A Careful Account for Theophilus
1Since so many have set their hand to composing a narrative of the events brought to fullness among us, 2just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning saw with their own eyes and became servants of the message, 3I too decided, having traced it all carefully from the start, to set it down for you in sequence, most excellent Theophilus, 4so that you may know how solid the teaching is that you have received.
An Angel Comes to Zechariah
5In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the priestly division of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6Both of them stood upright before God, walking blamelessly in every commandment and requirement of the Lord. 7But they had no child, because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years. 8Once, when his division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9the lot fell to him, by the custom of the priesthood, to go into the sanctuary of the Lord and burn the incense. 10Outside, the whole gathering of the people was praying at the hour of the offering. 11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12Zechariah was shaken at the sight, and fear came over him. 13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayer has been heard: your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to name him John. 14He will be your joy and your delight, and many will rejoice that he was born, 15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb. 16He will turn many of the children of Israel back to the Lord their God, 17and he will go ahead of him in the spirit and power of Elijah, turning the hearts of parents toward their children and the disobedient toward the good sense of the righteous, making ready for the Lord a people well prepared.” 18Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.” 19The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and bring you this good news. 20Now listen: you will be silent, unable to speak, until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words — and they will be fulfilled at their proper time.” 21Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, puzzled that he was taking so long inside the sanctuary. 22When he came out he could not speak to them, and they understood that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept making signs to them, and he remained unable to speak. 23When the days of his service were finished, he went home. 24Some time later his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept out of sight. She said, 25“This is what the Lord has done for me. In these days he has looked on me and taken away the disgrace I carried among people.”
Gabriel Is Sent to Mary
26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel came to her and said, “Rejoice, you who have been favored! The Lord is with you.” 29She was deeply troubled at these words and kept asking herself what such a greeting could mean. 30The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.” 34Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen, since I have never been with a man?” 35The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. And so the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God. 36Look at Elizabeth, your relative: she has conceived a son in her old age, and the woman they called barren is now in her sixth month, 37for no word from God will ever fail.” 38Mary said, “Here I am, the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me as you have said.” And the angel left her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39In those days Mary set out and went in haste to a town in the hill country of Judah. 40She entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 41The moment Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42She cried out with a loud voice, “You are blessed among women, and blessed is the child you carry! 43Why should this come to me, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? 44The instant your greeting reached my ears, the baby inside me leaped for joy. 45How blessed is she who believed that what the Lord told her would be brought to completion!”
Mary’s Song
46And Mary said: “My soul proclaims how great the Lord is, 47and my spirit has thrilled in God my Savior, 48for he has noticed the low place of his servant. From now on every generation will call me blessed, 49for the Mighty One has done great things for me. Holy is his name, 50and his mercy reaches those who fear him, from generation to generation. 51He has shown the strength of his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones and lifted up the lowly. 53He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. 54He has come to the aid of Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, 55just as he promised our ancestors — to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” 56Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned home.
The Birth of John
57When the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, she had a son. 58Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her his great mercy, and they rejoiced with her. 59On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60But his mother spoke up: “No. He is to be called John.” 61They said to her, “No one in your family has that name.” 62So they made signs to his father, asking what he wanted the child called. 63He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” Everyone was astonished. 64At once his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, blessing God. 65Fear came over all who lived around them, and throughout the hill country of Judea people talked about all these things. 66Everyone who heard kept it in mind and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah’s Prophecy
67His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: 68“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and won their release. 69He has raised up for us a horn of salvation in the house of David his servant, 70as he said long ago through the mouth of his holy prophets: 71salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; 72mercy shown to our ancestors, and his holy covenant remembered — 73the oath he swore to Abraham our father: to grant us 74that we, rescued from the hand of enemies, might serve him without fear, 75in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go ahead of the Lord to prepare his ways, 77to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, 78because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the dawn will break upon us from on high, 79to shine on those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” 80The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he lived in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.
