Luke 1
1
Luke Writes About Jesus’ Life
1To Theophilus:
Many have tried to give a history of the things that happened among us. 2They have written the same things that we learned from others—the people who saw those things from the beginning and served God by telling people his message. 3I myself studied everything carefully from the beginning, your Excellency.# This word was used to show respect to an important person like a king or ruler. I thought I should write it out for you. So I put it in order in a book. 4I write these things so that you can know that what you have been taught is true.
Zechariah and Elizabeth
5During the time Herod ruled Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah. He belonged to Abijah’s group.# The Jewish priests were divided into 24 groups. See 1 Chronicles 24. Zechariah’s wife came from the family of Aaron. Her name was Elizabeth. 6Zechariah and Elizabeth truly did what God said was good. They did everything the Lord commanded and told people to do. They were without fault in keeping his law. 7But Zechariah and Elizabeth had no children. Elizabeth could not have a baby; and both of them were very old.
8Zechariah was serving as a priest before God for his group. It was his group’s time to serve. 9According to the custom of the priests, he was chosen to go into the Temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10There were a great many people outside praying at the time the incense was offered. 11Then, on the right side of the incense table, an angel of the Lord came and stood before Zechariah. 12When he saw the angel, Zechariah was confused and frightened. 13But the angel said to him, “Zechariah, don’t be afraid. Your prayer has been heard by God. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give birth to a son. You will name him John. 14You will be very happy. Many people will be happy because of his birth. 15John will be a great man for the Lord. He will never drink wine or beer. Even at the time John is born, he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. 16He will help many people of Israel return to the Lord their God. 17He himself will go first before the Lord. John will be powerful in spirit like Elijah. He will make peace between fathers and their children. He will bring those who are not obeying God back to the right way of thinking. He will make people ready for the coming of the Lord.”
18Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I know that what you say is true? I am an old man, and my wife is old, too.”
19The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand before God. God sent me to talk to you and to tell you this good news. 20Now, listen! You will not be able to talk until the day these things happen. You will lose your speech because you did not believe what I told you. But these things will really happen.”
21Outside, the people were still waiting for Zechariah. They were surprised that he was staying so long in the Temple. 22Then Zechariah came outside, but he could not speak to them. So they knew that he had seen a vision in the Temple. Zechariah could not speak. He could only make signs to them. 23When his time of service as a priest was finished, he went home.
24Later, Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant. She did not go out of her house for five months. Elizabeth said, 25“Look what the Lord has done for me! My people were ashamed# The Jews thought it was a disgrace for women not to have children. of me, but now the Lord has taken away that shame.”
The Virgin Mary
26-27During Elizabeth’s sixth month of pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to a virgin who lived in Nazareth, a town in Galilee. She was engaged to marry a man named Joseph from the family of David. Her name was Mary. 28The angel came to her and said, “Greetings! The Lord has blessed you and is with you.”
29But Mary was very confused by what the angel said. Mary wondered, “What does this mean?”
30The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, because God is pleased with you. 31Listen! You will become pregnant. You will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He will be great, and people will call him the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of King David, his ancestor. 33He will rule over the people of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end.”
34Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen? I am a virgin!”
35The angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you. The baby will be holy. He will be called the Son of God. 36Now listen! Elizabeth, your relative, is very old. But she is also pregnant with a son. Everyone thought she could not have a baby, but she has been pregnant for six months. 37God can do everything!”
38Mary said, “I am the servant girl of the Lord. Let this happen to me as you say!” Then the angel went away.
Mary’s Visit
39Mary got up and went quickly to a town in the mountains of Judea. 40She went to Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the unborn baby inside Elizabeth jumped. Then Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42She cried out in a loud voice, “God has blessed you more than any other woman. And God has blessed the baby which you will give birth to. 43You are the mother of my Lord, and you have come to me! Why has something so good happened to me? 44When I heard your voice, the baby inside me jumped with joy. 45You are blessed because you believed what the Lord said to you would really happen.”
Mary Praises God
46Then Mary said,
“My soul praises the Lord;
47my heart is happy because God is my Savior.
48I am not important, but God has shown his care for me, his servant girl.
From now on, all people will say that I am blessed,
49because the Powerful One has done great things for me.
His name is holy.
50God will always give mercy
to those who worship him.
51God’s arm is strong.
He scatters the people who are proud
and think great things about themselves.
52God brings down rulers from their thrones,
and he raises up the humble.
53God fills the hungry with good things,
but he sends the rich away with nothing.
54God has helped his people Israel who serve him.
He gave them his mercy.
55God has done what he promised to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his children forever.”
56Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
The Birth of John
57When it was time for Elizabeth to give birth, she had a boy. 58Her neighbors and relatives heard how good the Lord was to her, and they rejoiced.
59When the baby was eight days old, they came to circumcise him. They wanted to name him Zechariah because this was his father’s name. 60But his mother said, “No! He will be named John.”
61The people said to Elizabeth, “But no one in your family has this name!” 62Then they made signs to his father, “What would you like to name him?”
63Zechariah asked for something to write on. Then he wrote, “His name is John.” Everyone was surprised. 64Then Zechariah could talk again. He began to praise God. 65And all their neighbors became alarmed. In all the mountains of Judea people continued talking about all these things. 66The people who heard about these things wondered about them. They thought, “What will this child be?” They said this because the Lord was with him.
Zechariah Praises God
67Then Zechariah, John’s father, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He told the people what would happen:
68“Let us thank the Lord, the God of Israel.
God has come to help his people and has given them freedom.
69God has given us a powerful Savior
from the family of God’s servant David.
70God said that he would do this.
He said it through his holy prophets who lived long ago.
71God will save us from our enemies
and from the power of all those who hate us.
72God said he would give mercy to our ancestors.
And he remembered his holy promise.
73God promised Abraham, our father,
74that he would free us from the power of our enemies,
so that we could serve him without fear.
75We will be righteous and holy before God as long as we live.
76“Now you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High God.
You will go first before the Lord
to prepare the people for his coming.
77You will make his people know that they will be saved.
They will be saved by having their sins forgiven.
78With the loving mercy of our God,
a new day from heaven will shine upon us.
79God will help those who live in darkness,
in the fear of death.
He will guide us into the path that goes toward peace.”
80And so the child grew up and became strong in spirit. John lived away from other people until the time when he came out to preach to Israel.
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Luke 1: ICB
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Luke 1
1
Dedication to Theophilus
1Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that #2 Tim. 4:5, 17 (Gk.); [Acts 3:18]have been accomplished among us, 2#[Heb. 2:3] just as those who #John 15:27; 16:4; [Mark 1:1; Acts 11:15] from the beginning were #2 Pet. 1:16; 1 John 1:1, 3; [Acts 4:20; 1 Pet. 5:1] eyewitnesses and #Acts 26:16; 1 Cor. 4:1 ministers of #See Mark 4:14 the word #1 Cor. 11:2, 23have delivered them to us, 3it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write #Acts 11:4 an orderly account for you, #Acts 23:26; 24:3; 26:25 most excellent #Acts 1:1Theophilus, 4that you may have #Acts 2:36 (Gk.); [2 Pet. 1:16, 19] certainty concerning the things #Acts 18:25; Rom. 2:18; 1 Cor. 14:19; Gal. 6:6 (Gk.)you have been taught.
Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
5 #
Matt. 2:1 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,#1:5 Greek Zacharias #1 Chr. 24:10 of #ver. 8the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6And they were both #ch. 2:25 righteous before God, walking #Phil. 2:15; 3:6; 1 Thess. 2:10; 3:13; 5:23; [Acts 23:1; 24:16]blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7But they had no child, because #ver. 36; [Judg. 13:2; 1 Sam. 1:2] Elizabeth was barren, and #[Gen. 18:11; Heb. 11:11, 12]both were advanced in years.
8Now #1 Chr. 24:19; 2 Chr. 8:14; 31:2; [ver. 23] while he was serving as priest before God when #ver. 5his division was on duty, 9according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot #Ex. 30:7, 8; 1 Sam. 2:28; 1 Chr. 23:13; 2 Chr. 29:11 to enter #ver. 21, 22; Rev. 11:2, 19; [Heb. 9:2, 3]the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10And the whole multitude of the people #Ps. 141:2; [Rev. 5:8; 8:3, 4] were praying #[Lev. 16:17]outside at the hour of incense. 11And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of #Ex. 30:1-10; 40:26, 27the altar of incense. 12And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and #Acts 19:17fear fell upon him. 13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for #[Acts 10:4, 31] your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and #ver. 60, 63you shall call his name John. 14And you will have joy and gladness, and many will #[ver. 58]rejoice at his birth, 15for he will be #ch. 7:28; Matt. 11:11 great before the Lord. And #ch. 7:33; Num. 6:3; Judg. 13:4, 7, 14; Matt. 11:18 he must not drink wine or strong #[Acts 2:15, 17; Eph. 5:18] drink, and #[Acts 2:15, 17; Eph. 5:18] he will be #ver. 41, 67; See Acts 2:4 filled with the Holy Spirit, #Isa. 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; Gal. 1:15even from his mother’s womb. 16And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17and #ver. 76; John 3:28 he will go before him #See Matt. 11:14 in the spirit and power of Elijah, #Cited from Mal. 4:6 to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and #Rom. 10:21 the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, #ch. 7:27; Mal. 3:1; Matt. 11:10; Mark 1:2to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
18And Zechariah said to the angel, #Gen. 15:8; [Gen. 17:17]“How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19And the angel answered him, “I am #ver. 26; Dan. 8:16; 9:21 Gabriel. #Rev. 8:2; [1 Kgs. 17:1; Job 1:6; Isa. 63:9; Matt. 18:10]I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20And behold, #[Ezek. 3:26; 24:27]you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in #See ver. 9the temple. 22And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in #[See ver. 21 above] the temple. And #ver. 62he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23And #2 Chr. 23:8; [ver. 8; 2 Kgs. 11:5; 1 Chr. 9:25] when his time of #Heb. 10:11service was ended, he went to his home.
24After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25“Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, #[Gen. 30:23; 1 Sam. 1:6; Ps. 113:9; Isa. 4:1]to take away my reproach among people.”
Birth of Jesus Foretold
26In the sixth month the angel #ver. 19 Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named #See Matt. 2:23Nazareth, 27#Matt. 1:16, 18 to a virgin betrothed#1:27 That is, legally pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, #ch. 2:4; Matt. 1:20of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, “Greetings, #[Ps. 45:2; Dan. 9:23] O favored one, #Judg. 6:12the Lord is with you!”#1:28 Some manuscripts add Blessed are you among women! 29But #See ver. 12she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for #Acts 7:46you have found favor with God. 31And behold, #Isa. 7:14 you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and #ch. 2:21; Matt. 1:21, 25you shall call his name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of #ver. 76; ch. 6:35; Acts 7:48; See Mark 5:7 the Most High. And the Lord God #ver. 69; 2 Sam. 7:11-13, 16; Ps. 89:4; 132:11; Isa. 9:6, 7; 16:5; Acts 2:30; [Rev. 3:7] will give to him the throne of #See Matt. 1:1his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob #Dan. 2:44; 7:14, 18, 27; Heb. 1:8; Rev. 11:15; [John 12:34]forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”#1:34 Greek since I do not know a man
35And the angel answered her, #Matt. 1:18, 20 “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of #[See ver. 32 above] the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born#1:35 Some manuscripts add of you will be called #John 6:69 holy—#See Matt. 14:33the Son of God. 36And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her #ver. 7who was called barren. 37For #Cited from Gen. 18:14 (Gk.); See Matt. 19:26nothing will be impossible with God.” 38And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant#1:38 Greek bondservant; also verse 48 of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And #[Judg. 6:21; Acts 12:10]the angel departed from her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39In those days Mary arose and went with haste into #ver. 65; Josh. 20:7; 21:11the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth #ver. 15, 67was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42and she exclaimed with a loud cry, #[Judg. 5:24] “Blessed are you among women, and #[Deut. 28:4] blessed is #Ps. 127:3the fruit of your womb! 43And why is this granted to me that the mother of #ch. 20:42; John 20:28; [ch. 2:11]my Lord should come to me? 44For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45And #John 20:29; [ver. 20]blessed is she who believed that there would be#1:45 Or believed, for there will be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
Mary’s Song of Praise: The Magnificat
46And Mary said,
# For ver. 46-53, [1 Sam. 2:1-10] “My #1 Thess. 5:23 soul #Ps. 34:2, 3; 69:30; Acts 10:46; 19:17magnifies the Lord,
47 #
Ps. 35:9; Isa. 61:10; Hab. 3:18; [Acts 16:34] and my #[See ver. 46 above] spirit rejoices in #Ps. 106:21; 1 Tim. 1:1; 2:3; Titus 1:3; 2:10; 3:4; Jude 25; [2 Tim. 1:9]God my Savior,
48for #1 Sam. 1:11; Ps. 138:6; [ch. 9:38] he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations #ch. 11:27; Ps. 72:17; [Mal. 3:12]will call me blessed;
49for #Ps. 89:8; Zeph. 3:17 he who is mighty #Ps. 71:19; 126:2, 3 has done great things for me,
and #Ps. 99:3; 111:9; Isa. 57:15holy is his name.
50And #Deut. 5:10; 7:9; Ps. 89:1, 2; 103:17his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 #
Ps. 89:10; 98:1; 118:16; Isa. 51:9 He has shown strength with his arm;
#
Dan. 4:37; See James 4:6 he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 # [See ver. 51 above] he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
#
Job 5:11; Ps. 75:7; 107:40, 41; 113:7, 8; 147:6; Ezek. 21:26; [James 4:10] and exalted those of humble estate;
53he has filled #Ps. 34:10; 107:9; [ch. 6:21, 24, 25] the hungry with good things,
and the rich #Job 22:9he has sent away empty.
54He has #Isa. 41:8, 9; Heb. 2:16 helped #Isa. 44:21; 49:3 his servant Israel,
#
Ps. 98:3; Mic. 7:20; [ver. 72, 73] in remembrance of his mercy,
55 #
Gen. 17:19; Ps. 132:11; Gal. 3:16 as he spoke to our fathers,
# [See ver. 54 above] to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
56And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord #Gen. 19:19had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59And #ch. 2:21; Gen. 17:12; Lev. 12:3; Phil. 3:5on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60but his mother answered, “No; #ver. 13he shall be called John.” 61And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62And #ver. 22they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63And he asked for #Isa. 8:1; 30:8 a writing tablet and wrote, #[See ver. 60 above]“His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64#ver. 20 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue #Mark 7:35 loosed, and he spoke, #ch. 2:28; 24:53blessing God. 65And #ch. 7:16 fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all #See ver. 39the hill country of Judea, 66and all who heard them #[ch. 2:19, 51] laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For #Acts 11:21; 13:11the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah’s Prophecy
67And his father Zechariah #ver. 15, 41 was filled with the Holy Spirit and #Joel 2:28prophesied, saying,
68 #
1 Kgs. 1:48; 1 Chr. 29:10; Ezra 7:27; Ps. 41:13; 72:18; 106:48 “Blessed be the Lord #Isa. 29:23; Matt. 15:31; Acts 13:17 God of Israel,
for he has #ch. 7:16; Ex. 4:31; [ver. 78; Acts 15:14; Heb. 2:6] visited and #ch. 2:38; Ps. 111:9; 130:7, 8; [ch. 24:21; Isa. 43:1; 59:20]redeemed his people
69and #1 Sam. 2:1, 10; Ps. 132:17; Ezek. 29:21 has raised up #2 Sam. 22:3; Ps. 18:2 a horn of salvation for us
# ver. 32 in the house of his servant David,
70 #
Rom. 1:2; [Jer. 23:5, 6] as #Acts 3:21he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 #
Ps. 106:10
that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 #
Mic. 7:20 to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and #Lev. 26:42; Ps. 105:8, 9; [ver. 54, 55] to remember his holy #See Rom. 9:4covenant,
73 #
Gen. 22:16-18; 26:3; Heb. 6:13, 14 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him #Zeph. 3:15without fear,
75 #
Eph. 4:24; [1 Thess. 2:10; Titus 2:12] in holiness and righteousness before him #[Jer. 32:39 (Heb.); Matt. 28:20 (Gk.)]all our days.
76And you, child, will be called #ch. 7:26; 20:6; Matt. 11:9; 14:5 the prophet of #See ver. 32 the Most High;
for #ver. 17; ch. 3:4; 7:27; Mal. 3:1; Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:2, 3you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77to give knowledge of salvation to his people
# [Matt. 26:28; Mark 1:4] in the forgiveness of their sins,
78because of the #Col. 3:12 (Gk.) tender mercy of our God,
whereby #Mal. 4:2; Eph. 5:14; 2 Pet. 1:19 the sunrise shall #See ver. 68 visit us#1:78 Or when the sunrise shall dawn upon us; some manuscripts since the sunrise has visited us #ch. 24:49from on high
79to #Isa. 9:2; Matt. 4:16; [Acts 26:18]; See John 8:12 give light to #Ps. 107:10; Isa. 42:7 those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into #Rom. 3:17 the way of #See ch. 2:14peace.”
80 # ch. 2:40 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was #Matt. 3:1; 11:7in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
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