New Living Translation NLT
Wycliffe WYC
1 Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us.
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Forsooth for many men endeavoured to ordain the telling of things, which be filled in us,
2 They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples.
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as they that saw at the beginning, and were ministers of the word, betaken,
3 Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honorable Theophilus,
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it is seen also to me, having from the beginning all things diligently by order, to write to thee, thou best Theophilus,
4 so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.
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that thou know the truth of those words, of which thou art learned.] *
5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron.
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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 Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations.
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And [they] both were just before God, going in all the commandments and justifyings of the Lord, without plaint.
7 They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.
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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 One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week.
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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 As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.
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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 While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying.
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And all the multitude of the people was withoutforth, and prayed in the hour of incensing [praying in the hour of incense].
11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar.
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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 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him.
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And Zacharias seeing was afraid [And Zacharias seeing was distroubled], and dread fell upon him.
13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.
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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 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,
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And joy and gladding shall be to thee; and many shall have joy in his nativity, or birth.
15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.
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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 will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God.
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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 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”
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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 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”
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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 Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news!
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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 But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”
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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.
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long.
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And the people was abiding Zacharias, and they wondered, that he tarried in the temple.
22 When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary.
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And he went out, and might not speak to them, and they knew that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he beckoned to them, and dwelled still dumb.
23 When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home.
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And it was done, when the days of his office were fulfilled, he went into his house.
24 Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months.
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And after these days Elisabeth, his wife, conceived, and hid her(self) five months, and said [saying],
25 “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”
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For so the Lord did to me in the days, in which he beheld, to take away my reproof among men.
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee,
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But in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, whose name was Nazareth [to which the name Nazareth],
27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.
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to a maiden [to a virgin], wedded to a man, whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the name of the maiden was Mary.
28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you! ”
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And the angel entered to her, and said, Hail, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed be thou among women.
29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.
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And when she had heard, she was troubled in his word, and thought what manner salutation this was.
30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!
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And the angel said to her, Dread thou not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.
31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.
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Lo! thou shalt conceive in [the] womb, and shalt bear a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus.
32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.
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This shall be great [He shall be great], and he shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give to him the seat of David, his father,
33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
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and he shall reign in the house of Jacob without end [and he shall reign in the house of Jacob into without end], and of his realm shall be none end.
34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
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And Mary said to the angel, On what manner shall this thing be done, for I know not man?
35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.
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And the angel answered, and said to her, The Holy Ghost shall come from above into thee, and the virtue of the Highest shall overshadow thee; and therefore that holy thing that shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God.
36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month.
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And lo! Elisabeth, thy cousin, and she also hath conceived a son in her old (age), and this month is the sixth to her that is called barren;
37 For the word of God will never fail. ”
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for every word shall not be impossible with God.
38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
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And Mary said, Lo! the handmaid of the Lord [+Forsooth Mary said, Lo! the handmaiden/handmaid of the Lord]; be it done to me after thy word. And the angel departed from her.
39 A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town
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And Mary rose up in those days, and went with haste into the mountains, into a city of Judaea. [Soothly Mary rising up in those days, went with haste into the hilly places, into a city of Judaea.]
40 where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth.
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And she entered into the house of Zacharias, and greeted Elisabeth.
41 At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
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And it was done, as Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the young child in her womb gladded. And Elisabeth was full-filled with the Holy Ghost [And Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost],
42 Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed.
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and cried with a great voice, and said, Blessed be thou among women, and blessed be the fruit of thy womb.
43 Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me?
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And whereof is this thing to me, that the mother of my Lord come to me?
44 When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy.
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For lo! as the voice of thy salutation was made in mine ears, the young child gladded in joy in my womb [the young child gladded with joy in my womb].
45 You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”
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And blessed be thou, that hast believed, for those things that be said of the Lord to thee [for those things that be said to thee from the Lord], shall be perfectly done.
46 Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
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And Mary said, My soul magnifieth the Lord,
47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
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and my spirit hath gladded in God, mine health [mine health-giver].
48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
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For he hath beheld the meekness of his handmaiden. For lo! of this all generations shall say that I am blessed. [+For he hath beholden the meekness of his handmaiden/handmaid. Lo! forsooth of this all generations shall say me blessed.]
49 For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.
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For he that is mighty hath done to me great things, and his name is holy.
50 He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him.
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And his mercy is from kindred into kindreds [from kindreds into kindreds], to men that dread him.
51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
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He made might in his arm, he scattered proud men with the thought of his heart.
52 He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble.
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He put down mighty men from their seats, and enhanced meek men.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands.
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He hath full-filled hungry men with goods [He hath filled hungry men with good things], and he hath left rich men void.
54 He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful.
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He, having mind of his mercy, took Israel, his child;
55 For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.”
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as he hath spoken to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed, into worlds.
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.
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And Mary dwelled with her, as it were three months [Forsooth Mary dwelled with her as three months], and turned again into her house.
57 When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son.
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But the time of bearing child was fulfilled to Elisabeth, and she bare a son.
58 And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her.
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And the neighbours and the cousins of her heard, that the Lord had magnified his mercy with her; and they thanked him [and they together joyed to her].
59 When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father.
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And it was done in the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, by the name of his father.
60 But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!”
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And his mother answered, and said, Nay, but he shall be called John.
61 “What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.”
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And they said to her, For no man is in thy kindred, that is called [by] this name.
62 So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him.
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And they beckoned to his father, what he would that he were called. [Soothly they made a sign to his father, whom he would him to be called.]
63 He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.”
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And he asking a stylus [a pointel], wrote, saying, John is his name. And all men wondered.
64 Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.
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And at once his mouth was opened [Forsooth his mouth was opened anon], and his tongue, and he spake, and blessed God.
65 Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills.
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And dread was made on all their neighbours, and all these words were published on all the mountains of Judaea [on all the hilly places of Judaea].
66 Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way.
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And all men that heard putted in their heart, and said, What manner child shall this be? For the hand of the Lord was with him. [And all men that heard put in their heart, saying, Who guessest thou, this child shall be? And soothly the hand of the Lord was with him.]
67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:
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And Zacharias, his father, was full-filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, and said, [And Zacharias, his father, was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,]
68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people.
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Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited, and made redemption of his people.
69 He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David,
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And he hath raised to us an horn of health in the house of David, his child.
70 just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.
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As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, that were from the world.
71 Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us.
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Health from our enemies, and from the hand of all men that hated us [and from the hand of all that hated us].
72 He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant—
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To do mercy with our fathers, and to have mind of his holy testament.
73 the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham.
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The great oath [The oath] that he swore to Abraham, our father,
74 We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear,
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to give himself to us. That we without dread delivered from the hand of our enemies, serve to him [That we delivered from the hand of our enemies, serve to him without dread],
75 in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live.
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in holiness and rightwiseness before him in all our days.
76 “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
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And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, to make ready his ways.
77 You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins.
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To give science of health to his people, into remission of their sins;
78 Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,
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by the inwardness of the mercy of our God, in the which [in which] he springing up from on high hath visited us.
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”
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To give light to them that sit in darknesses and in the shadow of death; to direct [to dress] our feet into the way of peace.
80 John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.
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And the child waxed, and was comforted in spirit, and was in desert places unto the day [and was in desert till the day] of his showing to Israel.