Luke 1
1
Luke’s purpose
1Many people have already applied themselves to the task of compiling an account of the events that have been fulfilled among us. 2They used what the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed down to us. 3Now, after having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, I have also decided to write a carefully ordered account for you, most honorable Theophilus. 4I want you to have confidence in the soundness of the instruction you have received.
John the Baptist’s birth foretold
5During the rule of King Herod of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron. 6They were both righteous before God, blameless in their observance of all the Lord’s commandments and regulations. 7They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to become pregnant and they both were very old. 8One day Zechariah was serving as a priest before God because his priestly division was on duty. 9Following the customs of priestly service, he was chosen by lottery to go into the Lord’s sanctuary and burn incense. 10All the people who gathered to worship were praying outside during this hour of incense offering. 11An angel from the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12When Zechariah saw the angel, he was startled and overcome with fear.
13The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayers have been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to your son and you must name him John. 14He will be a joy and delight to you, and many people will rejoice at his birth, 15for he will be great in the Lord’s eyes. He must not drink wine and liquor. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before his birth. 16He will bring many Israelites back to the Lord their God. 17He will go forth before the Lord, equipped with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will turn the hearts of fathers#1.17 Or parents back to their children, and he will turn the disobedient to righteous patterns of thinking. He will make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
18Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? My wife and I are very old.”
19The angel replied, “I am Gabriel. I stand in God’s presence. I was sent to speak to you and to bring this good news to you. 20Know this: What I have spoken will come true at the proper time. But because you didn’t believe, you will remain silent, unable to speak until the day when these things happen.”
21Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they wondered why he was in the sanctuary for such a long time. 22When he came out, he was unable to speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he gestured to them and couldn’t speak. 23When he completed the days of his priestly service, he returned home. 24Afterward, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant. She kept to herself for five months, saying, 25“This is the Lord’s doing. He has shown his favor to me by removing my disgrace among other people.”
Jesus’ birth foretold
26When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee, 27to a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28When the angel came to her, he said, “Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you!” 29She was confused by these words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. God is honoring you. 31Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. 33He will rule over Jacob’s house forever, and there will be no end to his kingdom.”
34Then Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen since I haven’t had sexual relations with a man?”
35The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come over you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the one who is to be born will be holy. He will be called God’s Son. 36Look, even in her old age, your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son. This woman who was labeled ‘unable to conceive’ is now six months pregnant. 37Nothing is impossible for God.”
38Then Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
Mary visits Elizabeth
39Mary got up and hurried to a city in the Judean highlands. 40She entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42With a loud voice she blurted out, “God has blessed you above all women, and he has blessed the child you carry. 43Why do I have this honor, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44As soon as I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45Happy is she who believed that the Lord would fulfill the promises he made to her.”
Mary praises God
46Mary said,
“With all my heart I glorify the Lord!
47In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior.
48He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant.
Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored
49because the mighty one has done great things for me.
Holy is his name.
50He shows mercy to everyone,
from one generation to the next,
who honors him as God.
51He has shown strength with his arm.
He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations.
52He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones
and lifted up the lowly.
53He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty-handed.
54He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,
remembering his mercy,
55just as he promised to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to Abraham’s descendants forever.”
56Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months, and then returned to her home.
57When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a boy. 58Her neighbors and relatives celebrated with her because they had heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy. 59On the eighth day, it came time to circumcise the child. They wanted to name him Zechariah because that was his father’s name. 60But his mother replied, “No, his name will be John.”
61They said to her, “None of your relatives have that name.” 62Then they began gesturing to his father to see what he wanted to call him.
63After asking for a tablet, he surprised everyone by writing, “His name is John.” 64At that moment, Zechariah was able to speak again, and he began praising God.
65All their neighbors were filled with awe, and everyone throughout the Judean highlands talked about what had happened. 66All who heard about this considered it carefully. They said, “What then will this child be?” Indeed, the Lord’s power was with him.
Zechariah’s prophecy
67John’s father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied,
68“Bless the Lord God of Israel
because he has come to help and has delivered his people.
69He has raised up a mighty savior for us in his servant David’s house,
70just as he said through the mouths of his holy prophets long ago.
71He has brought salvation from our enemies
and from the power of all those who hate us.
72He has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
and remembered his holy covenant,
73the solemn pledge he made to our ancestor Abraham.
He has granted 74that we would be rescued
from the power of our enemies
so that we could serve him without fear,
75in holiness and righteousness in God’s eyes,
for as long as we live.
76You, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.
77You will tell his people how to be saved
through the forgiveness of their sins.
78Because of our God’s deep compassion,
the dawn from heaven will break upon us,
79to give light to those who are sitting in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide us on the path of peace.”
80The child grew up, becoming strong in character. He was in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.
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Luke 1: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Lukas 1
1
1Vibahlt (since) many Messianic Sofrim have attempted to compile a sefer, a historical narrative, about the momentous events that have been fulfilled among us,
2Just as these#1:2 massoret haShluchim have been handed down to us by those who from HaReshit#1:2 of the Besuras HaGeulah were edei reiyah (eyewitnesses) and mesharetim (ministers) of the Dvar Hashem,
3I thought it expedient also, having done an iyun (investigative research), accurately and carefully being meayen (engaged in research) in every source and making a medakdeke (pain-stakingly thorough) investigation of every aspect from HaReshit (the Beginning), to write for you and to mesader (arrange, place in succession) an orderly account, most noble Theophilus,
4That you may have daas of HaEmes regarding the Divrei Moshiach about which you took shiurim (lessons).
5At the time of Herod king of Yehudah, there was a certain kohen by the name Zecharyah, who belonged to the Aviyah division. His isha was of the banot Aharon, name of Elisheva.#1:5 1Chr 24:10
6And they were both tzaddikim before Hashem, walking a derech tamim in all the mitzvos and chukkim of the Torah of Adoneinu.#1:6 Gn 6:9; Dt 5:33; 1Kgs 9:4
7But they had no ben, because Elisheva was barren, and they were both advanced in their yamim.
8And it came to pass in the performance of his avodas kodesh sherut as a kohen before Hashem in the appointed order of his division,#1:8 1Chr 24:19; 2Chr 8:14
9According to the minhag (custom) of the kehunah, Zecharyah was chosen by lot to enter the Beis Hamikdash and to offer ketoret (incense).#1:9 Ex 30:7,8; 1Chr 23:13; 2Chr 29:11; Ps 141:2
10And when the hour of the offering of the ketoret came, all the multitude were davening outside.#1:10 Lv 16:17
11And there appeared to Zecharyah a malach Hashem, standing on the right side of the Mizbeach of ketoret.#1:11 Ex 30:1-10
12And, seeing the malach, Zecharyah was terrified, and pachad (fear) fell on him.#1:12 Judg 6:22,23; 13:22
13But the malach said to him, Do not have pachad (fear), Zecharyah. Your tefillah (prayer) was heard and your isha, Elisheva, will bear a ben to you and you will call his shem Yochanan.
14And he will be a simcha to you and sasson (joy), and there will be sasson rav (great joy) at his huledet (birth).
15And he will be gadol before Hashem, and he will not drink yayin or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Ruach Hakodesh from the womb of his Em (mother),#1:15 Num 6:3; Lv 10:9; Judg 13:4; Jer 1:5
16And many of the Bnei Yisroel he will turn back in teshuva to Hashem Eloheihem.
17And he will go forth before Adonoi in the ruach (spirit) and koach (power) of Eliyahu HaNavi, VEHESHIV LEV AVOT AL BANIM (And he will turn the heart of the fathers to the children)#1:17 Mal 4:6 [Mal 3:24] and those without mishmaat (obedience) he will turn to the chochmah of the tzaddikim to prepare for Adonoi an Am (People) having been made ready.#1:17 Mal 4:5,6
18And Zecharyah said to the malach, Just how will I have daas that this is so? For I am old and my isha is advanced in her yamim (days).#1:18 Gn 15:8; 17:17
19And in reply, the malach said to Zecharyah, I am Gavriel, I stand before Hashem. And I was sent to speak to you and to announce these things to you.#1:19 Dan 8:16; 9:21
20And hinei! You will be illem (mute) and not be able to speak, until the yom (day) when these things come to pass, because you did not have emunah in my devarim (words), which will be fulfilled in their time.#1:20 Ex 4:11; Ezek 3:26
21And the people were expecting Zecharyah and they were bewildered at his delay in the Beis HaMikdash.
22And when he came out, he was illem (mute) and not able to speak to them, and they had daas that he had seen a chazon in the Heikhal. He kept motioning to them and he remained illem.
23And it came about as the yamim of his sherut (service in the Beis HaMikdash) as a kohen were fulfilled, he went to his bais (house).
24And after these yamim, Elisheva, his isha, became with child, and she kept herself in hitbodedut for chamesh chodashim, saying,
25 Hashem has done this for me. In these yamim he looked with Chen vChesed (favor and mercy, loving kindness) on me to take away my reproach among Bnei Adam.#1:25 Gn 30:23; Isa 4:1
26Now in the chodesh shishi the malach Gavriel was sent from Hashem to a shtetl in the Galil called Natzeret,
27To a betulah (virgin) given in erusin (betrothal, engagement) to an ish from the Beis Dovid named Yosef,#1:27 ben Dovid and the shem of the almah was Miryam.
28And when the malach approached her, he said, Shalom, favored one! Hashem is with you!
29But she was greatly perplexed at the message, and kept pondering what sort of Shalom greeting this might be.
30And the malach said to her, Do not have pachad (fear), Miryam, for you have found chen before Hashem.
31And in your womb you will conceive and bear BEN#1:31 Isa 7:14 and you will call SHMO YEHOSHUA.#1:31 Zech 6:11-12
32He will be gadol (great) and will be called Ben HaElyon (Son of the Most High). Adonoi Elohim will give him the kisse Dovid Aviv,
33And he will rule over the Beis Ya'akov Olam vaed, and his Malchut will never come to an end.#1:33 2Sm 7:16; Ps 89:3,4; Isa 9:7; Jer 33:17; Dan 2:44; 7:14,27; Mic 4:7
34But Miryam said to the malach, How will this be, vi-bahlt (since) I do not have daas of an ish?
35And in reply, the malach said to her, The Ruach Hakodesh will come upon you and the gevurah of HaElyon will overshadow you. Therefore, also, the one being born will be called HaKadosh (The Holy One), Ben HaElohim.
36And Elisheva your krovah also has conceived a ben in her old age, and this chodesh is hashishi (the sixth) for her who is called barren.
37For nothing will be impossible with Hashem.
38And Miryam said, Hinei! I am the shifcha of Hashem. May it be done to me according to your dvar. And the malach departed from her.
39And in those yamim, Miryam got up and traveled into the hill country with haste to a shtetl of Yehudah.
40And she entered into the bais of Zecharyah and gave Birkat Shalom greetings to Elisheva.
41And it came about, when Elisheva heard the Birkat Shalom of Miryam, the yeled leaped in Elishevaʼs womb, and she was filled with the Ruach Hakodesh.
42And Elisheva cried out with a kol gadol (loud voice) and said, Brucha at miNashim (Blessed art thou among women), and baruch (blessed is) the pri (fruit) of your womb!#1:42 Judg 5:24
43And why has this happened to me that the Em Adoni should come to me?
44For hinei! When the sound of your Birkat Shalom came into my ears, the yeled leaped with simcha in my womb.
45And ashrey is the one having had emunah that there will be a fulfillment to the things having been spoken to Miryam by Hashem.
46And Miryam said, My soul doth magnify Hashem.#1:46 Ps 34:2,3
47ALATZ LIBI BA'HASHEM#1:47 1Sm 2:1 (My heart rejoices in Hashem) and my neshamah exalts in Hashem Yishi#1:47 Hab 3:18 (G-d my Savior, Moshi'a),#1:47 Ps 18:46; Isa 17:10; 61:10
48For HASHEM VISHAFAL YIREH#1:48 Ps 138:6 looked upon the humble state of His shifcha (bond maid), for from now on kol hadorot ishruni#1:48 Gn 30:13 (all generations will call me happy),
49For Shaddai (the Almighty) did gedolot for me and Kadosh is Shmo,#1:49 Ps 111:9
50And the chesed of Hashem is DOR VDOR#1:50 Ps 100:5 to those with yirat Shomayim.#1:50 Ex 20:6; Ps 103:17
51 Hashem has done niflaot (wonders) with his zeroa (arm).#1:51 Isa 53:1 He scattered those who in the machshavot (thoughts) of their levavot are the Gaayonim (the Haughty ones).
52He brought down shalitim (rulers) from their kisot (thrones) and lifted up the Anavim (Humble),
53The ones hungering, Hashem made full of tov, and the ashirim he sent away empty.#1:53 Ps 107:9
54 Hashem helped his servant Yisroel, in remembrance of his rachamim (mercy),
55Just as Hashem spoke to Avoteinu, to Avraham Avinu and his Zera ad Olam.
56And Miryam remained with Elisheva about shlosha chodashim, and then Miryam returned to her bais.
57Now when the time of Elisheva to give birth was fulfilled, she bore a ben.
58And Elishevaʼs shchenim (neighbors) and krovim (relatives) heard that Adoneinu greatly demonstrated his rachamim to her, and they had much simcha with her.
59And it came about on the yom hashemini (the eighth day) they came for the bris milah of the yeled, and they were calling him by the name of his abba, Zecharyah.
60And in reply, his Em said: Lo, but he will be called Yochanan.
61And they said to her, There is no one from your krovim who is called by this shem.
62And they began motioning to the yeledʼs abba to find out what shem he wanted to give him.
63And having asked for a luach (tablet), Zecharyah wrote, saying, Yochanan shmo. And everyone was amazed.
64And Zecharyahʼs mouth was loosed at once and the lashon of him, and he began speaking, saying Baruch Hashem!
65And upon all their shchenim (neighbors) came much yirat Shomayim, and in the entire hill country of Yehudah everyone was shmoozing about these matters.
66All who heard these things pondered them in their levavot, saying, What then will this yeled become? For, indeed, the yad Hashem was on him.#1:66 Gn 39:2
67And Zecharyah, his abba, was filled with the Ruach Hakodesh and brought forth a dvar nevuah, saying,
68BARUCH HASHEM ELOHEI YISROEL, for Adonoi has visited his Am Berit and accomplished a pedut kofer ransom for the Geulah of his people.
69And Hashem raised up a Keren Yeshu'ah (Horn of Salvation), a mighty Moshia, for us in the Beis Dovid, His eved,
70Just as Hashem spoke through the mouth of His neviim hakedoshim meOlam (holy prophets from long ago),#1:70 Jer 23:5
71That we should have Yeshu'at Eloheinu from our oyvim (enemies) and from the hand of all the ones who regard us with sinas chinom (baseless hatred).
72Thus Hashem has demonstrated his rachamim (mercy) to Avoteinu (our Fathers) and has remembered his Brit HaKodesh (Holy Covenant),#1:72 Mic 7:20; Ps 105:8,9; 106:45; Ezek 16:60
73The Brit HaShevu'ah (the Covenant of the oath) which He swore to Avraham Avinu to grant us,#1:73 Gn 22:16-18
74Having been delivered from the yad haoyvim (hand of enemies) of us to serve Hashem fearlessly,
75In kedushah (holiness) and tzedek (righteousness) before Him all our yamim (days).
76And you also, yeled (child), will be called Navi HaElyon (Prophet of the Most High); for you will go LIFNEI HAADON (before the L-rd) to prepare the DERECH HASHEM (The Way of the L-rd),#1:76 Mal 3:1; Isa 40:3
77To give daas (knowledge) of Yeshu'at Eloheinu (the Salvation of our G-d) to Hashemʼs Am Berit (People of the Covenant) by the selichat (forgiveness) of their avon (sin),#1:77 Jer 31:34
78Through the rav rachamim of Eloheinu (through the great mercy of our G-d), by which has visited us the rising SHEMESH (Sun)#1:78 Moshiach from Shomayim,#1:78 Mal 4:2 [ 3:20]
79To appear to the ones in CHOSHECH (darkness) and YOSHVEI BERETZ TZALMAVET (sitting in the land of the shadow of death), to direct our feet into the Derech Shalom.#1:79 Ps 107:14; Isa 9:1-2; 59:9
80And the yeled was growing and was being given chizzuk (strengthening) in the Ruach Hakodesh, and Yochanan was in the desolate places until the day of his hisgalus (revelation, manifestation) to Yisroel.
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.