Luke 1:1-20 ▼

1 Forasmuche 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,

2 Euen as they deliuered them vnto vs, which from the begynnyng sawe them them selues with their eyes, and were ministers of the worde:

3 I determined also, assoone as I had searched out diligently all thinges from the begynnyng, that then I woulde write vnto thee, moste excellent Theophilus.

4 That thou myghtest knowe the certentie of those thinges wherof thou hast ben infourmed.

5 There 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.

6 They were both ryghteous before God, and walked in all the lawes and ordinaunces of the Lorde, that no man coulde fynde fault with them.

7 And they had no chylde, because that Elizabeth was barren: and they both were nowe well stricken in age.

8 And it came to passe, that when Zacharie executed the priestes office before God, as his course came,

9 Accordyng to ye custome of the priestes office, his lot was to burne incence, whe he went into the temple of the Lorde.

10 And the whole multitude of the people were without in prayer, whyle the incence was burnyng.

11 And there appeared vnto hym an Angel of the Lorde, standyng on the ryght syde of the aulter of incence.

12 And when Zacharias sawe him, he was troubled, and feare came vpo him.

13 But 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.

14 And thou shalt haue ioy and gladnesse, and many shall reioyce at his birth.

15 For 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.

16 And many of the chyldren of Israel, shall he turne to their Lorde God.

17 And 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.

18 And Zacharias saide vnto the Angel: By what token shall I know this? For I am olde, and my wyfe well stricken in yeres.

19 And 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.

20 And 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.