King James New American Standard Bible
  • 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,
  • 2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
  • 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,
  • 4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
  • 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.
  • 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
  • 7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
  • 8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,
  • 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.
  • 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
  • 11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
  • 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
  • 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.
  • 14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
  • 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.
  • 16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 shew thee these glad tidings.
  • 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.
  • 21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.
  • 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.
  • 23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
  • 24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
  • 25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
  • 26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
  • 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
  • 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.
  • 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
  • 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
  • 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
  • 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:
  • 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
  • 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
  • 38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
  • 39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
  • 40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
  • 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:
  • 42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
  • 43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
  • 44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
  • 45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
  • 46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
  • 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
  • 48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
  • 49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
  • 50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
  • 51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
  • 52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
  • 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
  • 54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
  • 55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
  • 56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
  • 57 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
  • 58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
  • 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.
  • 60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
  • 61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
  • 62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
  • 63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
  • 64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
  • 68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
  • 69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
  • 70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
  • 71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
  • 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
  • 73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
  • 74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
  • 75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
  • 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;
  • 77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
  • 78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
  • 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.
  • 80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.
  • 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us,
  • 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word,
  • 3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus;
  • 4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.
  • 5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
  • 6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.
  • 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.
  • 8 Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division,
  • 9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
  • 10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering.
  • 11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.
  • 12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him.
  • 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.
  • 14 “You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
  • 15 “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb.
  • 16 “And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.
  • 17 “It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
  • 18 Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”
  • 19 The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
  • 20 “And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”
  • 21 The people were waiting for Zacharias, and were wondering at his delay in the temple.
  • 22 But 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 kept making signs to them, and remained mute.
  • 23 When the days of his priestly service were ended, he went back home.
  • 24 After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying,
  • 25 “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men.”
  • 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth,
  • 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
  • 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
  • 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.
  • 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.
  • 31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.
  • 32 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;
  • 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
  • 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”
  • 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.
  • 36 “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.
  • 37 “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
  • 38 And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
  • 39 Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah,
  • 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
  • 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
  • 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 “And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?
  • 44 “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.
  • 45 “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”
  • 46 And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord,
  • 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
  • 48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
  • 49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.
  • 50 “AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.
  • 51 “He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
  • 52 “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble.
  • 53 “HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; And sent away the rich empty-handed.
  • 54 “He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy,
  • 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever.”
  • 56 And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.
  • 57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son.
  • 58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.
  • 59 And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father.
  • 60 But his mother answered and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.”
  • 61 And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.”
  • 62 And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called.
  • 63 And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished.
  • 64 And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God.
  • 65 Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea.
  • 66 All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him.
  • 67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
  • 68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,
  • 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant—
  • 70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old—
  • 71 Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES, And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US;
  • 72 To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant,
  • 73 The oath which He swore to Abraham our father,
  • 74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear,
  • 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
  • 76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on BEFORE THE LORD TO PREPARE HIS WAYS;
  • 77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins,
  • 78 Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
  • 79 TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
  • 80 And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission.