Luke 1

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Seeing that many others have undertaken to draw up accounts of the events that have reached theirfulfilment among us,	1 Since, indeed, many have attempted to set in order a narrative of the things that have been completed among us,
2 as these were handed down to us by those who from the outset were eyewitnesses and ministers of theword,	2 just as they have been handed on to those of us who from the beginning saw the same and were ministers of the word,
3 I in my turn, after careful y going over the whole story from the beginning, have decided to write anordered account for you, Theophilus,	3 so it seemed good to me also, having diligently followed everything from the beginning, to write to you, in an orderly manner, most excellent Theophilus,
4 so that your Excel ency may learn how wel founded the teaching is that you have received.	4 so that you might know the truthfulness of those words by which you have been instructed.
5 In the days of King Herod of Judaea there lived a priest cal ed Zechariah who belonged to the Abijahsection of the priesthood, and he had a wife, Elizabeth by name, who was a descendant of Aaron.	5 There was, in the days of Herod, king of Judea, a certain priest named Zechariah, of the section of Abijah, and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6 Both were upright in the sight of God and impeccably carried out al the commandments andobservances of the Lord.	6 Now they were both just before God, progressing in all of the commandments and the justifications of the Lord without blame.
7 But they were childless: Elizabeth was barren and they were both advanced in years.	7 And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both had become advanced in years.
8 Now it happened that it was the turn of his section to serve, and he was exercising his priestly officebefore God	8 Then it happened that, when he was exercising the priesthood before God, in the order of his section,
9 when it fell to him by lot, as the priestly custom was, to enter the Lord's sanctuary and burn incensethere.	9 according to the custom of the priesthood, the lot fell so that he would offer incense, entering into the temple of the Lord.
10 And at the hour of incense all the people were outside, praying.	10 And the entire multitude of the people was praying outside, at the hour of incense.
11 Then there appeared to him the angel of the Lord, standing on the right of the altar of incense.	11 Then there appeared to him an Angel of the Lord, standing at the right of the altar of incense.
12 The sight disturbed Zechariah and he was overcome with fear.	12 And upon seeing him, Zechariah was disturbed, and fear fell over him.
13 But the angel said to him, 'Zechariah, do not be afraid, for your prayer has been heard. Your wifeElizabeth is to bear you a son and you shal name him John.	13 But the Angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear a son to you. And you shall call his name John.
14 He will be your joy and delight and many will rejoice at his birth,	14 And there will be joy and exultation for you, and many will rejoice in his nativity.
15 for he wil be great in the sight of the Lord; he must drink no wine, no strong drink; even from hismother's womb he wil be filled with the Holy Spirit,	15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
16 and he wil bring back many of the Israelites to the Lord their God.	16 And he will convert many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.
17 With the spirit and power of Elijah, he wil go before him to reconcile fathers to their children and thedisobedient to the good sense of the upright, preparing for the Lord a people fit for him.'	17 And he will go before him with the spirit and power of Elijah, so that he may turn the hearts of the fathers to the sons, and the incredulous to the prudence of the just, so as to prepare for the Lord a completed people.”
18 Zechariah said to the angel, 'How can I know this? I am an old man and my wife is getting on in years.'	18 And Zechariah said to the Angel: “How may I know this? For I am elderly, and my wife is advanced in years.”
19 The angel replied, 'I am Gabriel, who stand in God's presence, and I have been sent to speak to youand bring you this good news.	19 And in response, the Angel said to him: “I am Gabriel, who stands before God, and I have been sent to speak to you, and to proclaim these things to you.
20 Look! Since you did not believe my words, which wil come true at their appointed time, you will besilenced and have no power of speech until this has happened.'	20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak, until the day on which these things shall be, because you have not believed my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”
21 Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and were surprised that he stayed in the sanctuaryso long.	21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah. And they wondered why he was being delayed in the temple.
22 When he came out he could not speak to them, and they realised that he had seen a vision in thesanctuary. But he could only make signs to them and remained dumb.	22 Then, 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 was making signs to them, but he remained mute.
23 When his time of service came to an end he returned home.	23 And it happened that, after the days of his office were completed, he went away to his house.
24 Some time later his wife Elizabeth conceived and for five months she kept to herself, saying,	24 Then, after those days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she hid herself for five months, saying:
25 'The Lord has done this for me, now that it has pleased him to take away the humiliation I suffered inpublic.'	25 “For the Lord did this for me, at the time when he decided to take away my reproach among men.”
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee cal ed Nazareth,	26 Then, in the sixth month, the Angel Gabriel was sent by God, to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.	27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the name of the virgin was Mary.
28 He went in and said to her, 'Rejoice, you who enjoy God's favour! The Lord is with you.'	28 And upon entering, the Angel said to her: “Hail, full of grace. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.”
29 She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean,	29 And when she had heard this, she was disturbed by his words, and she considered what kind of greeting this might be.
30 but the angel said to her, 'Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favour.	30 And the Angel said to her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace with God.
31 Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus.	31 Behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and you shall bear a son, and you shall call his name: JESUS.
32 He will be great and wil be cal ed Son of the Most High. The Lord God wil give him the throne of hisancestor David;	32 He will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. And he will reign in the house of Jacob for eternity.
33 he wil rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign wil have no end.'	33 And his kingdom shall have no end.”
34 Mary said to the angel, 'But how can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?'	34 Then Mary said to the Angel, “How shall this be done, since I do not know man?”
35 The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit wil come upon you, and the power of the Most High wil coveryou with its shadow. And so the child wil be holy and will be cal ed Son of God.	35 And in response, the Angel said to her: “The Holy Spirit will pass over you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. And because of this also, the Holy One who will be born of you shall be called the Son of God.
36 And I tel you this too: your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whompeople cal ed barren is now in her sixth month,	36 And behold, your cousin Elizabeth has herself also conceived a son, in her old age. And this is the sixth month for her who is called barren.
37 for nothing is impossible to God.'	37 For no word will be impossible with God.”
38 Mary said, 'You see before you the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said.' And the angelleft her.	38 Then Mary said: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.” And the Angel departed from her.
39 Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could into the hil country to a town in Judah.	39 And in those days, Mary, rising up, traveled quickly into the hill country, to a city of Judah.
40 She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth.	40 And she entered into the house of Zechariah, and she greeted Elizabeth.
41 Now it happened that as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt in her womb andElizabeth was fil ed with the Holy Spirit.	41 And it happened that, as Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 She gave a loud cry and said, 'Of al women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of yourwomb.	42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
43 Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?	43 And how does this concern me, so that the mother of my Lord would come to me?
44 Look, the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy.	44 For behold, as the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
45 Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.'	45 And blessed are you who believed, for the things that were spoken to you by the Lord shall be accomplished.”
46 And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord	46 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord.
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;	47 And my spirit leaps for joy in God my Saviour.
48 because he has looked upon the humiliation of his servant. Yes, from now onwards all generations willcal me blessed,	48 For he has looked with favor on the humility of his handmaid. For behold, from this time, all generations shall call me blessed.
49 for the Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name,	49 For he who is great has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
50 and his faithful love extends age after age to those who fear him.	50 And his mercy is from generation to generations for those who fear him.
51 He has used the power of his arm, he has routed the arrogant of heart.	51 He has accomplished powerful deeds with his arm. He has scattered the arrogant in the intentions of their heart.
52 He has pul ed down princes from their thrones and raised high the lowly.	52 He has deposed the powerful from their seat, and he has exalted the humble.
53 He has fil ed the starving with good things, sent the rich away empty.	53 He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his faithful love	54 He has taken up his servant Israel, mindful of his mercy,
55 -according to the promise he made to our ancestors -- of his mercy to Abraham and to hisdescendants for ever.	55 just as he spoke to our fathers: to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
56 Mary stayed with her some three months and then went home.	56 Then Mary stayed with her for about three months. And she returned to her own house.
57 The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son;	57 Now the time for Elizabeth to give birth arrived, and she brought forth a son.
58 and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had lavished on her his faithful love, theyshared her joy.	58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and so they congratulated her.
59 Now it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call himZechariah after his father,	59 And it happened that, on the eighth day, they arrived to circumcise the boy, and they called him by his father’s name, Zechariah.
60 but his mother spoke up. 'No,' she said, 'he is to be called John.'	60 And in response, his mother said: “Not so. Instead, he shall be called John.”
61 They said to her, 'But no one in your family has that name,'	61 And they said to her, “But there is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.”
62 and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him cal ed.	62 Then they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him to be called.
63 The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, 'His name is John.' And they were al astonished.	63 And requesting a writing tablet, he wrote, saying: “His name is John.” And they all wondered.
64 At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God.	64 Then, at once, his mouth was opened, and his tongue loosened, and he spoke, blessing God.
65 Al their neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hilcountry of Judaea.	65 And fear fell upon all of their neighbors. And all these words were made known throughout all the hill country of Judea.
66 Al those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. 'What will this child turn out to be?' they wondered.And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.	66 And all those who heard it stored it up in their heart, saying: “What do you think this boy will be?” And indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 His father Zechariah was fil ed with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:	67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit. And he prophesied, saying:
68 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited his people, he has set them free,	68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel. For he has visited and has wrought the redemption of his people.
69 and he has established for us a saving power in the House of his servant David,	69 And he has raised up a horn of salvation for us, in the house of David his servant,
70 just as he proclaimed, by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times,	70 just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy Prophets, who are from ages past:
71 that he would save us from our enemies and from the hands of al those who hate us,	71 salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all those who hate us,
72 and show faithful love to our ancestors, and so keep in mind his holy covenant.	72 to accomplish mercy with our fathers, and to call to mind his holy testament,
73 This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham,	73 the oath, which he swore to Abraham, our father, that he would grant to us,
74 that he would grant us, free from fear, to be delivered from the hands of our enemies,	74 so that, having been freed from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him without fear,
75 to serve him in holiness and uprightness in his presence, al our days.	75 in holiness and in justice before him, throughout all our days.
76 And you, little child, you shall be cal ed Prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord toprepare a way for him,	76 And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High. For you will go before the face of the Lord: to prepare his ways,
77 to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,	77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people for the remission of their sins,
78 because of the faithful love of our God in which the rising Sun has come from on high to visit us,	78 through the heart of the mercy of our God, by which, descending from on high, he has visited us,
79 to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow dark as death, and to guide our feet into theway of peace.	79 to illuminate those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to direct our feet in the way of peace.”
80 Meanwhile the child grew up and his spirit grew strong. And he lived in the desert until the day heappeared openly to Israel.	80 And the child grew, and he was strengthened in spirit. And he was in the wilderness, until the day of his manifestation to Israel.