Font Size
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
New King James Version
Luke 1
New King James Version
Dedication to Theophilus
1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those (A)things which [a]have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as those who (B)from the beginning were (C)eyewitnesses and ministers of the word (D)delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having [b]had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, (E)most excellent Theophilus, 4 (F)that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.
John’s Birth Announced to Zacharias
5 There was (G)in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, (H)of the division of (I)Abijah. His (J)wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.
8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, [c]his lot fell (K)to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 (L)And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of (M)the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, (N)he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and (O)you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and (P)many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be (Q)great in the sight of the Lord, and (R)shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, (S)even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 (T)He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
18 And Zacharias said to the angel, (U)“How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”
19 And the angel answered and said to him, “I am (V)Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you [d]these glad (W)tidings. 20 But behold, (X)you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”
21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.
23 So it was, as soon as (Y)the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. 24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to (Z)take away my reproach among people.”
Christ’s Birth Announced to Mary
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin (AA)betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, (AB)“Rejoice, highly favored one, (AC)the Lord is with you; [e]blessed are you among women!”
29 But [f]when she saw him, (AD)she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found (AE)favor with God. 31 (AF)And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and (AG)shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, (AH)and will be called the Son of the Highest; and (AI)the Lord God will give Him the (AJ)throne of His (AK)father David. 33 (AL)And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I [g]do not know a man?”
35 And the angel answered and said to her, (AM)“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called (AN)the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For (AO)with God nothing will be impossible.”
38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, (AP)to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was (AQ)filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, (AR)“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 (AS)Blessed is she who [h]believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
The Song of Mary
46 And Mary said:
(AT)“My soul [i]magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has (AU)rejoiced in (AV)God my Savior.
48 For (AW)He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth (AX)all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He who is mighty (AY)has done great things for me,
And (AZ)holy is His name.
50 And (BA)His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
51 (BB)He has shown strength with His arm;
(BC)He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 (BD)He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
53 He has (BE)filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
54 He has helped His (BF)servant Israel,
(BG)In remembrance of His mercy,
55 (BH)As He spoke to our (BI)fathers,
To Abraham and to his (BJ)seed forever.”
56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.
Birth of John the Baptist
57 Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they (BK)rejoiced with her.
Circumcision of John the Baptist
59 So it was, (BL)on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 His mother answered and said, (BM)“No; he shall be called John.”
61 But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. 65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 And all those who heard them (BN)kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And (BO)the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zacharias’ Prophecy
67 Now his father Zacharias (BP)was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68 “Blessed(BQ) is the Lord God of Israel,
For (BR)He has visited and redeemed His people,
69 (BS)And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David,
70 (BT)As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
Who have been (BU)since the world began,
71 That we should be saved from our enemies
And from the hand of all who hate us,
72 (BV)To perform the mercy promised to our fathers
And to remember His holy covenant,
73 (BW)The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
74 To grant us that we,
Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
Might (BX)serve Him without fear,
75 (BY)In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
76 “And you, child, will be called the (BZ)prophet of the Highest;
For (CA)you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
77 To give (CB)knowledge of salvation to His people
By the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the [j]Dayspring from on high [k]has visited us;
79 (CC)To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To (CD)guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 So (CE)the child grew and became strong in spirit, and (CF)was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
Footnotes
- Luke 1:1 Or are most surely believed
- Luke 1:3 Lit. accurately followed
- Luke 1:9 he was chosen by lot
- Luke 1:19 this good news
- Luke 1:28 NU omits blessed are you among women
- Luke 1:29 NU omits when she saw him
- Luke 1:34 Am a virgin
- Luke 1:45 Or believed that there
- Luke 1:46 Declares the greatness of
- Luke 1:78 Lit. Dawn; the Messiah
- Luke 1:78 NU shall visit
Luke 1
English Standard Version
Luke 1
English Standard Version
Dedication to Theophilus
1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that (A)have been accomplished among us, 2 (B)just as those who (C)from the beginning were (D)eyewitnesses and (E)ministers of (F)the word (G)have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write (H)an orderly account for you, (I)most excellent (J)Theophilus, 4 that you may have (K)certainty concerning the things (L)you have been taught.
Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
5 (M)In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,[a] (N)of (O)the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both (P)righteous before God, walking (Q)blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because (R)Elizabeth was barren, and (S)both were advanced in years.
8 Now (T)while he was serving as priest before God when (U)his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot (V)to enter (W)the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people (X)were praying (Y)outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of (Z)the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and (AA)fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for (AB)your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and (AC)you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will (AD)rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be (AE)great before the Lord. And (AF)he must not drink wine or strong (AG)drink, and (AH)he will be (AI)filled with the Holy Spirit, (AJ)even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and (AK)he will go before him (AL)in the spirit and power of Elijah, (AM)to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and (AN)the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, (AO)to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, (AP)“How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am (AQ)Gabriel. (AR)I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, (AS)you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in (AT)the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in (AU)the temple. And (AV)he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And (AW)when his time of (AX)service was ended, he went to his home.
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, (AY)to take away my reproach among people.”
Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month the angel (AZ)Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named (BA)Nazareth, 27 (BB)to a virgin betrothed[b] to a man whose name was Joseph, (BC)of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, (BD)O favored one, (BE)the Lord is with you!”[c] 29 But (BF)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 (BG)you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, (BH)you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and (BI)you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of (BJ)the Most High. And the Lord God (BK)will give to him the throne of (BL)his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob (BM)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?”[d]
35 And the angel answered her, (BN)“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of (BO)the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[e] will be called (BP)holy—(BQ)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 (BR)who was called barren. 37 For (BS)nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant[f] of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And (BT)the angel departed from her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into (BU)the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth (BV)was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, (BW)“Blessed are you among women, and (BX)blessed is (BY)the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of (BZ)my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And (CA)blessed is she who believed that there would be[g] a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat
46 And Mary said,
(CB)“My (CC)soul (CD)magnifies the Lord,
47 (CE)and my (CF)spirit rejoices in (CG)God my Savior,
48 for (CH)he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations (CI)will call me blessed;
49 for (CJ)he who is mighty (CK)has done great things for me,
and (CL)holy is his name.
50 And (CM)his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 (CN)He has shown strength with his arm;
(CO)he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 (CP)he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
(CQ)and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled (CR)the hungry with good things,
and the rich (CS)he has sent away empty.
54 He has (CT)helped (CU)his servant Israel,
(CV)in remembrance of his mercy,
55 (CW)as he spoke to our fathers,
(CX)to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord (CY)had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And (CZ)on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; (DA)he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And (DB)they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for (DC)a writing tablet and wrote, (DD)“His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 (DE)And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue (DF)loosed, and he spoke, (DG)blessing God. 65 And (DH)fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all (DI)the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them (DJ)laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For (DK)the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah's Prophecy
67 And his father Zechariah (DL)was filled with the Holy Spirit and (DM)prophesied, saying,
68 (DN)“Blessed be the Lord (DO)God of Israel,
for he has (DP)visited and (DQ)redeemed his people
69 and (DR)has raised up (DS)a horn of salvation for us
(DT)in the house of his servant David,
70 (DU)as (DV)he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 (DW)that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 (DX)to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and (DY)to remember his holy (DZ)covenant,
73 (EA)the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him (EB)without fear,
75 (EC)in holiness and righteousness before him (ED)all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called (EE)the prophet of (EF)the Most High;
for (EG)you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
(EH)in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the (EI)tender mercy of our God,
whereby (EJ)the sunrise shall (EK)visit us[h] (EL)from on high
79 to (EM)give light to (EN)those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into (EO)the way of (EP)peace.”
80 (EQ)And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was (ER)in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Footnotes
- Luke 1:5 Greek Zacharias
- Luke 1:27 That is, legally pledged to be married
- Luke 1:28 Some manuscripts add Blessed are you among women!
- Luke 1:34 Greek since I do not know a man
- Luke 1:35 Some manuscripts add of you
- Luke 1:38 Greek bondservant; also verse 48
- Luke 1:45 Or believed, for there will be
- Luke 1:78 Or when the sunrise shall dawn upon us; some manuscripts since the sunrise has visited us
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.
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.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
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