Read the Bible

¹ Since many have taken in hand to draw up a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us,² even as they delivered them to us, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and attendants of the word,³ it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus;⁴ that you might know the certainty concerning the things wherein you were instructed.

⁵ There was in the days of Herod, king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah: and he had a wife 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 Elizabeth was barren, and they both were [now] well stricken in years.⁸ Now it came to pass, 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 enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.¹⁰ And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.¹¹ And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of altar of incense.¹² And Zacharias was troubled when he saw [him], and fear fell on him.¹³ But the angel said to him, Don't be afraid, Zacharias: because your supplication is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.¹⁴ And you shall have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.¹⁵ For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.¹⁶ And many of the sons of Israel he shall turn to the Lord their God.¹⁷ And he shall go before his face in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient [to walk] in the wisdom of the just; to make ready for the Lord a people prepared [for him].¹⁸ And Zacharias said to the angel, Whereby shall 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 stands in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you these good tidings.²⁰ And look, you shall be silent and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall come to pass, because you didn't believe my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.²¹ And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and they marveled while he tarried 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: and he continued making signs to them, and remained mute.²³ And it came to pass, when the days of his ministry were fulfilled, he departed to his house.²⁴ And after these days Elizabeth his wife conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying,²⁵ Thus has the Lord done to me in the days wherein he looked on [me], to take away my reproach among men.

²⁶ Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.²⁸ And he came in to her, and said, Hail, you that are highly favored, the Lord [is] with you.²⁹ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this might be.³⁰ And the angel said to her, Don't be afraid, Mary: for you have found favor with God.³¹ And look, you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS.³² He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give to him the throne of his father David:³³ and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.³⁴ And Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, seeing I don't know a man?³⁵ And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit shall come on you, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you: therefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God.³⁶ And look, Elizabeth your kinswoman, she also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that was called barren.³⁷ For no word from God shall be void of power.³⁸ And Mary said, Look, [I am] the Lord's slave; let it happen to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her.

³⁹ And Mary arose in these days and went into the hill country in a hurry, into a city of Judah;⁴⁰ and entered into the house of Zacharias and saluted Elizabeth.⁴¹ And it came to pass, when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit;⁴² and she lifted up her voice with a loud cry, and said, Blessed [are] you among women, and blessed [is] the fruit of your womb.⁴³ And how is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?⁴⁴ For look, when the voice of your salutation came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.⁴⁵ And blessed [is] she that believed; for there shall be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord.⁴⁶ And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord,⁴⁷ And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.⁴⁸ For he has looked on the low estate of his slave: For look, from now on all generations shall 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 to generations and generations On those that fear him.⁵¹ He has shown strength with his arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart.⁵² He has put down princes from [their] thrones, And has exalted them of low degree.⁵³ The hungry he has filled with good things; And the rich he has sent empty away.⁵⁴ He has given help to Israel his son, That he might remember mercy⁵⁵ (As he spoke to our fathers) Toward Abraham and his seed forever.⁵⁶ And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her house.

⁵⁷ Now Elizabeth's time was fulfilled that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.⁵⁸ And her neighbors and her kinsfolk heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy toward her; and they rejoiced with her.⁵⁹ And it came to pass on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of the father.⁶⁰ And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.⁶¹ And they said to her, There is none of your kindred that is called by this name.⁶² And they made signs to his father, what he would have him called.⁶³ And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they all marveled.⁶⁴ And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue [loosed], and he spoke, blessing 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 Judea.⁶⁶ And all that heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then shall this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him.

⁶⁷ And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,⁶⁸ Blessed [be] the Lord, the God of Israel; For he has visited and made redemption for his people,⁶⁹ And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of his son David⁷⁰ (As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets that have been from of old),⁷¹ Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;⁷² To show mercy toward, our fathers, And to remember his holy covenant;⁷³ The oath which he spoke to Abraham our father,⁷⁴ To grant to us that we being delivered out of the hand of [our] enemies, should serve him without fear,⁷⁵ In holiness and righteousness before him all our days.⁷⁶ Yes and you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High: For you shall go before the Lord to make ready his ways;⁷⁷ To give knowledge of salvation to his people In the remission of their sins,⁷⁸ Because of the tender mercy of our God, Whereby the rising sun from on high shall visit us,⁷⁹ To shine on those that sit in darkness and 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 until the day of his showing to Israel.