Parallel Bible results for "luke 1"

Luke 1

GOD'S WORD Translation GW

1 Many have attempted to write about what had taken place among us.

2 They received their information from those who had been eyewitnesses and servants of God's word from the beginning, and they passed it on to us.

3 I, too, have followed everything closely from the beginning. So I thought it would be a good idea to write an orderly account for Your Excellency, Theophilus.

4 In this way you will know that what you've been told is true.

5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the division of priests named after Abijah. Zechariah's wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron.

6 Zechariah and Elizabeth had God's approval. They followed all the Lord's commands and regulations perfectly.

7 Yet, they never had any children because Elizabeth couldn't become pregnant. Both of them were too old to have children.

8 Zechariah was on duty with his division of priests. As he served in God's presence,

9 he was chosen by priestly custom to go into the Lord's temple to burn incense.

10 All the people were praying outside while he was burning incense.

11 Then, to the right of the incense altar, an angel of the Lord appeared to him.

12 Zechariah was troubled and overcome with fear.

13 The angel said to him, "Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you will name him John.

14 He will be your pride and joy, and many people will be glad that he was born.

15 As far as the Lord is concerned, he will be a great man. He will never drink wine or any other liquor. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.

16 He will bring many people in Israel back to the Lord their God.

17 He will go ahead of the Lord with the spirit and power that Elijah had. He will change parents' attitudes toward their children. He will change disobedient people so that they will accept the wisdom of those who have God's approval. In this way he will prepare the people for their Lord."

18 Zechariah said to the angel, "What proof is there for this? I'm an old man, and my wife is beyond her childbearing years."

19 The angel answered him, "I'm Gabriel! I stand in God's presence. God sent me to tell you this good news.

20 But because you didn't believe what I said, you will be unable to talk until the day this happens. Everything will come true at the right time."

21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah. They were amazed that he was staying in the temple so long.

22 When he did come out, he was unable to speak to them. So they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. He motioned to them but remained unable to talk.

23 When the days of his service were over, he went home.

24 Later, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and didn't go out in public for five months. She said,

25 "The Lord has done this for me now. He has removed my public disgrace."

26 Six months after Elizabeth had become pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee.

27 The angel went to a virgin promised in marriage to a descendant of David named Joseph. The virgin's name was Mary.

28 When the angel entered her home, he greeted her and said, "You are favored by the Lord! The Lord is with you."

29 She was startled by what the angel said and tried to figure out what this greeting meant.

30 The angel told her, "Don't be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God.

31 You will become pregnant, give birth to a son, and name him Jesus.

32 He will be a great man and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.

33 Your son will be king of Jacob's people forever, and his kingdom will never end."

34 Mary asked the angel, "How can this be? I've never had sexual intercourse."

35 The angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy child developing inside you will be called the Son of God.

36 "Elizabeth, your relative, is six months pregnant with a son in her old age. People said she couldn't have a child.

37 But nothing is impossible for God."

38 Mary answered, "I am the Lord's servant. Let everything you've said happen to me." Then the angel left her.

39 Soon afterward, Mary hurried to a city in the mountain region of Judah.

40 She entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth.

41 When Elizabeth heard the greeting, she felt the baby kick. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 She said in a loud voice, "You are the most blessed of all women, and blessed is the child that you will have.

43 I feel blessed that the mother of my Lord is visiting me.

44 As soon as I heard your greeting, I felt the baby jump for joy.

45 You are blessed for believing that the Lord would keep his promise to you."

46 Mary said, "My soul praises the Lord's greatness!

47 My spirit finds its joy in God, my Savior,

48 because he has looked favorably on me, his humble servant. "From now on, all people will call me blessed

49 because the Almighty has done great things to me. His name is holy.

50 For those who fear him, his mercy lasts throughout every generation.

51 "He displayed his mighty power. He scattered those who think too highly of themselves.

52 He pulled strong rulers from their thrones. He honored humble people.

53 He fed hungry people with good food. He sent rich people away with nothing.

54 "He remembered to help his servant Israel forever.

55 This is the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and his descendants."

56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.

57 When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a son.

58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very kind to her, and they shared her joy.

59 When the child was eight days old, they went [to the temple] to circumcise him. They were going to name him Zechariah after his father.

60 But his mother spoke up, "Absolutely not! His name will be John."

61 Their friends said to her, "But you don't have any relatives with that name."

62 So they motioned to the baby's father to see what he wanted to name the child.

63 Zechariah asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." Everyone was amazed.

64 Suddenly, Zechariah was able to speak, and he began to praise God.

65 All their neighbors were filled with awe. Throughout the mountain region of Judea, people talked about everything that had happened.

66 Everyone who heard about it seriously thought it over and asked, "What does the future hold for this child?" It was clear that the Lord was with him.

67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied,

68 "Praise the Lord God of Israel! He has come to take care of his people and to set them free.

69 He has raised up a mighty Savior for us in the family of his servant David.

70 He made this promise through his holy prophets long ago.

71 He promised to save us from our enemies and from the power of all who hate us.

72 He has shown his mercy to our ancestors and remembered his holy promise,

73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham.

74 He promised to rescue us from our enemies' power so that we could serve him without fear

75 by being holy and honorable as long as we live.

76 "You, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High. You will go ahead of the Lord to prepare his way.

77 You will make his people know that they can be saved through the forgiveness of their sins.

78 A new day will dawn on us from above because our God is loving and merciful.

79 He will give light to those who live in the dark and in death's shadow. He will guide us into the way of peace."

80 The child John grew and became spiritually strong. He lived in the desert until the day he appeared to the people of Israel.

New International Version NIV

1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,

2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.

3 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 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

5 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 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.

7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,

9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.

12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.

13 But 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 call him John.

14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,

15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.

16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.

17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.

20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple.

22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home.

24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.

25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,

27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.

31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,

33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.

37 For no word from God will ever fail.”

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,

40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.

41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!

43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord

47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,

49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.

50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.

51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.

53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.

54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful

55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”

56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son.

58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah,

60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”

61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.

63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”

64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.

65 All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.

66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.

69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David

70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),

71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—

72 to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant,

73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear

75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,

77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,

78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven

79 to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit ; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.