Luke 1 · Notes

Since many people have undertaken to compile a narrative concerning the matters that have been brought to fullness among us,

just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and became servants of the word handed them down to us,

it seemed good also to me, having followed all things carefully from the start, to write them to you in order, most excellent Theophilos (Theophilus),

so that you may know the certainty concerning the words about which you were instructed.

There was, in the days of Herodes (Herod) king of Yehudah (Judea), a certain priest named Zecharyah (Zechariah), of the division of Aviyah, and his wife was of the daughters of Aharon (Aaron), and her name was Elisheva (Elizabeth).

And both were righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.

And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in their days.

And it happened, while he was serving as priest in the order of his division before God,

according to the custom of the priesthood, that it fell to him by lot to burn incense, having entered into the sanctuary of the Lord.

And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering.

And a messenger of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense.

And Zecharyah (Zechariah) was troubled, seeing this, and fear fell upon him.

But the messenger said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zecharyah (Zechariah), because your petition was heard, and your wife Elisheva (Elizabeth) will bear you a son, and you will call his name Yochanan (John).

And he will be joy and exultation to you, and many will rejoice at his birth.

For he will be great before the Lord, and he will not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the holy wind/spirit even from his mother's womb.

And many of the sons of Israel he will turn back to the Lord their God.

And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Eliyahu (Elijah), to turn back the hearts of fathers to children and the disobedient to the mindset of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready."

And Zecharyah (Zechariah) said to the messenger, "By what will I know this? For I am old, and my wife is advanced in her days."

And the messenger, answering, said to him, "I am Gavriel (Gabriel), the one standing before God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.

And see, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these things happen, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time."

And the people were waiting for Zecharyah (Zechariah), and they were marveling at his delay in the sanctuary.

And coming out, he was not able to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary; and he was making signs to them, and remained mute.

And it happened, when the days of his service were fulfilled, that he went away to his house.

And after these days Elisheva (Elizabeth) his wife conceived, and she kept herself hidden five months, saying

that "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which he looked upon me, to take away my disgrace among people."

And in the sixth month the messenger Gavriel (Gabriel) was sent from God to a town of the Galilee named Natseret (Nazareth),

to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Yosef (Joseph), of the house of David, and the name of the virgin was Miryam (Mary).

And coming in to her, he said, "Greetings, you having-been-favored one, the Lord is with you."

But she was troubled at the word, and was considering what kind of greeting this might be.

And the messenger said to her, "Do not be afraid, Miryam (Mary), for you found favor with God.

And see, you will conceive in the womb and will bear a son, and you will call his name Yeshua (Jesus).

This one will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of David his father,

and he will reign over the house of Ya'aqov (Jacob) into the ages, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

And Miryam (Mary) said to the messenger, "How will this be, since I do not know a man?"

And answering, the messenger said to her, "The holy wind/spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore also the one being born will be called holy, the Son of God.

And see, Elisheva (Elizabeth) your relative — she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;

because nothing will be impossible with God."

And Miryam (Mary) said, "See, the female servant of the Lord; may it happen to me according to your word." And the messenger went away from her.

And Miryam (Mary), rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste, to a town of Yehudah (Judah),

and she entered into the house of Zecharyah (Zechariah) and greeted Elisheva (Elizabeth).

And it happened, when Elisheva (Elizabeth) heard the greeting of Miryam (Mary), that the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the holy wind/spirit,

and she called out with a great cry and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

And from where is this to me, that the mother of my lord should come to me?

For see, when the sound of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in exultation in my womb.

And blessed is she who believed that there will be a fulfillment of the things spoken to her from the Lord."

And Miryam (Mary) said, "My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit exulted in God my savior,

because he looked upon the lowliness of his female servant. For see, from now on all generations will call me blessed,

because the Mighty One did great things for me, and holy is his name,

and his mercy is for generations and generations to those who fear him.

He did a mighty deed with his arm; he scattered the proud in the thought of their heart.

He pulled down rulers from thrones and lifted up the lowly;

the hungry he filled with good things, and the rich he sent away empty.

He helped Israel his servant, to remember mercy,

just as he spoke to our fathers, to Avraham (Abraham) and to his seed, into the age."

And Miryam (Mary) remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

And the time was fulfilled for Elisheva (Elizabeth) to give birth, and she bore a son.

And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and they were rejoicing with her.

And it happened on the eighth day that they came to circumcise the child, and they were calling him by the name of his father, Zecharyah (Zechariah).

And his mother, answering, said, "No; rather he will be called Yochanan (John)."

And they said to her, "There is no one of your kindred who is called by this name."

And they were making signs to his father as to what he might want him to be called.

And asking for a writing tablet, he wrote, saying, "Yochanan (John) is his name." And they all marveled.

And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he was speaking, blessing God.

And fear came upon all who lived around them, and in the whole hill country of Yehudah (Judea) all these matters were being talked about,

and all who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him.

And Zecharyah (Zechariah) his father was filled with the holy wind/spirit and prophesied, saying,

"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because he looked upon and made redemption for his people,

and raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David his servant,

just as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,

to do mercy with our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,

the oath that he swore to Avraham (Abraham) our father, to grant to us

that, rescued from the hand of enemies, we might serve him without fear,

in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the release of their sins,

through the tender mercy of our God, in which the rising/dawn from on high will look upon us,

to shine upon those sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

And the child grew and was strengthened in spirit, and he was in the wilderness places until the day of his showing to Israel.