Luke (Luk) 1
1
1Dear Theophilos:
Concerning the matters that have taken place among us, many people have undertaken to draw up accounts 2based on what was handed down to us by those who from the start were eyewitnesses and proclaimers of the message. 3Therefore, Your Excellency, since I have carefully investigated all these things from the beginning, it seemed good to me that I too should write you an accurate and ordered narrative, 4so that you might know how well-founded are the things about which you have been taught.
5In the days of Herod, King of Y’hudah, there was a cohen named Z’kharyah who belonged to the Aviyah division. His wife was a descendant of Aharon, and her name was Elisheva. 6Both of them were righteous before God, observing all the mitzvot and ordinances of Adonai blamelessly. 7But they had no children, because Elisheva was barren; and they were both well along in years.
8One time, when Z’kharyah was fulfilling his duties as cohen during his division’s period of service before God, 9he was chosen by lot (according to the custom among the cohanim) to enter the Temple and burn incense. 10All the people were outside, praying, at the time of the incense burning, 11when there appeared to him an angel of Adonai standing to the right of the incense altar. 12Z’kharyah was startled and terrified at the sight. 13But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Z’kharyah; because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elisheva will bear you a son, and you are to name him Yochanan. 14He will be a joy and a delight to you, and many people will rejoice when he is born, 15for he will be great in the sight of Adonai. He is never to drink wine or other liquor, and he will be filled with the Ruach HaKodesh even from his mother’s womb. 16He will turn many of the people of Isra’el to Adonai their God. 17He will go out ahead of Adonai in the spirit and power of Eliyahu to turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready for Adonai a people prepared.”
18Z’kharyah said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man; my wife too is well on in years.” 19“I am Gavri’el,” the angel answered him, “and I stand in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you, to give you this good news. 20Now, because you didn’t believe what I said, which will be fulfilled when the time comes, you will be silent, unable to speak until the day these things take place.”
21Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Z’kharyah; they were surprised at his taking so long in the Temple. 22But when he came out unable to talk to them, they realized that he had seen a vision in the Temple; speechless, he communicated to them with signs.
23When his period of his Temple service was over, he returned home. 24Following this, Elisheva his wife conceived, and she remained five months in seclusion, saying, 25“Adonai has done this for me; he has shown me favor at this time, so as to remove my public disgrace.”
26In the sixth month, the angel Gavri’el was sent by God to a city in the Galil called Natzeret, 27to a virgin engaged to a man named Yosef, of the house of David; the virgin’s name was Miryam. 28Approaching her, the angel said, “Shalom, favored lady! Adonai is with you!” 29She was deeply troubled by his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Miryam, for you have found favor with God. 31Look! You will become pregnant, you will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua. 32He will be great, he will be called Son of Ha‘Elyon. Adonai, God, will give him the throne of his forefather David; 33and he will rule the House of Ya‘akov forever — there will be no end to his Kingdom.” 34“How can this be,” asked Miryam of the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35The angel answered her,
“The Ruach HaKodesh will come over you,
the power of Ha‘Elyon will cover you.
Therefore the holy child born to you
will be called the Son of God.
36“You have a relative, Elisheva, who is an old woman; and everyone says she is barren. But she has conceived a son and is six months pregnant! 37For with God, nothing is impossible.” 38Miryam said, “I am the servant of Adonai; may it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
39Without delay, Miryam set out and hurried to the town in the hill country of Y’hudah 40where Z’kharyah lived, entered his house and greeted Elisheva. 41When Elisheva heard Miryam’s greeting, the baby in her womb stirred. Elisheva was filled with the Ruach HaKodesh 42and spoke up in a loud voice,
“How blessed are you among women!
And how blessed is the child in your womb!
43“But who am I, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44For as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy! 45Indeed you are blessed, because you have trusted that the promise Adonai has made to you will be fulfilled.”
46Then Miryam said,
“My soul magnifies Adonai;
47and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior,
48who has taken notice of his servant-girl
in her humble position.
For — imagine it! — from now on, all generations will call me blessed!
49“The Mighty One has done great things for me!
Indeed, his name is holy; 50and in every generation
he has mercy on those who fear him.
51“He has performed mighty deeds with his arm,
routed the secretly proud,
52brought down rulers from their thrones,
raised up the humble,
53filled the hungry with good things,
but sent the rich away empty.
54“He has taken the part of his servant Isra’el,
mindful of the mercy
55which he promised to our fathers,
to Avraham and his seed forever.”
56Miryam stayed with Elisheva for about three months and then returned home.
57The time arrived for Elisheva to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son. 58Her neighbors and relatives heard how good Adonai had been to her, and they rejoiced with her.
59On the eighth day, they came to do the child’s b’rit-milah. They were about to name him Z’kharyah, after his father, 60when his mother spoke up and said, “No, he is to be called Yochanan.” 61They said to her, “None of your relatives has that name,” 62and they made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. 63He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is Yochanan.” 64At that moment, his power of speech returned, and his first words were a b’rakhah to God. 65All their neighbors were awestruck; and throughout the hill country of Y’hudah, people talked about all these things. 66Everyone who heard of them said to himself, “What is this child going to be?” For clearly the hand of Adonai was with him.
67His father Z’kharyah was filled with the Ruach HaKodesh and spoke this prophecy:
68“Praised be Adonai, the God of Isra’el,
because he has visited and made a ransom to liberate his people
69by raising up for us a mighty Deliverer
who is a descendant of his servant David.
70It is just as he has spoken
through the mouth of the prophets from the very beginning —
71that we should be delivered from our enemies
and from the power of all who hate us.
72“This has happened so that he might show
the mercy promised to our fathers —
that he would remember his holy covenant,
73the oath he swore before Avraham avinu
74to grant us that we, freed from our enemies,
would serve him without fear,
75in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.
76You, child, will be called a prophet of Ha‘Elyon;
you will go before the Lord to prepare his way
77by spreading the knowledge among his people
that deliverance comes by having sins forgiven
78through our God’s most tender mercy,
which causes the Sunrise to visit us from Heaven,
79to shine on those in darkness, living in the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the paths of peace.”
80The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he lived in the wilderness until the time came for him to appear in public to Isra’el.
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Luke (Luk) 1: CJB
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Learn More About Complete Jewish BibleLuke 1
1
Introduction
1Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. 2They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples.#1:2 Greek from those who from the beginning were servants of the word. 3Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus, 4so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.
The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
5When 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. 6Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. 7They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.
8One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. 9As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. 10While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying.
11While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. 13But 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. 14You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15for 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.#1:15 Or even from birth. 16And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17He 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,#1:17 See Mal 4:5-6. and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”
18Zechariah 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.”
19Then 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! 20But 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.”
21Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. 22When 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.
23When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home. 24Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. 25“How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings,#1:28a Or Rejoice. favored woman! The Lord is with you!#1:28b Some manuscripts add Blessed are you among women.”
29Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He 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. 33And he will reign over Israel#1:33 Greek over the house of Jacob. forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
34Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
35The 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. 36What’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. 37For the word of God will never fail.#1:37 Some manuscripts read For nothing is impossible with God.”
38Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town 40where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. 41At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. 43Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? 44When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”
The Magnificat: Mary’s Song of Praise
46Mary responded,
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
47How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
48For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
49For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
50He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.
51His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
52He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
53He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
54He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
55For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
56Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son. 58And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her.
59When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!”
61“What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” 62So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. 63He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” 64Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.
65Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills. 66Everyone 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.
Zechariah’s Prophecy
67Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:
68“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has visited and redeemed his people.
69He has sent us a mighty Savior#1:69 Greek has raised up a horn of salvation for us.
from the royal line of his servant David,
70just as he promised
through his holy prophets long ago.
71Now we will be saved from our enemies
and from all who hate us.
72He has been merciful to our ancestors
by remembering his sacred covenant—
73the covenant he swore with an oath
to our ancestor Abraham.
74We have been rescued from our enemies
so we can serve God without fear,
75in holiness and righteousness
for as long as we live.
76“And you, my little son,
will be called the prophet of the Most High,
because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
77You will tell his people how to find salvation
through forgiveness of their sins.
78Because of God’s tender mercy,
the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,#1:78 Or the Morning Light from Heaven is about to visit us.
79to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
and to guide us to the path of peace.”
80John 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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