New Testament in a Year

[1 Forsooth for many men endeavoured to ordain the telling of things, which be filled in us,

² as they that saw at the beginning, and were ministers of the word, betaken,

³ it is seen also to me, having from the beginning all things diligently by order, to write to thee, thou best Theophilus,

⁴ that thou know the truth of those words, of which thou art learned.]^[a]

⁵ In the days of Herod, king of Judaea, there was a priest [there was some priest], Zacharias by name, of the sort of Abia, and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

⁶ And [they] both were just before God, going in all the commandments and justifyings of the Lord, without plaint.

⁷ And they had no child, for [that] Elisabeth was barren, and both were of great age in their days [and both had gone far in their days].

⁸ And it befell [Soothly it was done], that when Zacharias should do the office of priesthood, in the order of his course before God,

⁹ after the custom of the priesthood, he went forth by lot [by sort he went forth], and entered into the temple [of the Lord], to incense.

¹⁰ And all the multitude of the people was withoutforth, and prayed in the hour of incensing [praying in the hour of incense].

¹¹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, and stood on the right half of the altar of incense [standing on the right half of the altar of incense].

¹² And Zacharias seeing was afraid [And Zacharias seeing was distroubled], and dread fell upon him.

¹³ And the angel said to him, Zacharias, dread thou not; for thy prayer is heard, and Elisabeth, thy wife, shall bear to thee a son, and his name shall be called John.

¹⁴ And joy and gladding shall be to thee; and many shall have joy in his nativity, or birth.

¹⁵ For he shall be great before the Lord, and he shall not drink wine nor cider, and he shall be full-filled with the Holy Ghost [and he shall be filled of the Holy Ghost] yet from his mother's womb.

¹⁶ And he shall convert many of the children of Israel to their Lord God; [And he shall convert many of the sons of Israel to the Lord God of them;]

¹⁷ and he shall go before him in the spirit and virtue of Elias; and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers into the sons [and shall turn the hearts of the fathers into the sons], and men out of belief to the prudence of just men, to make ready a perfect people to the Lord.

¹⁸ And Zacharias said to the angel, Whereof shall I know this? for I am old, and my wife hath gone far in her days.

¹⁹ And the angel answered, and said to him [And the angel answering said to him], For I am Gabriel, that stand nigh before God; and I am sent to thee to speak, and to evangelize to thee these things [and to evangelize, or tell, to thee these things].

²⁰ And lo! thou shalt be dumb, and thou shalt not be able to speak till into the day, in which these things shall be done; for thou hast not believed to my words, which shall be fulfilled in their time.