Luke 1
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Dedication to Theophilus
1 Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled[a] among us,(A) 2 just as the original eyewitnesses(B) and servants of the word(C) handed them down to us. 3 It also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable(D) Theophilus,(E) 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.[b](F)
Gabriel Predicts John’s Birth
5 In the days of King Herod(G) of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah’s division[c](H) named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Both were righteous in God’s sight,(I) living without blame(J) according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord. 7 But they had no children[d] because Elizabeth could not conceive,[e] and both of them were well along in years.[f]
8 When his division was on duty(K) and he was serving as priest before God, 9 it happened that he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.(L) 10 At the hour of incense the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. 11 An angel of the Lord(M) appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and overcome with fear.[g] 13 But the angel said to him:
Do not be afraid,(N) Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you will name him John.(O)
14 There will be joy and delight for you,
and many will rejoice at his birth.
15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord
and will never drink wine or beer.(P)
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit
while still in his mother’s womb.(Q)
16 He will turn many of the sons of Israel
to the Lord their God.
17 And he will go before Him
in the spirit and power of Elijah,
to turn the hearts of fathers
to their children,(R)
and the disobedient
to the understanding of the righteous,
to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.(S)
18 “How can I know this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.”[h]
19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel,(T) who stands in the presence of God,(U) and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news. 20 Now listen! You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. 22 When he did come out, he could not speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept making signs to them(V) and remained speechless. 23 When the days of his ministry were completed, he went back home.
24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived and kept herself in seclusion for five months. She said, 25 “The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace(W) among the people.”
Gabriel Predicts Jesus’ Birth
26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel(X) was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,(Y) 27 to a virgin engaged(Z) to a man named Joseph, of the house of David.(AA) The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, “Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you.”[i] 29 But she was deeply troubled(AB) by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 Then the angel told her:
Do not be afraid, Mary,(AC)
for you have found favor with God.
31 Now listen:
You will conceive and give birth to a son,
and you will call His name Jesus.(AD)
32 He will be great
and will be called the Son of the Most High,(AE)
and the Lord God will give Him
the throne of His father David.(AF)
33 He will reign over the house of Jacob(AG) forever,
and His kingdom will have no end.(AH)
34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not been intimate with a man?”[j]
35 The angel replied to her:
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,(AI)
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore, the holy One to be born
will be called the Son of God.(AJ)
36 And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”(AK)
38 “I am the Lord’s slave,”[k] said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.
Mary’s Visit to Elizabeth
39 In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah 40 where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her,[l] and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.(AL) 42 Then she exclaimed with a loud cry:
“You are the most blessed of women,
and your child will be blessed![m]
43 How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me![n] 45 She who has believed is blessed because what was spoken to her by the Lord will be fulfilled!”
Mary’s Praise
46 And Mary said:
My soul proclaims the greatness of[o] the Lord,(AM)
47 and my spirit has rejoiced(AN) in God my Savior,(AO)
48 because He has looked with favor
on the humble condition of His slave.
Surely, from now on all generations
will call me blessed,(AP)
49 because the Mighty One(AQ)
has done great things for me,(AR)
and His name(AS) is holy.
50 His mercy is from generation to generation(AT)
on those who fear Him.
51 He has done a mighty deed with His arm;(AU)
He has scattered the proud
because of the thoughts of their hearts;
52 He has toppled the mighty from their thrones
and exalted the lowly.
53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things(AV)
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped His servant Israel,
mindful of His mercy,[p]
55 just as He spoke to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his descendants[q] forever.
56 And Mary stayed with her about three months; then she returned to her home.
The Birth and Naming of John
57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son. 58 Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her His great mercy,[r](AW) and they rejoiced with her.
59 When they came to circumcise the child on the eighth day,(AX) they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But his mother responded, “No! He will be called John.”(AY)
61 Then they said to her, “None of your relatives has that name.” 62 So they motioned to his father(AZ) to find out what he wanted him to be called. 63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote:
HIS NAME IS JOHN.
And they were all amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened(BA) and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard about him(BB) took it to heart, saying, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the Lord’s hand was with him.
Zechariah’s Prophecy
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit(BC) and prophesied:(BD)
68 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,(BE)
because He has visited
and provided redemption for His people.(BF)
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation[s] for us(BG)
in the house of His servant David,(BH)
70 just as He spoke by the mouth
of His holy prophets in ancient times;(BI)
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the clutches[t] of those who hate us.
72 He has dealt mercifully with our fathers(BJ)
and remembered His holy covenant(BK)—
73 the oath that He swore to our father Abraham.(BL)
He has given us the privilege,
74 since we have been rescued
from our enemies’ clutches,[u]
to serve Him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness
in His presence all our days.
76 And child, you will be called
a prophet of the Most High,(BM)
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare His ways,(BN)
77 to give His people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins.(BO)
78 Because of our God’s merciful compassion,
the Dawn from on high(BP) will visit us
79 to shine on those who live in darkness
and the shadow of death,(BQ)
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80 The child grew up and became spiritually strong,(BR) and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Footnotes
- Luke 1:1 Or events that have been accomplished, or events most surely believed
- Luke 1:4 Or informed
- Luke 1:5 One of the 24 divisions of priests appointed by David for temple service; 1Ch 24:10
- Luke 1:7 Lit child
- Luke 1:7 Lit Elizabeth was sterile or barren
- Luke 1:7 Lit in their days
- Luke 1:12 Lit and fear fell on him
- Luke 1:18 Lit in her days
- Luke 1:28 Other mss add blessed are you among women
- Luke 1:34 Lit since I do not know a man
- Luke 1:38 Lit Look, the Lord’s slave
- Luke 1:41 Lit leaped in her abdomen or womb
- Luke 1:42 Lit and the fruit of your abdomen (or womb) is blessed
- Luke 1:44 Lit in my abdomen or womb
- Luke 1:46 Or soul magnifies
- Luke 1:54 Because He remembered His mercy; Ps 98:3
- Luke 1:55 Or offspring; lit seed
- Luke 1:58 Lit the Lord magnified His mercy with her
- Luke 1:69 = a strong Savior
- Luke 1:71 Lit the hand
- Luke 1:74 Lit from the hand of enemies
Luke 1
The Message
1 1-4 So many others have tried their hand at putting together a story of the wonderful harvest of Scripture and history that took place among us, using reports handed down by the original eyewitnesses who served this Word with their very lives. Since I have investigated all the reports in close detail, starting from the story’s beginning, I decided to write it all out for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can know beyond the shadow of a doubt the reliability of what you were taught.
A Childless Couple Conceives
5-7 During the rule of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest assigned service in the regiment of Abijah. His name was Zachariah. His wife was descended from the daughters of Aaron. Her name was Elizabeth. Together they lived honorably before God, careful in keeping to the ways of the commandments and enjoying a clear conscience before God. But they were childless because Elizabeth could never conceive, and now they were quite old.
8-12 It so happened that as Zachariah was carrying out his priestly duties before God, working the shift assigned to his regiment, it came his one turn in life to enter the sanctuary of God and burn incense. The congregation was gathered and praying outside the Temple at the hour of the incense offering. Unannounced, an angel of God appeared just to the right of the altar of incense. Zachariah was paralyzed in fear.
13-15 But the angel reassured him, “Don’t fear, Zachariah. Your prayer has been heard. Elizabeth, your wife, will bear a son by you. You are to name him John. You’re going to leap like a gazelle for joy, and not only you—many will delight in his birth. He’ll achieve great stature with God.
15-17 “He’ll drink neither wine nor beer. He’ll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother’s womb. He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God. He will herald God’s arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics—he’ll get the people ready for God.”
18 Zachariah said to the angel, “Do you expect me to believe this? I’m an old man and my wife is an old woman.”
19-20 But the angel said, “I am Gabriel, the sentinel of God, sent especially to bring you this glad news. But because you won’t believe me, you’ll be unable to say a word until the day of your son’s birth. Every word I’ve spoken to you will come true on time—God’s time.”
21-22 Meanwhile, the congregation waiting for Zachariah was getting restless, wondering what was keeping him so long in the sanctuary. When he came out and couldn’t speak, they knew he had seen a vision. He continued speechless and had to use sign language with the people.
23-25 When the course of his priestly assignment was completed, he went back home. It wasn’t long before his wife, Elizabeth, conceived. She went off by herself for five months, relishing her pregnancy. “So, this is how God acts to remedy my unfortunate condition!” she said.
A Virgin Conceives
26-28 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the virgin’s name, Mary. Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her:
Good morning!
You’re beautiful with God’s beauty,
Beautiful inside and out!
God be with you.
29-33 She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.
He will be great,
be called ‘Son of the Highest.’
The Lord God will give him
the throne of his father David;
He will rule Jacob’s house forever—
no end, ever, to his kingdom.”
34 Mary said to the angel, “But how? I’ve never slept with a man.”
35 The angel answered,
The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
the power of the Highest hover over you;
Therefore, the child you bring to birth
will be called Holy, Son of God.
36-38 “And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant! Nothing, you see, is impossible with God.”
And Mary said,
Yes, I see it all now:
I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve.
Let it be with me
just as you say.
Then the angel left her.
Blessed Among Women
39-45 Mary didn’t waste a minute. She got up and traveled to a town in Judah in the hill country, straight to Zachariah’s house, and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby in her womb leaped. She was filled with the Holy Spirit, and sang out exuberantly,
You’re so blessed among women,
and the babe in your womb, also blessed!
And why am I so blessed that
the mother of my Lord visits me?
The moment the sound of your
greeting entered my ears,
The babe in my womb
skipped like a lamb for sheer joy.
Blessed woman, who believed what God said,
believed every word would come true!
46-55 And Mary said,
I’m bursting with God-news;
I’m dancing the song of my Savior God.
God took one good look at me, and look what happened—
I’m the most fortunate woman on earth!
What God has done for me will never be forgotten,
the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.
His mercy flows in wave after wave
on those who are in awe before him.
He bared his arm and showed his strength,
scattered the bluffing braggarts.
He knocked tyrants off their high horses,
pulled victims out of the mud.
The starving poor sat down to a banquet;
the callous rich were left out in the cold.
He embraced his chosen child, Israel;
he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.
It’s exactly what he promised,
beginning with Abraham and right up to now.
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months and then went back to her own home.
The Birth of John
57-58 When Elizabeth was full-term in her pregnancy, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives, seeing that God had overwhelmed her with mercy, celebrated with her.
59-60 On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child and were calling him Zachariah after his father. But his mother intervened: “No. He is to be called John.”
61-62 “But,” they said, “no one in your family is named that.” They used sign language to ask Zachariah what he wanted him named.
63-64 Asking for a tablet, Zachariah wrote, “His name is to be John.” That took everyone by surprise. Surprise followed surprise—Zachariah’s mouth was now open, his tongue loose, and he was talking, praising God!
65-66 A deep, reverential fear settled over the neighborhood, and in all that Judean hill country people talked about nothing else. Everyone who heard about it took it to heart, wondering, “What will become of this child? Clearly, God has his hand in this.”
67-79 Then Zachariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied,
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he came and set his people free.
He set the power of salvation in the center of our lives,
and in the very house of David his servant,
Just as he promised long ago
through the preaching of his holy prophets:
Deliverance from our enemies
and every hateful hand;
Mercy to our fathers,
as he remembers to do what he said he’d do,
What he swore to our father Abraham—
a clean rescue from the enemy camp,
So we can worship him without a care in the world,
made holy before him as long as we live.
And you, my child, “Prophet of the Highest,”
will go ahead of the Master to prepare his ways,
Present the offer of salvation to his people,
the forgiveness of their sins.
Through the heartfelt mercies of our God,
God’s Sunrise will break in upon us,
Shining on those in the darkness,
those sitting in the shadow of death,
Then showing us the way, one foot at a time,
down the path of peace.
80 The child grew up, healthy and spirited. He lived out in the desert until the day he made his prophetic debut in Israel.
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson