| English Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, | 1Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. |
| 2just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, | 2They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. |
| 3it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, | 3Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus, |
| 4that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. | 4so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught. The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold |
| 5In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. | 5When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. |
| 6And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. | 6Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. |
| 7But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. | 7They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old. |
| 8Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, | 8One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. |
| 9according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. | 9As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. |
| 10And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. | 10While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying. |
| 11And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. | 11While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. |
| 12And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. | 12Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. |
| 13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. | 13But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. |
| 14And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, | 14You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, |
| 15for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. | 15for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. |
| 16And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, | 16And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. |
| 17and 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 for the Lord a people prepared.” | 17He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” |
| 18And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” | 18Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” |
| 19And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. | 19Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! |
| 20And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” | 20But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.” |
| 21And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. | 21Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. |
| 22And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. | 22When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary. |
| 23And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. | 23When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home. |
| 24After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, | 24Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. |
| 25“Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” | 25“How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.” The Birth of Jesus Foretold |
| 26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, | 26In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, |
| 27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. | 27to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. |
| 28And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” | 28Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you! ” |
| 29But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. | 29Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. |
| 30And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. | 30“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! |
| 31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. | 31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. |
| 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, | 32He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. |
| 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” | 33And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” |
| 34And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” | 34Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” |
| 35And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. | 35The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. |
| 36And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. | 36What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. |
| 37For nothing will be impossible with God.” | 37For the word of God will never fail. ” |
| 38And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. | 38Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. Mary Visits Elizabeth |
| 39In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, | 39A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town |
| 40and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. | 40where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. |
| 41And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, | 41At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. |
| 42and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! | 42Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. |
| 43And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? | 43Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? |
| 44For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. | 44When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. |
| 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” | 45You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” The Magnificat: Mary’s Song of Praise |
| 46And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, | 46Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. |
| 47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, | 47How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! |
| 48for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; | 48For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. |
| 49for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. | 49For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. |
| 50And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. | 50He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. |
| 51He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; | 51His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. |
| 52he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; | 52He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. |
| 53he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. | 53He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. |
| 54He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, | 54He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful. |
| 55as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” | 55For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.” |
| 56And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home. | 56Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home. The Birth of John the Baptist |
| 57Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. | 57When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son. |
| 58And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. | 58And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her. |
| 59And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, | 59When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. |
| 60but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” | 60But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!” |
| 61And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” | 61“What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” |
| 62And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. | 62So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. |
| 63And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. | 63He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” |
| 64And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. | 64Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God. |
| 65And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, | 65Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills. |
| 66and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him. | 66Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way. Zechariah’s Prophecy |
| 67And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, | 67Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy: |
| 68“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people | 68“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. |
| 69and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, | 69He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, |
| 70as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, | 70just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. |
| 71that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; | 71Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. |
| 72to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, | 72He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant— |
| 73the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us | 73the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. |
| 74that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, | 74We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, |
| 75in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. | 75in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. |
| 76And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, | 76“And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. |
| 77to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, | 77You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. |
| 78because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high | 78Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, |
| 79to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” | 79to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” |
| 80And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel. | 80John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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