Luke 1 — TNTC

Dedicatory

1Verse 1Given that many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those things that really did take place among us,^{+Verse 2}just as those who became eyewitnesses, from the beginning, and ministers of the Word delivered them to us,^{+Verse 3}it seemed good to me also, most excellent Theophilus,⁺having taken careful note of everything from Above,⁺to write to you with precision and in sequence,^{+Verse 4}so that you may know the certainty of the things in which you were instructed.^{+Verse 5}In the days of Herod, the king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah.⁺His wife was of the daughters of Aaron and her name was Elizabeth.^{Verse 6}They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.^{Verse 7}But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren; and they both were well advanced in years.

The setting

^{Verse 8}Now it happened, as he was officiating as priest before God in the order of his division,^{Verse 9}according to the custom of the priesthood, that his lot was to burn incense, upon entering the sanctuary of the Lord;^{Verse 10}and the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.^{Verse 11}Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense;^{Verse 12}and upon seeing him Zacharias was shaken, and a fear fell upon him.

Gabriel delivers

^{Verse 13}But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, because your prayer was heard,⁺and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.^{Verse 14}And you will have joy and exultation, and many will rejoice over his birth.^{Verse 15}For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he must not drink either wine or strong drink;⁺indeed, he will be filled with Holy Spirit⁺already from his mother's womb.^{Verse 16}And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God;^{Verse 17}in fact he himself will go before Him⁺in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of fathers to children’⁺and the disobedient to the mindset of the righteous,⁺to prepare a people made ready for the Lord.”

Zacharias doubts

^{Verse 18}But Zacharias said to the angel: “How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”^{+Verse 19}So in answer the angel said to him: “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God;⁺I was sent to speak to you and bring you this good news.^{Verse 20}Now look, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day in which these things happen, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

Zacharias punished

^{Verse 21}Now the people were waiting for Zacharias and wondering at his delay in the sanctuary.^{Verse 22}But when he came out he was unable to speak to them, and they understood that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary—he kept gesturing to them while remaining mute.^{Verse 23}And so, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he took off for home.^{+Verse 24}Well after those days⁺his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and stayed in seclusion five months.⁺She kept saying,^{Verse 25}“So that's what the Lord has done for me in the days⁺when He concerned Himself to take away my reproach among the people!”^{+Verse 26}Now in the sixth month⁺the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee named Natsareth,^{+Verse 27}to a virgin betrothed⁺to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house⁺of David; the virgin's name was Mary.^{Verse 28}So upon entering where she was the angel said, “Rejoice, recipient of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”^{+Verse 29}But upon seeing him she was perplexed at his word and was trying to figure out what sort of greeting it might be.⁺

Gabriel delivers

^{Verse 30}The angel said to her: “Do not be afraid,⁺Mary, because you have found favor with God.^{Verse 31}Now then, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS.^{+Verse 32}He will be great, and will be called ‘Son of the Most High’; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David,^{+Verse 33}and He will reign over the house of Jacob⁺into the ages; indeed, of His kingdom there will be no end!”⁺

Mary agrees

^{Verse 34}So Mary said to the angel, “How shall this be, since I do not know a man?”^{+Verse 35}In answer the angel said to her: “Holy Spirit⁺will come upon you and the power of the Most High will hover over you; precisely for this reason the holy One who is to be born will be called ‘Son of God’!^{+Verse 36}Furthermore, your relative Elizabeth, she has actually conceived a son in her old age and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren;^{Verse 37}because any word spoken by God will be possible.”^{Verse 38}So Mary said: “Yes, I am the Lord's slave! Let it happen to me according to your word.”⁺And the angel departed from her.

Mary visits Elizabeth

^{Verse 39}Then Mary quickly got ready and went into the hill country in those days, to a town of Judah,^{Verse 40}and entered the house of Zacharias and saluted Elizabeth.^{+Verse 41}Well it happened that as Elizabeth heard Mary's salutation the babe bounced up and down in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with Holy Spirit.

Elizabeth prophesies

^{Verse 42}And she cried out with a great voice⁺and said: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the Fruit of your womb!^{Verse 43}Why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord⁺should come to me?^{Verse 44}Yes indeed, because as the sound of your salutation came into my ears the babe bounced up and down in my womb for joy.^{+Verse 45}Blessed is she who believed, because there will be a fulfillment of the things that have been spoken to her from the Lord.”⁺

Mary worships

^{Verse 46}So Mary said:“My soul magnifies the Lord,^{Verse 47}and my spirit has exulted over God my Savior,^{+Verse 48}in that He paid attentionto the humble station of His slave (f).Yes indeed, because from now onall generations will declare me to be highly favored,^{+Verse 49}in that the Mighty One did sublime things for me,and Holy is His name.^{Verse 50}His mercy is for generations of generationsto those fearing Him.^{Verse 51}He has done mighty deeds with His arm;He has dispersed the arrogant in the reasoning of their hearts.^{Verse 52}He has dethroned rulers and exalted the lowly.
^{Verse 53}He has filled the hungry with good thingsand sent the rich away empty.^{+Verse 54}He has taken the part of His servant Israel,in remembrance of mercy,^{Verse 55}just as He spoke to our fathers,to Abraham and to his seed while there is an age.”^{+Verse 56}So Mary stayed with her about three months,⁺and returned to her house.^{Verse 57}Now the time for Elizabeth to give birth was completed and she bore a son.^{Verse 58}Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had used His great mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her.

John is named

^{Verse 59}So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child,⁺and they started calling him by the name of his father, Zacharias.^{Verse 60}His mother reacted and said, “Absolutely not;⁺he shall be called John!”^{Verse 61}So they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”^{Verse 62}So they started motioning to his father, as to what he would have him called.^{Verse 63}Asking for a writing tablet he wrote this: “His name is to be John!” They all marveled.^{Verse 64}Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed and he started to speak, blessing God.^{Verse 65}(Well a fear came on all who lived around them; and all these sayings kept being talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea.^{Verse 66}All who heard kept them in their hearts saying, “What then will this child be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.)⁺

Zacharias prophesies

^{Verse 67}Now his father Zacharias was filled with Holy Spirit and prophesied saying:^{Verse 68}“Blessed be the Lord,⁺the God of Israel,because He has visited and provided redemption for His people;^{Verse 69}and has raised up a horn of deliverance for usin the house of His servant David^{Verse 70}—just as He spoke through the mouth of His holy prophets from antiquity—
^{Verse 71}deliverance from our enemies and out of the hand of all who hate us;^{+
Verse 72}to use mercy with our fathers,even to remember His Holy covenant,^{Verse 73}the oath that He swore to our father Abraham;
^{Verse 74}to grant to us (having been rescued from the hand of our enemies) to serve Him without fear,
^{Verse 75}in holiness and righteousness⁺before Himall the days of our life.^{Verse 76}And you, child, will be called Prophet of the Most High,because you will go before the face of the Lord⁺
to prepare His ways,^{Verse 77}to give a knowledge of salvation to His peopleby the forgiveness of their sins,^{+Verse 78}through the merciful compassions of our God,with which the divine Dawn has contemplated us,^{+Verse 79}to give light to those who are sitting in darkness and the shadow of death,to guide our feet into the way of peace.”^{Verse 80}So the child kept growing and being strengthened in spirit,⁺and he stayed in uninhabited areas until the day of his manifestation to Israel.⁺