Dedication to Theophilus 1Forasmuche as manye haue taken in hande, to set foorth in order, ye declaration of those thynges whiche are moste surelye to be beleued among vs, 2Euen as they deliuered them vnto vs, which from the begynnyng sawe them them selues with their eyes, and were ministers of the worde: 3I determined also, assoone as I had searched out diligently all thinges from the begynnyng, that then I woulde write vnto thee, moste excellent Theophilus. 4That thou myghtest knowe the certentie of those thinges wherof thou hast ben infourmed. Gabriel Foretells John’s Birth 5There was in the dayes of Herode the kyng of Iurie, a certaine priest, named Zacharias, of the course of Abia, & his wyfe was of the daughters of Aaron, & her name was Elizabeth. 6They were both ryghteous before God, and walked in all the lawes and ordinaunces of the Lorde, that no man coulde fynde fault with them. 7And they had no chylde, because that Elizabeth was barren: and they both were nowe well stricken in age. 8And it came to passe, that when Zacharie executed the priestes office before God, as his course came, 9Accordyng to ye custome of the priestes office, his lot was to burne incence, whe he went into the temple of the Lorde. 10And the whole multitude of the people were without in prayer, whyle the incence was burnyng. 11And there appeared vnto hym an Angel of the Lorde, standyng on the ryght syde of the aulter of incence. 12And when Zacharias sawe him, he was troubled, and feare came vpo him. 13But the Angel sayde vnto him: Feare not Zacharie, for thy prayer is hearde: and thy wyfe Elizabeth shall beare thee a sonne, & thou shalt cal his name Iohn. 14And thou shalt haue ioy and gladnesse, and many shall reioyce at his birth. 15For he shalbe great in the syght of the Lorde, and shall neither drynke wine nor strong drynke: and he shalbe fylled with the holy ghost, euen from his mothers wombe. 16And many of the chyldren of Israel, shall he turne to their Lorde God. 17And he shall go before hym, with the spirite and power of Elias, to turne the heartes of the fathers to the chyldren, and the disobedient to the wisedome of the iust men, to make redy a perfect people for the Lorde. 18And Zacharias saide vnto the Angel: By what token shall I know this? For I am olde, and my wyfe well stricken in yeres. 19And the Angel aunswered, and sayde vnto hym: I am Gabriel that stande in the presence of God, and am sent to speake vnto thee, and to shewe thee these glad tydynges. 20And beholde, thou shalt be dumbe, & not be able to speake, vntyll the day that these thynges be perfourmed, because thou beleuedst not my wordes, whiche shalbe fulfylled in their season. 21And the people waited for Zacharias, and marueyled that he taried so long in the temple. 22And when he came out, he coulde not speake vnto them. And they perceaued that he had seene a vision in the temple: For he beckened vnto them, and remayned speachlesse. 23And it came to passe, that assoone as the dayes of his office were out, he departed into his owne house. 24And after those dayes, his wyfe Elizabeth conceaued, and hyd her selfe fiue monethes, saying: 25Thus hath the Lorde dealt with me, in the dayes wherein he loked on me, to take fro me my rebuke among men. Gabriel Foretells Jesus’ Birth 26And in the sixth moneth, the Angel Gabriel was sent from God, vnto a citie of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27To a virgin, spoused to a man whose name was Ioseph, of the house of Dauid, and the virgins name was Marie.
28And the Angel went in vnto her, and sayde: Hayle Mary Visits Elizabeth 39And Marie arose in those dayes, & went into the hyll countrey with haste, into a citie of Iuda,
40And entred into the house of Zacharie, and saluted Elizabeth.
41And it came to passe, that when Elizabeth hearde the salutation of Marie, the babe sprang in her wombe, and Elizabeth was fylled with the holy ghost.
42And she cryed with a loude voyce, and saide: Blessed art thou among women, because ye fruite of thy wombe is blessed.
43And whence commeth this to me, that ye mother of my lord should come to me?
44For loe, assoone as the voyce of thy salutation sounded in mine eares, the babe sprang in my wombe for ioy.
45And blessed is she that beleued: For those thinges shalbe perfourmed, which were tolde her from the Lorde. Mary’s Song 46And Marie saide: My soule magnifieth the Lorde.
47And my spirite reioyceth in God my sauiour.
48For he hath loked on the lowe degree of his handmayden: For loe, now from hencefoorth shal all generations call me blessed.
49Because, he that is mightie, hath done to me great thinges, & holy is his name,
50And his mercy is on them that feare him, from generation to generation.
51He hath shewed stregth with his arme, he hath scattered them that are proude, in the imagination of their heartes.
52He hath put downe the myghtie fro their seates, and exalted them of lowe degree.
53He hath fylled the hungry with good thynges, & sent away the riche emptie.
54He hath helped his seruaunt Israel, in remembraunce of his mercy,
55( Euen as he promised to our fathers, Abraham, and to his seede) for euer.
56And Marie abode with her about three monethes, and returned agayne to her owne house. The Birth of John the Baptist 57Elizabethes tyme came, that she shoulde be deliuered, and she brought foorth a sonne.
58And her neyghbours, and her cosins hearde howe the Lorde hadde shewed great mercy vpo her, and they reioyced with her.
59And it came to passe, that on the eyght day they came to circumcise the chylde, and called his name Zacharias, after the name of his father.
60And his mother aunswered, and said: not so, but he shalbe called Iohn.
61And they sayde vnto her: There is none in thy kinrede that is named with this name.
62And they made signes to his father, howe he woulde haue hym called.
63And he asked for wrytyng tables, and wrote, saying, his name is Iohn. And they marueyled all.
64And his mouth was opened immediatly, and his tounge Zechariah’s Song 67And his father Zacharias was filled with ye holy ghost, & prophesied, saying.
68Praysed be ye Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited & redeemed his people.
69And hath raysed vp an horne of saluation vnto vs, in the house of his seruaunt Dauid.
70Euen as he promised by the mouth of his holy prophetes, whiche were sence the worlde began.
71That he would saue vs from our enemies, and from the hande of all that hate vs.
72That he would deale mercyfully with our fathers, and remember his holy couenaunt.
73And that he woulde perfourme the oth, which he sware to our father Abraham, for to geue vs.
74That we, beyng deliuered out of the handes of our enemies, might serue him without feare,
75All the dayes of our life, in
76And thou childe shalt be called the prophete of the hyghest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lorde, to prepare his wayes.
77To geue knowledge of saluation vnto his people, by the remission of their sinnes.
78Through ye tender mercy of our God, wherby the day spryng from an hygh hath visited vs.
79To geue lyght to them that sitte in darknesse, and in the shadowe of death, to guide our feete into the way of peace.
80And the chylde grewe, and waxed strong in spirite, and was in wildernesse till the day came when he should shewe hym selfe vnto the Israelites. |
    |