他赶散了。 52 他叫有权柄的失位，叫卑贱的升高； 53 叫饥饿的得饱美食，叫富足的空手回去。 54 他扶助了他的仆人以色列， 55 为要记念亚伯拉罕和他的后裔，施怜悯直到永远，正如从前对我们列祖所说的话。”
56 马利亚和伊利莎白同住约有三个月，就回家去了。
给施洗约翰起名
57 伊利莎白的产期到了，就生了一个儿子。 58 邻里亲族听见主向她大施怜悯，就和她一同欢乐。 59 到了第八日，他们来要给孩子行割礼，并要照他父亲的名字叫他撒迦利亚。 60 他母亲说：“不可，要叫他约翰。” 61 他们说：“你亲族中没有叫这名字的。” 62 他们就向他父亲打手势，问他要叫这孩子什么名字。 63 他要了一块写字的板，就写上说：“他的名字是约翰。”他们便都稀奇。 64 撒迦利亚的口立时开了，舌头也舒展了，就说出话来，称颂神。 65 周围居住的人都惧怕。这一切的事就传遍了犹太的山地。 66 凡听见的人都将这事放在心里，说：“这个孩子将来怎么样呢？”因为有主与他同在。
预言救恩临到以色列人
67 他父亲撒迦利亚被圣灵充满了，就预言说： 68 “主以色列的神是应当称颂的！因他眷顾他的百姓，为他们施行救赎， 69 在他仆人大卫家中，为我们兴起了拯救的角， 70 正如主借着从创世以来圣先知的口所说的话， 71 拯救我们脱离仇敌和一切恨我们之人的手； 72 向我们列祖施怜悯、记念他的圣约， 73 就是他对我们祖宗亚伯拉罕所起的誓， 74 叫我们既从仇敌手中被救出来， 75 就可以终身在他面前，坦然无惧地用圣洁、公义侍奉他。 76 孩子啊，你要称为至高者的先知，因为你要行在主的前面，预备他的道路， 77 叫他的百姓因罪得赦就知道救恩。 78 因我们神怜悯的心肠，叫清晨的日光从高天临到我们， 79 要照亮坐在黑暗中死荫里的人，把我们的脚引到平安的路上。”
80 那孩子渐渐长大，心灵强健，住在旷野，直到他显明在以色列人面前的日子。
Footnotes
- 路加福音 1:35 或作：所要生的必称为圣，称为神的儿子。
Luke 1
EasyEnglish Bible
Luke writes the facts about Jesus
1 Many people have written about the things that have happened in our country. 2 Some people were present when these things started to happen. They saw everything that happened and they told us about it. They are the people who wrote down the Good News for us. 3 I have checked the facts about what really happened. So now, I know about all the things that happened from the beginning. I am writing to make the facts clear to you, my important friend Theophilus. 4 People have already taught you about these things. Now you can be sure that they are true.
What happened before John the Baptist was born
5 There was a man whose name was Zechariah. He lived when Herod was king of Judea.[a] Zechariah was a priest and he belonged to a group of priests from the family of Abijah. He had a wife called Elizabeth. She also was from the family of the priest called Aaron.[b]
6 Zechariah and Elizabeth obeyed God's commands and rules. God saw that they were righteous people. They did not do wrong things. 7 But they had no children. Elizabeth could not give birth and they were both getting old.[c]
8 One day, Zechariah's group of priests was working at the temple. He had a special job to do there. 9 The priests chose one of their group to go into the holy place in the temple. This time they chose Zechariah.[d] His job was to burn incense there.
10 While Zechariah was burning incense in the special room, many men were outside in the yard.[e] They were praying to God.
11 The incense was burning on a special altar, when one of God's angels appeared to Zechariah. The angel was standing at the right hand side of the altar.[f]
12 When Zechariah saw the angel, he was very surprised and very afraid. 13 The angel said to him, ‘Zechariah, do not be afraid. God has heard what you prayed. He will give you what you asked for. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to a baby boy. You will give him the name “John”. 14-15 He will be very important to the Lord God. So he will make you very happy. Many other people will also be very happy because he has been born. He must never drink anything with alcohol in it. From the time that he is born, the Holy Spirit will live inside him.
16 He will teach many people in Israel.[g] Then they will turn their lives back to the Lord their God and they will obey God again. 17 John will prepare the people for the Lord to come to them. The Holy Spirit will lead John as he led Elijah.[h] John will do powerful things as Elijah did. He will help fathers to love their children. He will teach people who do not obey God. Then they will know what things are right. And they will do them. Then they will be ready when the Lord comes.’
18 Zechariah asked the angel, ‘How can I be sure about this? You know that I am an old man. My wife is also old.’
19 The angel answered, ‘I am called Gabriel. My place is to stand in front of God. I am always ready to work for God. He has sent me to speak to you. He told me that I should tell you this good news. 20 Now listen to me. Because you did not believe my message, you will not be able to speak. You will not speak again until the time that your son is born. My message will really become true at the right time.’
21 While this was happening, the people outside were waiting for Zechariah. They were thinking, ‘Why has Zechariah stayed for such a long time in the special room? Why has he not come out yet?’ 22 When he did come out, he tried to talk to them. But he could not speak. So they knew that God had showed him something special in the room. He was moving his head and his hands about, to tell them what had happened. But still he could not speak.
23 When Zechariah had finished his work in the temple, he returned home. 24 Soon, a baby was growing inside his wife Elizabeth. She stayed in her house for five months. 25 ‘The Lord has now given me a baby,’ she said. ‘He has been kind to me. Because of this, other people cannot say bad things about me now.’
What happened before Jesus was born
26 When Elizabeth's baby had grown inside her for nearly six months, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth. Nazareth is a town in Galilee. 27 Gabriel went there to visit a young woman. Her name was Mary. She had never had sex with anyone. She had promised to marry a man called Joseph. He belonged to the family of King David.[i]
28 Gabriel went to Mary and said, ‘Hello, Mary. The Lord God loves you very much. He is very near to you.’
29 Mary had a lot of problems in her mind about Gabriel's message. She did not understand what he meant. 30 Then Gabriel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary. God has been kind to you. 31 Listen! A baby boy will grow inside you. When he is born, you will call him Jesus. 32 He will be great. People will call him the Son of the powerful God who is over all. The Lord God will make him king. He will rule as his ancestor King David ruled.[j] 33 He will rule over the family of Jacob for all time.[k] He will be king for all time, without end.’
34 Mary asked, ‘How can this happen? I have never had sex with anyone.’ 35 Gabriel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come to you. The power of God who is over all will cover you like a shadow. So your child will be special to God. He will be completely good. He will be called God's Son. 36 Another thing! Your cousin, Elizabeth, is very old. People said that she could not have a baby. Listen! She also will have a son. The baby has grown inside her now for nearly six months. 37 There is nothing that God cannot do.’
38 Mary answered, ‘I am the servant of the Lord. I have heard what you have said. I want it to happen to me just like that.’ Then the angel left her.
Mary visits Elizabeth
39 After that, Mary prepared herself to travel. She hurried to a town in the hills of Judea. 40 When she arrived at the home of Zechariah, she said ‘hello’ to Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary speak, she felt her baby move quickly inside her. The Holy Spirit filled her. 42 She spoke to Mary in a loud voice, ‘God has made you very happy. He has been good and kind to you more than to other women. He has also been good and kind to your baby. 43 You are the mother of my Lord and I am not an important person. So it is very good that you have visited me. 44 Listen! When I heard you say, “Hello” to me, my baby moved quickly inside me. He was very happy. 45 The Lord has told you what will happen. And you believed what he told you. Because of that, God has made you a happy person.’
Mary's song
46 Then Mary said,
‘All of me wants to praise God and say,
“Lord, how good and great you are!”
47 I thank God because he is the one who saves me.
48 I know that I am not an important person.
God knows this, and he has been kind to me.
Listen! From now on, all people will say that God has made me happy.
49 Yes, God has done great things for me.
He is very powerful and strong. He is good in every way.
50 He is kind to people who respect and obey him.
He will always be kind to people like that.
51 He has shown how strong he is to do great things.
Some people think that they are very important.
But he has sent them away in different directions.
52 Some people were ruling countries.
But he has taken their power away from them.
He has given power to people who do not feel important.
53 He has fed hungry people with good things to eat.
But he has sent rich people away with nothing.
54 He promised that he would be kind to his people, Israel.
Now he has come and helped them.
55 He made a promise to Abraham and to our other ancestors.
Now he has done what he promised.’[l]
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months. Then she returned to her home.
John the Baptist is born
57 The time arrived for Elizabeth to have her baby. She had a son. 58 Her family and the people who lived near her heard about her baby. They knew that the Lord had been very kind to her. They saw that she was happy. So they were happy too. 59 When the child was eight days old, people met together to circumcise him.[m] They wanted to call the child Zechariah. This was the same name that his father had.
60 Elizabeth said, ‘No. His name will be John.’
61 They replied, ‘But you do not have anyone in your family called John. That cannot be right.’ 62 So they used their hands to make signs to the baby's father. They wanted to ask him what his son's name should be.[n]
63 Zechariah asked for something to write on. He wrote, ‘His name is John.’ Everyone was very surprised at what he wrote. 64 Immediately, Zechariah could speak again. He could speak easily. He began to thank God aloud.[o]
65 The people who lived near Zechariah and Elizabeth were very surprised. They saw how great God was. Many people who lived in the hills of Judea also talked about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard about these things thought about them. They asked each other, ‘When this child becomes a man, what will he be?’ They could see that God really was with him.
Zechariah's song
67 The Holy Spirit filled John's father, Zechariah, so that he spoke God's message:
68 ‘The Lord God of Israel is a great God.
He has come to save his people. He has come to make them free.
69 He has sent a very strong person who will save us.[p]
This person comes from the family of his servant, King David.
70 Long ago, God promised that he would do this.
He gave his own prophets this message to speak.
71 God will save us from our enemies.
He will save us from everyone that hates us.
72 He has promised to be kind to our ancestors.
He will do the things that he promised in his holy covenant.
73 Yes, he will remember the strong promises that he spoke to Abraham.[q]
74 God said, “I will keep you safe from your enemies.
Then you can serve me and not be afraid.
75 You can live in a way that is good and right.
You can do this all your lives.” ’[r]
76 Zechariah then spoke to John:
‘You, my child, will be called a prophet of the powerful God who is over all.
You will go in front of the Lord to prepare a way for him.
77 You will tell God's people how God can save them.
They have done wrong things but God will forgive them.
78 Our God will forgive us because he is very kind.
He will send someone from the highest place.
When this person comes, it will be like the sunrise for us.[s]
79 He will bring light to people who are living without God.
It is like those people are living in the dark. They are afraid to die.
But he will shine on them.
He will show us how to live so that we will not be afraid.’[t]
80 Zechariah's child grew. God made him strong in his mind. He went into the wilderness and he lived there for many years. Later, God sent him to Israel's people, to teach them.[u]
Footnotes
- 1:5 This Herod was called Herod the Great. He was king in Judea from the year 37 BC to the year 4 BC.
- 1:5 A priest is a special servant of God who worked at the temple in Jerusalem. All the priests were descendants of Moses' brother, Aaron. He was the brother of Moses. They both lived a long time before Jesus. We can read about Aaron in the book called Exodus. There were 24 groups of priests. One group at a time worked in the temple. Every group had a name. Zechariah was in the group of Abijah.
- 1:7 At that time, people without children thought that God was angry with them. Elizabeth and Zechariah would have felt very sad because they had no children.
- 1:9 They did a special thing to know who would go into the room. It was something like a game that we play. But it was serious and important.
- 1:10 The Jews made incense from special oil that they got from certain kinds of trees. It makes a sweet smell when it burns. They used it in the temple. They burned incense in God's house while they prayed. God had said in his rules that they should do this.
- 1:11 An angel is a servant of God that brings his messages. The ‘right hand side’ means the place of importance.
- 1:16 The people of Israel came from the family of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their children. We call them Jews. God chose them as his special people. He gave the name Israel to Jacob. We can read about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the book called Genesis.
- 1:17 God chose Elijah to speak for him. The Holy Spirit showed him what to say. Elijah gave special messages from God to his people. He taught them to stop doing the things that God did not like. He told them that they should obey God. We can read about Elijah in 1 Kings 17.
- 1:27 David had been a king of Israel. We can read about him in 1 Samuel 16.
- 1:32 Both Joseph and Mary came from the family of King David.
- 1:33 The family of Jacob means all the Jews.
- 1:55 Mary is very happy. She knows that God has been good to her and to Elizabeth. She sings about God. She sings about the great things that he has done. She sings that he will use his power to be kind. He will also use his power against people that do not obey him. Mary is a Jew. She remembers God's promise to the Jews.
- 1:59 They circumcised all baby boys in Israel on the eighth day. It means to cut off the skin from the end of the sex part of a boy or a man. For the Jews, it was a special mark. It showed that they were the people of God. Friends and people that lived near would also be there. They had a party and they gave a name to the boy. See Genesis 17.
- 1:62 Because Zechariah was deaf, they had to make signs to ask him.
- 1:64 Everything had happened as the angel had said.
- 1:69 Jesus is the strong person that God sent. Zechariah knew why Jesus was coming to the earth.
- 1:73 Because Christians are a part of the family of Abraham, God promised this to them too.
- 1:75 Zechariah's song shows how happy he is. God has been good to him and to Elizabeth. God has shown him how important John will be. Zechariah thanks God. He tells the people that God is great.
- 1:78 The ‘sunrise’ is a picture story. It describes Jesus when he came to earth.
- 1:79 God told Zechariah what John would do. John would speak to the people. He would tell them that Jesus was coming.
- 1:80 You can read what John taught the people in Luke 3.
Copyright © 2011 by Global Bible Initiative
EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.