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Luke 1
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
Luke 1
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
1 In-as-much-as many undertook[a] to compile a narrative about the things having been fulfilled[b] among us, 2 just as the eyewitnesses from the first[c] and ones having become servants of the word handed-down to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having closely-followed[d] everything carefully from-the-beginning[e], to write it for you in-order, most-excellent Theophilus, 4 in order that you may fully-know the certainty of the things about which you were instructed.
The Birth of John And Jesus
5 In the days of Herod[f], king of Judea:
There Was a Priest Named Zechariah Whose Wife Elizabeth Was Barren
There was a certain priest— Zechariah by name, from the division of Abijah— and a wife for him from the daughters of Aaron. And her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous ones in the sight of God, walking in all the commandments and regulations of the Lord as blameless[g] ones. 7 And there was not a child for them, because Elizabeth was barren. And they were both advanced in their days.
During His Temple Service, an Angel Tells Him Elizabeth Will Bear a Son
8 And it came about during his serving-as-priest before God in the order of his division, 9 that according to the custom[h] of the priestly-office, he obtained-by-lot that he might offer-incense[i], [after] having entered into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the hour of the offering of incense. 11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And having seen him, Zechariah was frightened, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be fearing, Zechariah, because your prayer was heard. And your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And there will be joy and gladness for you. And many will rejoice over his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will never drink wine and fermented-drink[j], and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still of [k] his mother’s womb, 16 and he will turn-back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go-ahead before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn-back[l] the hearts of fathers to their children, and to turn back disobedient ones with[m] the understanding[n] of righteous ones, to prepare a people having been made-ready for the Lord”. 18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “Based-on what shall I know this? For I am an old-man, and my wife is advanced in her days”. 19 And having responded, the angel said to him, “I am Gabriel, the one standing in the presence of God. And I was sent forth to speak to you, and to announce these things as-good-news to you. 20 And behold— you shall be silent and not able to speak until which day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper-time”. 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah. And they were wondering during his delaying in the temple. 22 And having come out, he was not able to speak to them. And they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was motioning to them and continuing to be mute.
Elizabeth Conceives And Hides It For Five Months
23 And it came about that when the days of his service were fulfilled, he went to his house. 24 And after these days, Elizabeth his wife conceived. And she was concealing herself for five months, saying 25 that “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which He looked-upon me to take-away my reproach among people”.
In The Sixth Month, an Angel Appears To Mary, a Virgin Promised In Marriage To Joseph
26 Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent-forth from God to a city of Galilee for which the name was Nazareth, 27 to a virgin having been promised-in-marriage[o] to a man for whom the name was Joseph, from the house of David. And the name of the virgin was Mary. 28 And having come-in to[p] her, he said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you”. 29 But the one was very-troubled at the statement, and was pondering what-kind-of greeting this might be.
The Angel Tells Mary She Will Give Birth To a Son— Jesus, The Son of God
30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be fearing, Mary. For you found favor[q] with God. 31 And behold— you will conceive in your womb and give-birth to a son. And you shall call His name Jesus. 32 This One will be great, and will be called ‘Son of the Most-High’. And the Lord God will give Him the throne of David, His father. 33 And He will reign[r] over the house of Jacob forever. And there will not be an end of His kingdom”. 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen, since I am not knowing[s] a man?” 35 And having responded, the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most-High will overshadow you. For this reason[t] also the Holy Child being born will be called God’s Son. 36 And behold— Elizabeth your relative also herself has conceived a son in her old age. And this is the sixth month for her, the one being called barren, 37 because no word[u] from God will be impossible”. 38 And Mary said, “Behold the slave of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word”. And the angel departed from her.
Mary Goes To See Elizabeth
39 And having arisen during these days, Mary proceeded to the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered into the house of Zechariah, and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it came about that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped[v] in her womb.
Elizabeth Recognizes Mary As The Mother of Her Lord
And Elizabeth was filled[w] with the Holy Spirit, 42 and exclaimed with a loud shout and said, “You are blessed[x] among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why[y] has this happened to me— that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold— when the sound of your greeting came-to-be in my ears, the baby leaped with gladness in my womb. 45 And blessed[z] is she having believed that[aa] there will be a fulfillment to the things having been spoken to her from the Lord”.
Mary Rejoices Over God Her Savior
46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies[ab] the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoiced-greatly over God my Savior. 48 Because He looked-upon[ac] the lowliness[ad] of His slave, for behold— from now on, all generations will consider me blessed[ae], 49 because the Powerful One did great things for me. And His name is holy. 50 And His mercy to generations and generations is on the ones fearing Him. 51 He did a mighty-deed[af] with His arm. He scattered ones proud[ag] in the thought[ah] of their heart. 52 He brought-down rulers from their thrones, and lifted-up lowly ones. 53 He filled ones being hungry with good things, and sent ones being rich away empty. 54 He helped Israel His servant so that He might remember[ai] mercy, 55 just as He spoke to our fathers— to Abraham, and to his seed forever”. 56 And Mary stayed with her about three months, and returned to her house.
Elizabeth Bears a Son, Who Is Named John. People Wonder What This Child Will Be
57 Now for Elizabeth, the time was fulfilled that she might give-birth, and she bore a son. 58 And the neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord magnified His mercy with her, and they were rejoicing-with her. 59 And it came about that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they[aj] were calling[ak] him Zechariah, on the basis of the name of his father. 60 And having responded, his mother said, “No! Instead he will be called John”. 61 And they said to her that “There is no one from your relatives who is called by this name”. 62 And they were motioning to his father as to what he would wish him to be called. 63 And having asked-for a tablet, he wrote, saying “John is his name”. And they all marveled. 64 And at-once his mouth was opened, and his tongue loosed. And he was speaking, blessing God. 65 And awe came over all the ones living around them. And all these things were being talked-over in the whole hill country of Judea. 66 And all the ones having heard it put these matters in their heart, saying, “What then will this child be?” For[al] indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah Prophesies That John Will Prepare The Way For The Messiah
67 And Zechariah, his father, was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying 68 “Blessed be the Lord God[am] of Israel, because He visited us and accomplished[an] redemption for His people, 69 and raised-up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant (70 just as He spoke through the mouth of His holy prophets from the past age[ao]), 71 a salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all the ones hating us, 72 so as to show mercy to[ap] our fathers and remember[aq] His holy covenant (73 the oath which He swore to Abraham our father)— that He might grant to us that 74 having been delivered from the hand of our enemies, we might be serving[ar] Him fearlessly 75 in holiness and righteousness before Him for all our days. 76 And indeed you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most-High. For you will go before the Lord so as to prepare His ways[as], 77 that you might give[at] His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins 78 because of the deep-feelings-of mercy of our God, with which[au] the rising[av] Sun from on-high will visit us 79 so as to shine-upon the ones sitting in darkness and a shadow of death, that He might direct[aw] our feet into the way of peace”.
John Remains In Seclusion Until His Public Appearance To Israel
80 And the child was growing and becoming-strong in spirit. And he was in the desolate places until the day of his public-appearance[ax] to Israel.
Footnotes
- Luke 1:1 Or, set-their-hand.
- Luke 1:1 Or, accomplished.
- Luke 1:2 That is, the beginning of Christ’s ministry.
- Luke 1:3 Or, accurately-traced.
- Luke 1:3 That is, from before John’s birth.
- Luke 1:5 See Mt 2:1.
- Luke 1:6 Or, faultless.
- Luke 1:9 That is, the custom of casting lots to see who would perform this duty.
- Luke 1:9 That is, offer it inside the Holy Place, a once in a lifetime event for a priest.
- Luke 1:15 That is, alcoholic beverages made from things other than grapes.
- Luke 1:15 Or, from. That is, still in the womb; or, still a newborn baby.
- Luke 1:17 Turn back the hearts... children. See Mal 4:5-6.
- Luke 1:17 Or, by means of.
- Luke 1:17 Or, way-of-thinking.
- Luke 1:27 That is, by her parents, according to the custom of that day.
- Luke 1:28 That is, come into her house.
- Luke 1:30 Or, grace.
- Luke 1:33 Or, be king.
- Luke 1:34 That is, having sexual relations with.
- Luke 1:35 That is, because God will be the child’s father.
- Luke 1:37 Or, no thing.
- Luke 1:41 Or, leaped-for-joy.
- Luke 1:41 This is how Elizabeth knew the things she says next.
- Luke 1:42 That is, blessed by God.
- Luke 1:43 Or, from where, how.
- Luke 1:45 Or, fortunate, happy.
- Luke 1:45 Or, because.
- Luke 1:46 In Latin, this word is Magnificat, which has become a name for this ‘magnification’ of God by Mary.
- Luke 1:48 That is, with favor.
- Luke 1:48 That is, humble status.
- Luke 1:48 Or, fortunate. That is, a most fortunate recipient of God’s favor.
- Luke 1:51 Or, showed strength, defined by what follows.
- Luke 1:51 Or, arrogant, haughty.
- Luke 1:51 Or, way of thinking.
- Luke 1:54 Or, keep-in-mind.
- Luke 1:59 That is, the people at the ceremony.
- Luke 1:59 Or, were going to call.
- Luke 1:66 This may be part of the quote, and refer to the circumstances of John’s birth. Or, this may be Luke’s comment.
- Luke 1:68 Or, the Lord, the God of Israel.
- Luke 1:68 Or, brought about. Zechariah is speaking prophetically.
- Luke 1:70 Or, from long-ago, from of old.
- Luke 1:72 That is, by at last carrying out His promises to them.
- Luke 1:72 That is, be mindful of the covenant He swore to them. In Gen 22:16-18 God swore that all nations of the earth would be blessed in Abraham.
- Luke 1:74 Or, worshiping.
- Luke 1:76 Or, paths.
- Luke 1:77 That is, through the One coming after you.
- Luke 1:78 This is plural, referring either to deep-feelings of mercy, or to salvation, forgiveness, and deep-feelings of mercy.
- Luke 1:78 Or, the rising Star; or, the Dawn. That is, the Messiah, alluding to Mal 4:2.
- Luke 1:79 Or, lead, guide.
- Luke 1:80 Or, manifestation.
路 加 福 音 1
Chinese Union Version (Traditional)
路 加 福 音 1
Chinese Union Version (Traditional)
1 提 阿 非 羅 大 人 哪 ， 有 好 些 人 提 筆 作 書 ， 述 說 在 我 們 中 間 所 成 就 的 事 ， 是 照 傳 道 的 人 從 起 初 親 眼 看 見 又 傳 給 我 們 的 。
2 a
3 這 些 事 我 既 從 起 頭 都 詳 細 考 察 了 ， 就 定 意 要 按 著 次 序 寫 給 你 ，
4 使 你 知 道 所 學 之 道 都 是 確 實 的 。
5 當 猶 太 王 希 律 的 時 候 ， 亞 比 雅 班 裡 有 一 個 祭 司 ， 名 叫 撒 迦 利 亞 ； 他 妻 子 是 亞 倫 的 後 人 ， 名 叫 以 利 沙 伯 。
6 他 們 二 人 在 神 面 前 都 是 義 人 ， 遵 行 主 的 一 切 誡 命 禮 儀 ， 沒 有 可 指 摘 的 ，
7 只 是 沒 有 孩 子 ； 因 為 以 利 沙 伯 不 生 育 ， 兩 個 人 又 年 紀 老 邁 了 。
8 撒 迦 利 亞 按 班 次 在 神 面 前 供 祭 司 的 職 分 ，
9 照 祭 司 的 規 矩 掣 籤 ， 得 進 主 殿 燒 香 。
10 燒 香 的 時 候 ， 眾 百 姓 在 外 面 禱 告 。
11 有 主 的 使 者 站 在 香 壇 的 右 邊 ， 向 他 顯 現 。
12 撒 迦 利 亞 看 見 ， 就 驚 慌 害 怕 。
13 天 使 對 他 說 ： 撒 迦 利 亞 ， 不 要 害 怕 ， 因 為 你 的 祈 禱 已 經 被 聽 見 了 。 你 的 妻 子 以 利 沙 伯 要 給 你 生 一 個 兒 子 ， 你 要 給 他 起 名 叫 約 翰 。
14 你 必 歡 喜 快 樂 ； 有 許 多 人 因 他 出 世 ， 也 必 喜 樂 。
15 他 在 主 面 前 將 要 為 大 ， 淡 酒 濃 酒 都 不 喝 ， 從 母 腹 裡 就 被 聖 靈 充 滿 了 。
16 他 要 使 許 多 以 色 列 人 回 轉 ， 歸 於 主 ─ 他 們 的 神 。
17 他 必 有 以 利 亞 的 心 志 能 力 ， 行 在 主 的 前 面 ， 叫 為 父 的 心 轉 向 兒 女 ， 叫 悖 逆 的 人 轉 從 義 人 的 智 慧 ， 又 為 主 預 備 合 用 的 百 姓 。
18 撒 迦 利 亞 對 天 使 說 ： 我 憑 著 甚 麼 可 知 道 這 事 呢 ？ 我 已 經 老 了 ， 我 的 妻 子 也 年 紀 老 邁 了 。
19 天 使 回 答 說 ： 我 是 站 在 神 面 前 的 加 百 列 ， 奉 差 而 來 對 你 說 話 ， 將 這 好 信 息 報 給 你 。
20 到 了 時 候 ， 這 話 必 然 應 驗 ； 只 因 你 不 信 ， 你 必 啞 吧 ， 不 能 說 話 ， 直 到 這 事 成 就 的 日 子 。
21 百 姓 等 候 撒 迦 利 亞 ， 詫 異 他 許 久 在 殿 裡 。
22 及 至 他 出 來 ， 不 能 和 他 們 說 話 ， 他 們 就 知 道 他 在 殿 裡 見 了 異 象 ； 因 為 他 直 向 他 們 打 手 式 ， 竟 成 了 啞 吧 。
23 他 供 職 的 日 子 已 滿 ， 就 回 家 去 了 。
24 這 些 日 子 以 後 ， 他 的 妻 子 以 利 沙 伯 懷 了 孕 ， 就 隱 藏 了 五 個 月 ，
25 說 ： 主 在 眷 顧 我 的 日 子 ， 這 樣 看 待 我 ， 要 把 我 在 人 間 的 羞 恥 除 掉 。
26 到 了 第 六 個 月 ， 天 使 加 百 列 奉 神 的 差 遣 往 加 利 利 的 一 座 城 去 ， 這 城 名 叫 拿 撒 勒 ，
27 到 一 個 童 女 那 裡 ， 是 已 經 許 配 大 衛 家 的 一 個 人 ， 名 叫 約 瑟 。 童 女 的 名 字 叫 馬 利 亞 ；
28 天 使 進 去 ， 對 他 說 ： 蒙 大 恩 的 女 子 ， 我 問 你 安 ， 主 和 你 同 在 了 ！
29 馬 利 亞 因 這 話 就 很 驚 慌 ， 又 反 復 思 想 這 樣 問 安 是 甚 麼 意 思 。
30 天 使 對 他 說 ： 馬 利 亞 ， 不 要 怕 ！ 你 在 神 面 前 已 經 蒙 恩 了 。
31 你 要 懷 孕 生 子 ， 可 以 給 他 起 名 叫 耶 穌 。
32 他 要 為 大 ， 稱 為 至 高 者 的 兒 子 ； 主 神 要 把 他 祖 大 衛 的 位 給 他 。
33 他 要 作 雅 各 家 的 王 ， 直 到 永 遠 ； 他 的 國 也 沒 有 窮 盡 。
34 馬 利 亞 對 天 使 說 ： 我 沒 有 出 嫁 ， 怎 麼 有 這 事 呢 ？
35 天 使 回 答 說 ： 聖 靈 要 臨 到 你 身 上 ， 至 高 者 的 能 力 要 蔭 庇 你 ， 因 此 所 要 生 的 聖 者 必 稱 為 神 的 兒 子 （ 或 作 ： 所 要 生 的 ， 必 稱 為 聖 ， 稱 為 神 的 兒 子 ） 。
36 況 且 你 的 親 戚 以 利 沙 伯 ， 在 年 老 的 時 候 也 懷 了 男 胎 ， 就 是 那 素 來 稱 為 不 生 育 的 ， 現 在 有 孕 六 個 月 了 。
37 因 為 ， 出 於 神 的 話 ， 沒 有 一 句 不 帶 能 力 的 。
38 馬 利 亞 說 ： 我 是 主 的 使 女 ， 情 願 照 你 的 話 成 就 在 我 身 上 。 天 使 就 離 開 他 去 了 。
39 那 時 候 ， 馬 利 亞 起 身 ， 急 忙 往 山 地 裡 去 ， 來 到 猶 大 的 一 座 城 ；
40 進 了 撒 迦 利 亞 的 家 ， 問 以 利 沙 伯 安 。
41 以 利 沙 伯 一 聽 馬 利 亞 問 安 ， 所 懷 的 胎 就 在 腹 裡 跳 動 。 以 利 沙 伯 且 被 聖 靈 充 滿 ，
42 高 聲 喊 著 說 ： 你 在 婦 女 中 是 有 福 的 ！ 你 所 懷 的 胎 也 是 有 福 的 ！
43 我 主 的 母 到 我 這 裡 來 ， 這 是 從 那 裡 得 的 呢 ？
44 因 為 你 問 安 的 聲 音 一 入 我 耳 ， 我 腹 裡 的 胎 就 歡 喜 跳 動 。
45 這 相 信 的 女 子 是 有 福 的 ！ 因 為 主 對 他 所 說 的 話 都 要 應 驗 。
46 馬 利 亞 說 ： 我 心 尊 主 為 大 ；
47 我 靈 以 神 我 的 救 主 為 樂 ；
48 因 為 他 顧 念 他 使 女 的 卑 微 ； 從 今 以 後 ， 萬 代 要 稱 我 有 福 。
49 那 有 權 能 的 ， 為 我 成 就 了 大 事 ； 他 的 名 為 聖 。
50 他 憐 憫 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 裡 妄 想 就 被 他 趕 散 了 。
52 他 叫 有 權 柄 的 失 位 ， 叫 卑 賤 的 升 高 ；
53 叫 飢 餓 的 得 飽 美 食 ， 叫 富 足 的 空 手 回 去 。
54 他 扶 助 了 他 的 僕 人 以 色 列 ，
55 為 要 記 念 亞 伯 拉 罕 和 他 的 後 裔 ， 施 憐 憫 直 到 永 遠 ， 正 如 從 前 對 我 們 列 祖 所 說 的 話 。
56 馬 利 亞 和 以 利 沙 伯 同 住 ， 約 有 三 個 月 ， 就 回 家 去 了 。
57 以 利 沙 伯 的 產 期 到 了 ， 就 生 了 一 個 兒 子 。
58 鄰 里 親 族 聽 見 主 向 他 大 施 憐 憫 ， 就 和 他 一 同 歡 樂 。
59 到 了 第 八 日 ， 他 們 來 要 給 孩 子 行 割 禮 ， 並 要 照 他 父 親 的 名 字 叫 他 撒 迦 利 亞 。
60 他 母 親 說 ： 不 可 ！ 要 叫 他 約 翰 。
61 他 們 說 ： 你 親 族 中 沒 有 叫 這 名 字 的 。
62 他 們 就 向 他 父 親 打 手 式 ， 問 他 要 叫 這 孩 子 甚 麼 名 字 。
63 他 要 了 一 塊 寫 字 的 板 ， 就 寫 上 ， 說 ： 他 的 名 字 是 約 翰 。 他 們 便 都 希 奇 。
64 撒 迦 利 亞 的 口 立 時 開 了 ， 舌 頭 也 舒 展 了 ， 就 說 出 話 來 ， 稱 頌 神 。
65 周 圍 居 住 的 人 都 懼 怕 ； 這 一 切 的 事 就 傳 遍 了 猶 太 的 山 地 。
66 凡 聽 見 的 人 都 將 這 事 放 在 心 裡 ， 說 ： 這 個 孩 子 將 來 怎 麼 樣 呢 ？ 因 為 有 主 與 他 同 在 。
67 他 父 親 撒 迦 利 亞 被 聖 靈 充 滿 了 ， 就 預 言 說 ：
68 主 ─ 以 色 列 的 神 是 應 當 稱 頌 的 ！ 因 他 眷 顧 他 的 百 姓 ， 為 他 們 施 行 救 贖 ，
69 在 他 僕 人 大 衛 家 中 ， 為 我 們 興 起 了 拯 救 的 角 ，
70 正 如 主 藉 著 從 創 世 以 來 聖 先 知 的 口 所 說 的 話 ，
71 拯 救 我 們 脫 離 仇 敵 和 一 切 恨 我 們 之 人 的 手 ，
72 向 我 們 列 祖 施 憐 憫 ， 記 念 他 的 聖 約 ─
73 就 是 他 對 我 們 祖 宗 亞 伯 拉 罕 所 起 的 誓 ─
74 叫 我 們 既 從 仇 敵 手 中 被 救 出 來 ，
75 就 可 以 終 身 在 他 面 前 ， 坦 然 無 懼 的 用 聖 潔 、 公 義 事 奉 他 。
76 孩 子 阿 ！ 你 要 稱 為 至 高 者 的 先 知 ； 因 為 你 要 行 在 主 的 前 面 ， 預 備 他 的 道 路 ，
77 叫 他 的 百 姓 因 罪 得 赦 ， 就 知 道 救 恩 。
78 因 我 們 神 憐 憫 的 心 腸 ， 叫 清 晨 的 日 光 從 高 天 臨 到 我 們 ，
79 要 照 亮 坐 在 黑 暗 中 死 蔭 裡 的 人 ， 把 我 們 的 腳 引 到 平 安 的 路 上 。
80 那 孩 子 漸 漸 長 大 ， 心 靈 強 健 ， 住 在 曠 野 ， 直 到 他 顯 明 在 以 色 列 人 面 前 的 日 子 。
Luke 1
New International Version
Luke 1
New International Version
Introduction(A)
1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled[a] among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first(B) were eyewitnesses(C) and servants of the word.(D) 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account(E) for you, most excellent(F) Theophilus,(G) 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.(H)
The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
5 In the time of Herod king of Judea(I) there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah;(J) 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.(K) 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,(L) 9 he was chosen by lot,(M) according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.(N) 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.(O)
11 Then an angel(P) of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.(Q) 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.(R) 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid,(S) Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.(T) 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,(U) 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink,(V) and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit(W) even before he is born.(X) 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,(Y) in the spirit and power of Elijah,(Z) to turn the hearts of the parents to their children(AA) and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”(AB)
18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this?(AC) I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”(AD)
19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel.(AE) I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak(AF) until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs(AG) to them but remained unable to speak.
23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace(AH) among the people.”
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel(AI) to Nazareth,(AJ) a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph,(AK) a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid,(AL) Mary; you have found favor with God.(AM) 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.(AN) 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.(AO) The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,(AP) 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom(AQ) will never end.”(AR)
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you,(AS) and the power of the Most High(AT) will overshadow you. So the holy one(AU) to be born will be called[b] the Son of God.(AV) 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child(AW) in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”(AX)
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,(AY) 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.(AZ) 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women,(BA) and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord(BB) should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Mary’s Song(BC)
46 And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord(BD)
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,(BE)
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.(BF)
From now on all generations will call me blessed,(BG)
49 for the Mighty One has done great things(BH) for me—
holy is his name.(BI)
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.(BJ)
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;(BK)
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.(BL)
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.(BM)
53 He has filled the hungry with good things(BN)
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful(BO)
55 to Abraham and his descendants(BP) forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise(BQ) the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”(BR)
61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”
62 Then they made signs(BS) to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”(BT) 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak,(BU) praising God. 65 All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea(BV) people were talking about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.(BW)
Zechariah’s Song
67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit(BX) and prophesied:(BY)
68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,(BZ)
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.(CA)
69 He has raised up a horn[c](CB) of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David(CC)
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),(CD)
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
72 to show mercy to our ancestors(CE)
and to remember his holy covenant,(CF)
73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:(CG)
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him(CH) without fear(CI)
75 in holiness and righteousness(CJ) before him all our days.
76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet(CK) of the Most High;(CL)
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,(CM)
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,(CN)
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun(CO) will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,(CP)
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”(CQ)
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit[d];(CR) and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.
Luke 1
Contemporary English Version
Luke 1
Contemporary English Version
1 Many people have tried to tell the story of what God has done among us. 2 They wrote what we had been told by the ones who were there in the beginning and saw what happened. 3 So I made a careful study[a] of everything and then decided to write and tell you exactly what took place. Honorable Theophilus, 4 I have done this to let you know the truth about what you have heard.
An Angel Tells about the Birth of John
5 (A) When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest by the name of Zechariah from the priestly group of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was from the family of Aaron.[b] 6 Both of them were good people and pleased the Lord God by obeying all that he had commanded. 7 But they did not have children. Elizabeth could not have any, and both Zechariah and Elizabeth were already old.
8 One day Zechariah's group of priests were on duty, and he was serving God as a priest. 9 According to the custom of the priests, he had been chosen to go into the Lord's temple that day and to burn incense,[c] 10 while the people stood outside praying.
11 All at once an angel from the Lord appeared to Zechariah at the right side of the altar. 12 Zechariah was confused and afraid when he saw the angel. 13 But the angel told him:
Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayers. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you must name him John. 14 His birth will make you very happy, and many people will be glad. 15 (B) Your son will be a great servant of the Lord. He must never drink wine or beer, and the power of the Holy Spirit will be with him from the time he is born.
16 John will lead many people in Israel to turn back to the Lord their God. 17 (C) He will go ahead of the Lord with the same power and spirit that Elijah[d] had. And because of John, parents will be more thoughtful of their children. And people who now disobey God will begin to think as they ought to. This is how John will get people ready for the Lord.
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this is going to happen? My wife and I are both very old.”
19 (D) The angel answered, “I am Gabriel, God's servant, and I was sent to tell you this good news. 20 You have not believed what I have said. So you will not be able to say a thing until all this happens. But everything will take place when it is supposed to.”
21 The crowd was waiting for Zechariah and kept wondering why he was staying in the temple so long. 22 When he did come out, he could not speak, and they knew he had seen a vision. He motioned to them with his hands, but did not say a thing.
23 When Zechariah's time of service in the temple was over, he went home. 24 Soon after this, his wife was expecting a baby, and for five months she did not leave the house. She said to herself, 25 “What the Lord has done for me will keep people from looking down on me.”[e]
An Angel Tells about the Birth of Jesus
26 One month later God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee 27 (E) with a message for a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to Joseph from the family of King David. 28 The angel greeted Mary and said, “You are truly blessed! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was confused by the angel's words and wondered what they meant. 30 Then the angel told Mary, “Don't be afraid! God is pleased with you, 31 (F) and you will have a son. His name will be Jesus. 32 (G) He will be great and will be called the Son of God Most High. The Lord God will make him king, as his ancestor David was. 33 He will rule the people of Israel forever, and his kingdom will never end.”
34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this happen? I am not even married!”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come down to you, and God's power will come over you. So your child will be called the holy Son of God. 36 Your relative Elizabeth is also going to have a son, even though she is old. No one thought she could ever have a baby, but in three months she will have a son. 37 (H) Nothing is impossible for God!”
38 Mary said, “I am the Lord's servant! Let it happen as you have said.” And the angel left her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 A short time later Mary hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea. 40 She went into Zechariah's home, where she greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, her baby moved within her.
The Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth. 42 (I) Then in a loud voice she said to Mary:
God has blessed you more than any other woman! He has also blessed the child you will have. 43 Why should the mother of my Lord come to me? 44 As soon as I heard your greeting, my baby became happy and moved within me. 45 The Lord has blessed you because you believed that he will keep his promise.
Mary's Song of Praise
46 (J) Mary said:
With all my heart
I praise the Lord,
47 and I am glad
because of God my Savior.
48 God cares for me,
his humble servant.
From now on,
all people will say
God has blessed me.
49 God All-Powerful has done
great things for me,
and his name is holy.
50 He always shows mercy
to everyone
who worships him.
51 The Lord has used
his powerful arm
to scatter those
who are proud.
52 (K) God drags strong rulers
from their thrones
and puts humble people
in places of power.
53 God gives the hungry
good things to eat,
and sends the rich away
with nothing.
54 God helps his servant Israel
and is always merciful
to his people.
55 (L) The Lord made this promise
to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his family
forever!
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months. Then she went back home.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 When Elizabeth's son was born, 58 her neighbors and relatives heard how kind the Lord had been to her, and they too were glad.
59 (M) Eight days later they did for the child what the Law of Moses commands.[f] They were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John.”
61 The people argued, “No one in your family has ever been named John.” 62 So they motioned to Zechariah to find out what he wanted to name his son.
63 Zechariah asked for a writing tablet. Then he wrote, “His name is John.” Everyone was amazed. 64 At once, Zechariah started speaking and praising God.
65 All the neighbors were frightened because of what had happened, and everywhere in the hill country people kept talking about these things. 66 Everyone who heard about this wondered what this child would grow up to be. They knew the Lord was with him.
Zechariah Praises the Lord
67 The Holy Spirit came upon Zechariah, and he began to speak:
68 Praise the Lord,
the God of Israel!
He has come
to save his people.
69 Our God has given us
a mighty Savior[g]
from the family
of David his servant.
70 Long ago the Lord promised
by the words
of his holy prophets
71 to save us from our enemies
and from everyone
who hates us.
72 God said he would be kind
to our people and keep
his sacred promise.
73 He told our ancestor Abraham
74 that he would rescue us
from our enemies.
Then we could serve him
without fear,
75 by being holy and good
as long as we live.
76 (N) You, my son, will be called
the prophet of God Most High.
You will go ahead of the Lord
to get everything ready
for him.
77 You will tell his people
that they can be saved
when their sins
are forgiven.
78 God's love and kindness
will shine upon us
like the sun that rises
in the sky.[h]
79 (O) On us who live
in the dark shadow
of death
this light will shine
to guide us
into a life of peace.
80 As John grew up, God's Spirit gave him great power. John lived in the desert until the time he was sent to the people of Israel.
Footnotes
- 1.3 a careful study: Or “a study from the beginning.”
- 1.5 Aaron: The brother of Moses and the first priest.
- 1.9 burn incense: This was done twice a day, once in the morning and again in the late afternoon.
- 1.17 Elijah: The prophet Elijah was known for his power to work miracles.
- 1.25 keep people from looking down on me: When a married woman could not have children, it was thought that the Lord was punishing her.
- 1.59 what the Law of Moses commands: This refers to circumcision. It is the cutting off of skin from the private part of Jewish boys eight days after birth to show that they belong to the Lord.
- 1.69 a mighty Savior: The Greek text has “a horn of salvation.” In the Scriptures animal horns are often a symbol of great strength.
- 1.78 like the sun that rises in the sky: Or “like the Messiah coming from heaven.”
Disciples’ Literal New Testament (DLNT) 
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.