Luke 1

NEW JERUSALEM	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 Seeing that many others have undertaken to draw up accounts of the events that have reached theirfulfilment among us,	1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished 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 were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and 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 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,
4 so that your Excel ency may learn how wel founded the teaching is that you have received.	4 that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed.
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 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife 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 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7 But they were childless: Elizabeth was barren and they were both advanced in years.	7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were 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 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty,
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, it fell to him by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10 And at the hour of incense all the people were outside, praying.	10 And the whole multitude of the people were 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 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 The sight disturbed Zechariah and he was overcome with fear.	12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon 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 is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
14 He will be your joy and delight and many will rejoice at his birth,	14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth;
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 before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor 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 turn 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 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."
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 shall I know this? For I am an old man, 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 the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news.
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 that these things come to pass, because you did not believe 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 at his delay 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 And when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he made signs to them and remained dumb.
23 When his time of service came to an end he returned home.	23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.
24 Some time later his wife Elizabeth conceived and for five months she kept to herself, saying,	24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she hid herself, saying,
25 'The Lord has done this for me, now that it has pleased him to take away the humiliation I suffered inpublic.'	25 "Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when he looked on me, 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 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from 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 virgin's name was Mary.
28 He went in and said to her, 'Rejoice, you who enjoy God's favour! The Lord is with you.'	28 And he came to her and said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!"
29 She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean,	29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort 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 favor with God.
31 Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus.	31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and 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 will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
33 he wil rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign wil have no end.'	33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end."
34 Mary said to the angel, 'But how can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?'	34 And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?"
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 the angel said to 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.
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 kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
37 for nothing is impossible to God.'	37 For with God nothing will be impossible."
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 And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be 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 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah,
40 She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth.	40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and 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 when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe 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 exclaimed with a loud cry, "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 why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 Look, the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy.	44 For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe 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 is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."
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 rejoices in God my Savior,
48 because he has looked upon the humiliation of his servant. Yes, from now onwards all generations willcal me blessed,	48 for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name,	49 for he who is mighty 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 on those who fear him from generation to generation.
51 He has used the power of his arm, he has routed the arrogant of heart.	51 He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts,
52 He has pul ed down princes from their thrones and raised high the lowly.	52 he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree;
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 empty away.
54 He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his faithful love	54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
55 -according to the promise he made to our ancestors -- of his mercy to Abraham and to hisdescendants for ever.	55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever."
56 Mary stayed with her some three months and then went home.	56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home.
57 The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son;	57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave birth to 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 kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with 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 on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechariah after his father,
60 but his mother spoke up. 'No,' she said, 'he is to be called John.'	60 but his mother said, "Not so; 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, "None of your kindred is called by this name."
62 and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him cal ed.	62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called.
63 The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, 'His name is John.' And they were al astonished.	63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." And they all marveled.
64 At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God.	64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, 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 came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through 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 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.
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 prophesied, saying,
68 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited his people, he has set them free,	68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people,
69 and he has established for us a saving power in the House of his servant David,	69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
70 just as he proclaimed, by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times,	70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that he would save us from our enemies and from the hands of al those who hate us,	71 that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 and show faithful love to our ancestors, and so keep in mind his holy covenant.	72 to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant,
73 This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham,	73 the oath which he swore to our father Abraham,
74 that he would grant us, free from fear, to be delivered from the hands of our enemies,	74 to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear,
75 to serve him in holiness and uprightness in his presence, al our days.	75 in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
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, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before 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 in the forgiveness 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 tender mercy of our God, when the day shall dawn upon us from on high
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 give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into 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 became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness till the day of his manifestation to Israel.