1Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declarationof those things which are most surely believedamongus,2Even as they delivered them unto us,whichfrom the beginningwereeyewitnesses,andministers of the word;3
It seemed good to me also, having had perfectunderstanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellentTheophilus,4That thou mightest know the certaintyof those things,wherein thou hast been instructed .
5
There wasin the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certainpriestnamedZacharias,of the course of Abia:andhiswife was of the daughters of Aaron,andhername was Elisabeth.6And they werebothrighteousbeforeGod,walkinginall the commandmentsandordinances of the Lordblameless.7Andtheyhadnochild,because that Elisabethwasbarren,andtheybothwere now well strickeninyears.8And it came to pass , that whilehe executed the priest's officebeforeGodin the order of hiscourse,9According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he wentinto the temple of the Lord.10And the wholemultitude of the peoplewereprayingwithout at the time of incense.11And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lordstandingon the right side of the altar of incense.12And when Zachariassaw him, he was troubled , andfearfelluponhim.13But the angelsaiduntohim,Fearnot,Zacharias:forthyprayer is heard ; andthywifeElisabeth shall bearthee a son,and thou shalt callhisnameJohn.14Andthou shalt havejoyandgladness;andmany shall rejoiceathisbirth.15For he shall begreat in the sight of the Lord,and shall drinkneitherwinenor strong drink;and he shall be filled with the HolyGhost,evenfromhismother'swomb.16Andmany of the children of Israel shall he turnto the LordtheirGod.17Andhe shall gobeforehimin the spiritandpower of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathersto the children,and the disobedientto the wisdoma of the just; to make ready a peopleprepared for the Lord.18AndZachariassaidunto the angel,Wherebyshall I knowthis?forIam an old man,andmywife well strickeninyears .
19And the angelansweringsaid unto him,IamGabriel, that stand in the presence of God;and am sent to speakuntothee,and to shewtheethese glad tidings .
20And,behold , thou shalt be dumb , andnotable to speak , until the daythat these things shall be performed , becausethoubelievestnotmywords,which shall be fulfilledintheirseason.21And the peoplewaited for Zacharias,andmarvelledthathe tarried so longin the temple.22And when he came out , he couldnotspeak unto them:and they perceivedthat he had seen a visionin the temple:forhebeckoned unto them,andremainedspeechless.23And it came to pass , that, as soon as the days of hisministration were accomplished , he departedto his ownhouse.24AndafterthosedayshiswifeElisabethconceived , andhidherselffivemonths,saying ,
25Thushath the Lorddealt with mein the dayswherein he looked on me, to take awaymyreproachamongmen.26Andin the sixthmonth the angelGabriel was sentfromGodunto a city of Galilee,namedNazareth,27To a virginespoused to a manwhosename was Joseph,of the house of David;and the virgin'sname was Mary.28And the angel came inuntoher, and said , Hail , thou that art highly favoured , the Lord is withthee:blessed art thouamongwomen.29And when she saw him, she was troubledathissaying,and cast in her mind what manner of salutationthis should be .
30And the angelsaid unto her,Fearnot,Mary:for thou hast foundfavourwithGod.31And,behold , thou shalt conceivein thy womb,and bring forth a son,and shalt callhisnameJESUS.32He shall begreat,and shall be called the Son of the Highest:and the LordGod shall give unto him the throne of hisfatherDavid:33And he shall reignover the house of Jacobforever;and of hiskingdom there shall benoend.34ThensaidMaryunto the angel,Howshallthisbe , seeing I knownot a man?35And the angelanswered and said unto her, The HolyGhost shall comeuponthee,and the power of the Highest shall overshadowthee:thereforealso that holy thing which shall be bornofthee shall be called the Son of God.36And,behold , thycousinElisabeth,shehathalsoconceived a soninher old age:andthisis the sixthmonth with her,who was calledbarren.37ForwithGodnothingshall be impossible .
38AndMarysaid , Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto meaccording to thyword.And the angeldepartedfromher.39AndMaryaroseinthosedays, and wentinto the hill countrywithhaste,into a city of Juda;40Andenteredinto the house of Zacharias,andsalutedElisabeth.41And it came to pass , that, whenElisabethheard the salutation of Mary, the babeleapedinherwomb;andElisabeth was filled with the HolyGhost:42And she spake out with a loudvoice,andsaid , Blessed art thouamongwomen,andblessed is the fruit of thywomb.43Andwhence is this to me,that the mother of myLord should cometome?44For,lo , as soon as the voice of thysalutationsoundedinmineears, the babeleapedinmywombforjoy.45Andblessed is she that believed : for there shall be a performance of those things which were toldherfrom the Lord.46AndMarysaid , Mysoul doth magnify the Lord,47Andmyspirit hath rejoicedinGodmySaviour.48For he hath regarded the low estate of hishandmaiden:for,behold , fromhenceforthallgenerations shall callmeblessed .
49For he that is mighty hath done to me great things;andholy is hisname.50Andhismercy is on them that fearhimfromgeneration to generation.51
He hath shewedstrengthwithhisarm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of theirhearts.52
He hath put down the mightyfrom their seats,andexalted them of low degree.53
He hath filled the hungry with good things;and the rich he hath sentemptyaway .
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He hath holpenhisservantIsrael, in remembrance of his mercy;55As he spaketoourfathers, to Abraham,and to hisseedforever.56AndMaryabodewithheraboutthreemonths,andreturnedto her ownhouse.57NowElisabeth'sfulltimecame that she should be delivered ; and she brought forth a son.58And her neighboursandhercousinsheardhow the Lord had shewed greatmercyuponher;and they rejoiced with her.59And it came to pass , that on the eighthday they came to circumcise the child;and they calledhimZacharias,after the name of hisfather.60Andhismotheranswered and said , Not so; but he shall be calledJohn.61And they saiduntoher , There isnoneofthykindredthat is called by thisname.62And they made signs to hisfather,howhe would havehimcalled .
63And he asked for a writing table, and wrote , saying , HisnameisJohn.And they marvelledall.64Andhismouth was openedimmediately,andhistongue loosed, and he spake , and praisedGod.65Andfearcameonall that dwelt round aboutthem:andallthesesayingsb were noised abroadthroughoutall the hill country of Judaea.66Andall they that heard them laid them upintheirhearts,saying , Whatmanner of childshallthisbe ! And the hand of the Lordwaswithhim.67AndhisfatherZacharias was filled with the HolyGhost,andprophesied , saying ,
68Blessed be the LordGod of Israel;for he hath visitedandredeemedhispeople ,
69And hath raised up an horn of salvation for usin the house of hisservantDavid;70As he spakeby the mouth of hisholyprophets,which have been since the world began:71
That we should be savedfromourenemies,andfrom the hand of all that hateus;72
To perform the mercy promised toourfathers,and to rememberhisholycovenant;73
The oathwhich he swaretoourfatherAbraham,74
That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of ourenemies might servehim without fear,75Inholinessandrighteousnessbeforehim,all the days of ourlife.76Andthou,child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest:for thou shalt gobefore the face of the Lord to preparehisways;77
To giveknowledge of salvation unto hispeoplebyc the remission of theirsins,78Through the tenderdmercy of ourGod;wherebythedayspringfrom on high hath visitedus,79
To give light to them that sitindarknessand in the shadow of death, to guideourfeetinto the way of peace.80And the childgrew , and waxed strong in spirit,andwasin the desertstill the day of hisshewinguntoIsrael.