LU-1:1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in
order a
declaration of those things which are most surely believed among
us,
LU-1:2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the
beginning were
eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
LU-1:3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect
understanding of all
things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most
excellent
Theophilus,
LU-1:4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things,
wherein thou
hast been instructed.
LU-1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a
certain priest
named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife [was] of
the daughters of
Aaron, and her name [was] Elisabeth.
LU-1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all
the
commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
LU-1:7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren,
and they both
were [now] well stricken in years.
LU-1:8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's
office before
God in the order of his course,
LU-1:9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot
was to burn
incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
LU-1:10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying
without at the time
of incense.
LU-1:11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord
standing on the right
side of the altar of incense.
LU-1:12 And when Zacharias saw [him], he was troubled, and fear
fell upon him.
LU-1:13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for
thy prayer is
heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou
shalt call his
name John.
LU-1:14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall
rejoice at his
birth.
LU-1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and
shall drink
neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the
Holy Ghost, even
from his mother's womb.
LU-1:16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the
Lord their
God.
LU-1:17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of
Elias, to turn
the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient
to the wisdom of
the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
LU-1:18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know
this? for I am
an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
LU-1:19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel,
that stand in the
presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show
thee these glad
tidings.
LU-1:20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak,
until the day
that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not
my words,
which shall be fulfilled in their season.
LU-1:21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that
he tarried so
long in the temple.
LU-1:22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and
they perceived
that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto
them, and
remained speechless.
LU-1:23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his
ministration
were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
LU-1:24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and
hid herself
five months, saying,
LU-1:25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he
looked on
[me], to take away my reproach among men.
LU-1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from
God unto a city
of Galilee, named Nazareth,
LU-1:27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of
the house of
David; and the virgin's name [was] Mary.
LU-1:28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, [thou
that art] highly
favoured, the Lord [is] with thee: blessed [art] thou among
women.
LU-1:29 And when she saw [him], she was troubled at his saying,
and cast in
her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
LU-1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou
hast found
favour with God.
LU-1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring
forth a son,
and shalt call his name JESUS.
LU-1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the
Highest: and the
Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
LU-1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever;
and of his
kingdom there shall be no end.
LU-1:34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be,
seeing I know not a
man?
LU-1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy
Ghost shall come
upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:
therefore also
that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the
Son of God.
LU-1:36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also
conceived a son in
her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was
called barren.
LU-1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
LU-1:38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it
unto me
according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
LU-1:39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill
country with
haste, into a city of Juda;
LU-1:40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted
Elisabeth.
LU-1:41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the
salutation of
Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with
the Holy
Ghost:
LU-1:42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed
[art] thou
among women, and blessed [is] the fruit of thy womb.
LU-1:43 And whence [is] this to me, that the mother of my Lord
should come to
me?
LU-1:44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded
in mine ears,
the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
LU-1:45 And blessed [is] she that believed: for there shall be
a performance
of those things which were told her from the Lord.
LU-1:46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
LU-1:47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
LU-1:48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden:
for, behold,
from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
LU-1:49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and
holy [is] his
name.
LU-1:50 And his mercy [is] on them that fear him from
generation to
generation.
LU-1:51 He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered
the proud in
the imagination of their hearts.
LU-1:52 He hath put down the mighty from [their] seats, and
exalted them of
low degree.
LU-1:53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the
rich he hath sent
empty away.
LU-1:54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of
[his] mercy;
LU-1:55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed
for ever.
LU-1:56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and
returned to her own
house.
LU-1:57 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be
delivered; and she
brought forth a son.
LU-1:58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord
had showed great
mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
LU-1:59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came
to circumcise
the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his
father.
LU-1:60 And his mother answered and said, Not [so]; but he
shall be called
John.
LU-1:61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred
that is called by
this name.
LU-1:62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have
him called.
LU-1:63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying,
His name is John.
And they marvelled all.
LU-1:64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue
[loosed], and he
spake, and praised God.
LU-1:65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and
all these
sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of
Judaea.
LU-1:66 And all they that heard [them] laid [them] up in their
hearts, saying,
What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was
with him.
LU-1:67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost,
and
prophesied, saying,
LU-1:68 Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel; for he hath
visited and redeemed
his people,
LU-1:69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the
house of his
servant David;
LU-1:70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which
have been since
the world began:
LU-1:71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the
hand of all
that hate us;
LU-1:72 To perform the mercy [promised] to our fathers, and to
remember his
holy covenant;
LU-1:73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
LU-1:74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered
out of the hand
of our enemies might serve him without fear,
LU-1:75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days
of our life.
LU-1:76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the
Highest: for thou
shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
LU-1:77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the
remission of
their sins,
LU-1:78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the
dayspring from on
high hath visited us,
LU-1:79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and [in] the
shadow of
death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
LU-1:80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was
in the deserts
till the day of his showing unto Israel.
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