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The Gospel of Luke 1

1 Many people have already been writing about the things that happened among us. 2 They have been recording what the people who saw these things happen told us about them. Those people were there from the time when everything first started happening, and they have been sharing the story ever since. 3 I myself have carefully investigated everything that happened from the very beginning. So I decided that I should also write an accurate account for you. Your Excellency, Theophilus, 4 I want you to know that what people have told you about Jesus is true.

5 When Herod was the ruler of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a descendant of Abijah, and so he took his turn serving in the temple with other priests who were also descendants of Abijah. His wife was named Elizabeth. She was a descendant of Aaron, and so she was also from the priestly line. 6 God considered that both of them were righteous because they always obeyed everything that the Lord had commanded. 7 But they did not have any children, because Elizabeth had been unable to bear children. And now she and her husband were too old to have children.

8 The time came for Zechariah’s group of priests to take its turn serving in Jerusalem. So Zechariah was there working as a priest for God. 9 The priests chose Zechariah to go into the Lord’s temple and burn incense there. They chose him in their usual way, by casting lots to determine whom God wanted to perform a particular task. 10 When it was time to burn the incense, many people were praying in the courtyard outside the temple. 11 Just then, an angel of the Lord came to Zechariah. He stood at the right side of the altar where he was burning incense. 12 When Zechariah saw the angel, he became agitated and terrified. 13 But the angel said to him, “There is no reason to be afraid of me, Zechariah. You have been praying, and God is going to answer your prayer. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to a son for you. Give him the name John. 14 You will be very happy, and many other people will also be happy when he is born. 15 You and they will be happy because your son will be very influential for God. He must never drink wine or any other alcoholic drink. The Holy Spirit will begin to influence him even before he is born. 16 Your son will persuade many of the Israelites to stop sinning and to start obeying the Lord their God again. 17 Your son will go in advance of the Lord and he will be powerful in his spirit like the prophet Elijah was. He will cause parents to love their children again. He will cause many people who do not obey God to want to obey him and to live wisely and righteously. He will do this so that the Lord’s people will be ready for him when he comes.”

18 Then Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure that the things you have said will really happen? I am very old, and my wife is also very old, so it is difficult for me to believe that they will happen.”

19 Then the angel replied to him, “I am Gabriel! I stand in God’s presence! God sent me to tell you this good news about what will happen to you. 20 Now listen! What I have told you will certainly happen at the time that God has decided. But since you did not believe my message, God will keep you from talking. You will not be able to speak until the day that your son is born!”

21 While Zechariah and the angel were talking in the temple, the people in the courtyard were waiting for Zechariah to come out. They wondered why he was staying in the temple for such a long time. 22 Then he came out of the temple, but he was not able to speak to them. Because he could not talk, he made motions with his hands to try to explain what had happened. This made the people conclude that he had seen a vision from God while he was in the temple.

23 When Zechariah finished the time he needed to work as a priest in the temple, he left Jerusalem and went back to his home.

24 Some time after this, his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant, and she did not go out in public for five months. She said to herself, 25 “The Lord has enabled me to become pregnant. In this way, he has shown compassion to me. Thanks to him, I no longer have to feel ashamed around other people.”

26 When Elizabeth had been pregnant for six months, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town called Nazareth in the district of Galilee. 27 God sent him there to speak to a virgin whose name was Mary. Her parents had promised that she would marry a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. 28 The angel came to where Mary was and said to her, “Hello, blessed one! You are very special to the Lord!” 29 But when he said this, she was confused. She had to try to understand what this greeting could mean. 30 Then the angel said to her, “God desires to bless you, Mary, so do not be afraid! 31 Now listen. You will become pregnant, and you will give birth to a son. Give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and he will be the Son of God Most High. God the Lord will make him king over his people, just as his ancestor David was. 33 He will always be the king over the people of Israel. He will rule over them forever!”

34 Then Mary said to the angel, “But I am a virgin. So how can this happen?” 35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you. The power of God Most High will be like a shadow falling on you. So the baby you give birth to will be holy. He will be the Son of God. 36 Also listen to this. Your relative Elizabeth is also pregnant, and she is going to have a son. Because she is very old, people thought that she could not bear children. But she has been pregnant now for almost six months. 37 So you see, God can do anything!” 38 Then Mary said, “All right. I am willing to obey the Lord. God can make the things you have described happen to me.” Then the angel left her.

39 Very soon after that, Mary got ready and traveled as quickly as she could to the city where Zechariah lived, which was in the highlands of Judea. 40 She entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth, his wife. 41 As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary greet her, the baby inside Elizabeth suddenly moved. Immediately the Holy Spirit inspired Elizabeth to speak. 42 She exclaimed loudly to Mary, “God has blessed you more than he has blessed any other woman, and he has blessed the baby you will bear! 43 I am not worthy of this, that you, the mother of my Lord, should come to visit me! 44 I know all of this because as soon as I heard you greet me, the baby in my womb started moving around because he was so excited! 45 You are blessed because you believed that what the Lord told you would come true.”

46 Then Mary praised God by saying:

“Oh, how I praise the Lord

47 and I feel very joyful about God,

the one who saves me!

48 I am happy because he was gracious to me, even though I was not very important.

Just imagine this—from now on, people living at all times in the future will say that God has blessed me.

49 They will say this because God, the Powerful and Holy One, has done great things for me.

50 He acts mercifully throughout all time periods to the people who revere him.

51 He has shown people that he is very powerful.

He has routed those who think proudly within themselves.

52 He has made rulers stop ruling,

but he has honored people who are lowly.

53 He has let people who were hungry eat good food until they were full,

but he has sent rich people away without giving them anything.

54-55 54-55He has helped Israel, the people who serve him.

Long ago he promised our ancestors that he would be merciful to them.

He has kept that promise and has always acted mercifully toward Abraham and all who descended from him.”

56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months. After that, she went back home.

57 When it was time for Elizabeth to give birth to her child, she bore a son. 58 When her neighbors and relatives heard about how kind the Lord had been to her by giving her a son, they were very happy along with Elizabeth. 59 Eight days later, people gathered together for the ceremony to circumcise the baby to show that he belonged to God. This was also the time to give the baby a name. The people wanted to name the baby Zechariah because that was his father’s name. 60 But his mother said, “No, his name will not be Zechariah. His name will be John!” 61 So they said to her, “But John is not the name of any of your relatives!” 62 Then they made motions with their hands to his father, asking him to indicate what name he wanted to give to his son. 63 So he signaled that they should give him a tablet to write on. When they gave him one, he wrote on it, “His name is John.” This amazed all of the people who were there! 64 Immediately, Zechariah was able to speak again, and he began praising God. 65 When the people who lived nearby heard about these things, they felt a deep reverence for God. They told many other people about what had happened, and this news spread to people throughout the highlands of Judea. 66 Everyone who heard about these things kept thinking about them. They thought, “Certainly this child will grow up to be someone very special!” They thought this because they could see that the Lord was present in his life in a powerful way. 67 After the child’s father, Zechariah, could speak again, the Holy Spirit inspired Zechariah and he spoke these words from God:

68 “Praise the Lord, the God whom we people of Israel worship,

because he has come to set us, his people, free.

69 He has sent someone who will powerfully save us,

someone who is descended from David, whom he chose to be king.

70 (Long ago God inspired his prophets to say that he would do these things.)

71 God is sending this deliverer to save us from our enemies,

and he will rescue us from the power of everyone who hates us.

72 God has done this because he is faithful to our ancestors and so he is keeping the holy promise that he made to them.

73 This is the promise that he solemnly swore to our ancestor Abraham about what he would do for us.

74 He promised that he would rescue us from the power of our enemies

so that we could serve him without being afraid of them.

75 As a result, we could live in the right way, as people who completely belong to him, for as long as we live.”

76 Then Zechariah said to his baby son,

“And as for you, my child, you will be a prophet

of the Most High God.

You will begin your work before the Lord comes

so that you can prepare the people to be ready for him.

77 You will tell God’s people that he wants to save them by forgiving their sins.

78 God wants to save us because he is compassionate and merciful.

That is why he is sending this Savior from heaven to help us.

79 This Savior will show the truth to those who do not know it, even to those who do not know it at all. He will show us how to live in a way that pleases God.”

80 Over time, Zechariah and Elizabeth’s baby boy grew up and became spiritually strong. Then he went to live in a desolate region. He was still living there when he began to preach publicly to God’s people, Israel.

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