Luke 1
1
1Dear Theophilus:
Many people have done their best to write a report of the things that have taken place among us. 2They wrote what we have been told by those who saw these things from the beginning and who proclaimed the message. 3And so, your Excellency, because I have carefully studied all these matters from their beginning, I thought it would be good to write an orderly account for you. 4I do this so that you will know the full truth about everything which you have been taught.
The Birth of John the Baptist is Announced
5 #
1 Chr 24.10
During the time when Herod was king of Judea,#1.5 Judea: The term here refers to the whole land of Palestine. there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife's name was Elizabeth; she also belonged to a priestly family. 6They both lived good lives in God's sight and obeyed fully all the Lord's laws and commands. 7They had no children because Elizabeth could not have any, and she and Zechariah were both very old.
8One day Zechariah was doing his work as a priest in the Temple, taking his turn in the daily service. 9According to the custom followed by the priests, he was chosen by lot to burn incense on the altar. So he went into the Temple of the Lord, 10while the crowd of people outside prayed during the hour when the incense was burnt.
11An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the altar where the incense was burnt. 12When Zechariah saw him, he was alarmed and felt afraid. 13But the angel said to him, “Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son. You are to name him John. 14How glad and happy you will be, and how happy many others will be when he is born! 15#Num 6.3He will be a great man in the Lord's sight. He must not drink any wine or strong drink. From his very birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, 16and he will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17#Mal 4.5–6He will go ahead of the Lord, strong and mighty like the prophet Elijah. He will bring fathers and children together again; he will turn disobedient people back to the way of thinking of the righteous; he will get the Lord's people ready for him.”
18Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know if this is so? I am an old man, and my wife is old also.”
19 #
Dan 8.16; 9.21 “I am Gabriel,” the angel answered. “I stand in the presence of God, who sent me to speak to you and tell you this good news. 20But you have not believed my message, which will come true at the right time. Because you have not believed, you will be unable to speak; you will remain silent until the day my promise to you comes true.”
21In the meantime the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he was spending such a long time in the Temple. 22When he came out, he could not speak to them, and so they knew that he had seen a vision in the Temple. Unable to say a word, he made signs to them with his hands.
23When his period of service in the Temple was over, Zechariah went back home. 24Some time later his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and did not leave the house for five months. 25“Now at last the Lord has helped me,” she said. “He has taken away my public disgrace!”
The Birth of Jesus is Announced
26In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. 27#Mt 1.18He had a message for a young woman promised in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. Her name was Mary. 28The angel came to her and said, “Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!”
29Mary was deeply troubled by the angel's message, and she wondered what his words meant. 30The angel said to her, “Don't be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you. 31#Mt 1.21You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32#2 Sam 7.12, 13, 16; Is 9.7He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king, as his ancestor David was, 33and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob for ever; his kingdom will never end!”
34Mary said to the angel, “I am a virgin. How, then, can this be?”
35The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God's power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God. 36Remember your relative Elizabeth. It is said that she cannot have children, but she herself is now six months pregnant, even though she is very old. 37#Gen 18.14For there is nothing that God cannot do.”
38“I am the Lord's servant,” said Mary; “may it happen to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39Soon afterwards Mary got ready and hurried off to a town in the hill country of Judea. 40She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby moved within her. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and said in a loud voice, “You are the most blessed of all women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43Why should this great thing happen to me, that my Lord's mother comes to visit me? 44For as soon as I heard your greeting, the baby within me jumped with gladness. 45How happy you are to believe that the Lord's message to you will come true!”
Mary's Song of Praise
46 #
1 Sam 2.1–10
Mary said,
“My heart praises the Lord;
47my soul is glad because of God my Saviour,
48 #
1 Sam 1.11
for he has remembered me, his lowly servant!
From now on all people will call me happy,
49because of the great things the Mighty God has done for me.
His name is holy;
50from one generation to another
he shows mercy to those who honour him.
51He has stretched out his mighty arm
and scattered the proud with all their plans.
52 #
Job 5.11; 12.19 He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly.
53He has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
54He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors,
and has come to the help of his servant Israel.
55 #
Gen 17.7
He has remembered to show mercy to Abraham
and to all his descendants for ever!”
56Mary stayed about three months with Elizabeth and then went back home.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57The time came for Elizabeth to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son. 58Her neighbours and relatives heard how wonderfully good the Lord had been to her, and they all rejoiced with her.
59 #
Lev 12.3
When the baby was a week old, they came to circumcise him, and they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60But his mother said, “No! His name is to be John.”
61They said to her, “But you have no relatives with that name!” 62Then they made signs to his father, asking him what name he would like the boy to have.
63Zechariah asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” How surprised they all were! 64At that moment Zechariah was able to speak again, and he started praising God. 65The neighbours were all filled with fear, and the news about these things spread through all the hill country of Judea. 66Everyone who heard of it thought about it and asked, “What is this child going to be?” For it was plain that the Lord's power was upon him.
Zechariah's Prophecy
67John's father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he spoke God's message:
68“Let us praise the Lord, the God of Israel!
He has come to the help of his people and has set them free.
69He has provided for us a mighty Saviour,
a descendant of his servant David.
70He promised through his holy prophets long ago
71that he would save us from our enemies,
from the power of all those who hate us.
72He said he would show mercy to our ancestors
and remember his sacred covenant.
73-74With a solemn oath to our ancestor Abraham
he promised to rescue us from our enemies
and allow us to serve him without fear,
75so that we might be holy and righteous before him
all the days of our life.
76 #
Mal 3.1
“You, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High God.
You will go ahead of the Lord
to prepare his road for him,
77to tell his people that they will be saved
by having their sins forgiven.
78Our God is merciful and tender.
He will cause the bright dawn of salvation to rise on us
79 #
Is 9.2
and to shine from heaven on all those who live in the dark shadow of death,
to guide our steps into the path of peace.”
80The child grew and developed in body and spirit. He lived in the desert until the day when he appeared publicly to the people of Israel.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
Luke 1
1
1Many people have tried to tell the story of what God has done among us. 2They wrote what we had been told by the ones who were there in the beginning and saw what happened. 3So I made a careful study#1.3 a careful study: Or “a study from the beginning.” of everything and then decided to write and tell you exactly what took place. Honorable Theophilus, 4I have done this to let you know the truth about what you have heard.
An Angel Tells about the Birth of John
5 #
1 Ch 24.7-18. When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest by the name of Zechariah from the priestly group of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was from the family of Aaron.#1.5 Aaron: The brother of Moses and the first priest. 6Both of them were good people and pleased the Lord God by obeying all that he had commanded. 7But they did not have children. Elizabeth could not have any, and both Zechariah and Elizabeth were already old.
8One day Zechariah's group of priests were on duty, and he was serving God as a priest. 9According to the custom of the priests, he had been chosen to go into the Lord's temple that day and to burn incense,#1.9 burn incense: This was done twice a day, once in the morning and again in the late afternoon. 10while the people stood outside praying.
11All at once an angel from the Lord appeared to Zechariah at the right side of the altar. 12Zechariah was confused and afraid when he saw the angel. 13But the angel told him:
Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayers. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you must name him John. 14His birth will make you very happy, and many people will be glad. 15#Nu 6.3. Your son will be a great servant of the Lord. He must never drink wine or beer, and the power of the Holy Spirit will be with him from the time he is born.
16John will lead many people in Israel to turn back to the Lord their God. 17#Ml 4.5,6; Si 48.10,11. He will go ahead of the Lord with the same power and spirit that Elijah#1.17 Elijah: The prophet Elijah was known for his power to work miracles. had. And because of John, parents will be more thoughtful of their children. And people who now disobey God will begin to think as they ought to. This is how John will get people ready for the Lord.
18Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this is going to happen? My wife and I are both very old.”
19 #
Dn 8.16; 9.21; Tb 12.15. The angel answered, “I am Gabriel, God's servant, and I was sent to tell you this good news. 20You have not believed what I have said. So you will not be able to say a thing until all this happens. But everything will take place when it is supposed to.”
21The crowd was waiting for Zechariah and kept wondering why he was staying in the temple so long. 22When he did come out, he could not speak, and they knew he had seen a vision. He motioned to them with his hands, but did not say a thing.
23When Zechariah's time of service in the temple was over, he went home. 24Soon after this, his wife was expecting a baby, and for five months she did not leave the house. She said to herself, 25“What the Lord has done for me will keep people from looking down on me.”#1.25 keep people from looking down on me: When a married woman could not have children, it was thought that the Lord was punishing her.
An Angel Tells about the Birth of Jesus
26One month later God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee 27#Mt 1.18. with a message for a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to Joseph from the family of King David. 28The angel greeted Mary and said, “You are truly blessed! The Lord is with you.”
29Mary was confused by the angel's words and wondered what they meant. 30Then the angel told Mary, “Don't be afraid! God is pleased with you, 31#Mt 1.21. and you will have a son. His name will be Jesus. 32#2 S 7.12,13,16; Is 9.7. He will be great and will be called the Son of God Most High. The Lord God will make him king, as his ancestor David was. 33He will rule the people of Israel forever, and his kingdom will never end.”
34Mary asked the angel, “How can this happen? I am not even married!”
35The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come down to you, and God's power will come over you. So your child will be called the holy Son of God. 36Your relative Elizabeth is also going to have a son, even though she is old. No one thought she could ever have a baby, but in three months she will have a son. 37#Gn 18.14. Nothing is impossible for God!”
38Mary said, “I am the Lord's servant! Let it happen as you have said.” And the angel left her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39A short time later Mary hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea. 40She went into Zechariah's home, where she greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, her baby moved within her.
The Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth. 42#Jdt 13.18. Then in a loud voice she said to Mary:
God has blessed you more than any other woman! He has also blessed the child you will have. 43Why should the mother of my Lord come to me? 44As soon as I heard your greeting, my baby became happy and moved within me. 45The Lord has blessed you because you believed that he will keep his promise.
Mary's Song of Praise
46 #
1 S 2.1-10. Mary said:
With all my heart
I praise the Lord,
47and I am glad
because of God my Savior.
48God cares for me,
his humble servant.
From now on,
all people will say
God has blessed me.
49God All-Powerful has done
great things for me,
and his name is holy.
50He always shows mercy
to everyone
who worships him.
51The Lord has used
his powerful arm
to scatter those
who are proud.
52 #
Job 5.11; 12.19; Si 10.14. God drags strong rulers
from their thrones
and puts humble people
in places of power.
53God gives the hungry
good things to eat,
and sends the rich away
with nothing.
54God helps his servant Israel
and is always merciful
to his people.
55 #
Gn 17.7. The Lord made this promise
to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his family
forever!
56Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months. Then she went back home.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57When Elizabeth's son was born, 58her neighbors and relatives heard how kind the Lord had been to her, and they too were glad.
59 #
Lv 12.3. Eight days later they did for the child what the Law of Moses commands.#1.59 what the Law of Moses commands: This refers to circumcision. It is the cutting off of skin from the private part of Jewish boys eight days after birth to show that they belong to the Lord. They were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John.”
61The people argued, “No one in your family has ever been named John.” 62So they motioned to Zechariah to find out what he wanted to name his son.
63Zechariah asked for a writing tablet. Then he wrote, “His name is John.” Everyone was amazed. 64At once, Zechariah started speaking and praising God.
65All the neighbors were frightened because of what had happened, and everywhere in the hill country people kept talking about these things. 66Everyone who heard about this wondered what this child would grow up to be. They knew the Lord was with him.
Zechariah Praises the Lord
67The Holy Spirit came upon Zechariah, and he began to speak:
68Praise the Lord,
the God of Israel!
He has come
to save his people.
69Our God has given us
a mighty Savior#1.69 a mighty Savior: The Greek text has “a horn of salvation.” In the Scriptures animal horns are often a symbol of great strength.
from the family
of David his servant.
70Long ago the Lord promised
by the words
of his holy prophets
71to save us from our enemies
and from everyone
who hates us.
72God said he would be kind
to our people and keep
his sacred promise.
73He told our ancestor Abraham
74that he would rescue us
from our enemies.
Then we could serve him
without fear,
75by being holy and good
as long as we live.
76 #
Ml 3.1. You, my son, will be called
the prophet of God Most High.
You will go ahead of the Lord
to get everything ready
for him.
77You will tell his people
that they can be saved
when their sins
are forgiven.
78God's love and kindness
will shine upon us
like the sun that rises
in the sky.#1.78 like the sun that rises in the sky: Or “like the Messiah coming from heaven.”
79 #
Is 9.2. On us who live
in the dark shadow
of death
this light will shine
to guide us
into a life of peace.
80As John grew up, God's Spirit gave him great power. John lived in the desert until the time he was sent to the people of Israel.
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