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With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,
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The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.
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Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.
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He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,
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He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.
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to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
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and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
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He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
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He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
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to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
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“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
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to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
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And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.
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The Birth of Jesus
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
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Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.
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a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”
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Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,
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and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
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where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
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The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
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The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.
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The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here.
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When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
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I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land.
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And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”
