Good News Translation GNT
New International Version NIV
1 Dear Theophilus: Many people have done their best to write a report of the things that have taken place among us.
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Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,
2 They wrote what we have been told by those who saw these things from the beginning and who proclaimed the message.
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just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.
3 And so, Your Excellency, because I have carefully studied all these matters from their beginning, I thought it would be good to write an orderly account for you.
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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,
4 I do this so that you will know the full truth about everything which you have been taught.
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so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
5 During the time when Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife's name was Elizabeth; she also belonged to a priestly family.
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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.
6 They both lived good lives in God's sight and obeyed fully all the Lord's laws and commands.
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Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.
7 They had no children because Elizabeth could not have any, and she and Zechariah were both very old.
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But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
8 One day Zechariah was doing his work as a priest in the Temple, taking his turn in the daily service.
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Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,
9 According to the custom followed by the priests, he was chosen by lot to burn incense on the altar. So he went into the Temple of the Lord,
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he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10 while the crowd of people outside prayed during the hour when the incense was burned.
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And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.