¹ Since as many have taken in hand to set forward in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, ² Even as they delivered them to us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; ³ It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴ That you might know the certainty of those things, in which you have been instructed. ⁵ There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶ And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. ⁷ And they had no child, because that Elizabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. ⁸ And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, ⁹ According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. ¹⁰ And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. ¹¹ And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell on him. ¹³ But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias: for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. ¹⁴ And you will have joy and gladness; and many will rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵ For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and will drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he will be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. ¹⁶ And many of the children of Israel will he turn to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. ¹⁸ And Zacharias said to the angel, How+ will I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years+ . ¹⁹ And the angel answering said to him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak to you, and to show you these glad tidings. ²⁰ And, see, you will be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things will be performed, because+ you believe not my words, which will be fulfilled in their season. ²¹ And the people waited+ for Zacharias, and marvelled that he stayed so long in the temple. ²² And when he came out, he could not speak to them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned+ to them, and remained speechless. ²³ And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. ²⁴ And after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, ²⁵ + So has the Lord dealt with me in the days in which he looked on me, to take away my rebuke among men. ²⁶ And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named+ Nazareth, ²⁷ To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. ²⁸ And the angel came in to her, and said, Hail, you who are highly favoured, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women. ²⁹ And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. ³⁰ And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary: for you have found favour with God. ³¹ And, see, you will conceive in your womb, and bring see a son, and will call his name JESUS. ³² He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David: ³³ And he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end. ³⁴ Then said Mary to the angel, How will this be, seeing I know not a man? ³⁵ And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Ghost will come on you, and the power of the Highest will overshdow you: therefore also that holy thing which will be born of you will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ And, see, your cousin Elizabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. ³⁷ For with God nothing+ + will be impossible. ³⁸ And Mary said, See the handmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her. ³⁹ And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; ⁴⁰ And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ And it came to pass, that, when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: ⁴² And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. ⁴³ And where is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ For, behold, as soon as the voice of your salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. ⁴⁵ And blessed is she that believed: for there will be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. ⁴⁶ And Mary said, My soul does magnify the Lord, ⁴⁷ And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour. ⁴⁸ For he has regarded+ the low estate of his handmaiden: for, see, from see all generations will call me blessed. ⁴⁹ For he that is mighty has done to me great things; and holy is his name. ⁵⁰ And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. ⁵¹ He has showed strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. ⁵² He has put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. ⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he has sent empty away. ⁵⁴ He has holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; ⁵⁵ As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. ⁵⁶ And Mary stayed with her about three months, and returned to her own house. ⁵⁷ Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forward a son. ⁵⁸ And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had showed great mercy+ on her; and they rejoiced with her. ⁵⁹ And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. ⁶⁰ And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he will be called John. ⁶¹ And they said to her, There is none of your relatives that is called by this name. ⁶² And they made signs to his father, how+ he would have him called. ⁶³ And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. ⁶⁴ And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue released, and he spoke, and praised God. ⁶⁵ And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea. ⁶⁶ And all those heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child will this be ! And the hand of the Lord was with him. ⁶⁷ And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, ⁶⁸ Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he has visited and redeemed his people+ , ⁶⁹ And has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; ⁷⁰ As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: ⁷¹ That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; ⁷² To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; ⁷³ The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, ⁷⁴ That he would grant to us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, ⁷⁵ In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. ⁷⁶ And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; ⁷⁷ To give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins, ⁷⁸ Through the tender mercy of our God; through which+ the dayspring from on high has visited us, ⁷⁹ To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. ⁸⁰ And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing to Israel.