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1.1 Many people have taken on the task of drawing up a narrative concerning matters that have been fully carried out amongst us. This was delivered to us by those who were eyewitnesses and attendants from the beginning of the coming of the Word. It therefore seemed good to me as well, to do this after having investigated from their source everything accurately, in order to write to you most excellent Theophilus. This was so you may know about the reliability of the things about which you have been instructed.
So to begin. There was in the days of Herod the king of Judea, a certain priest by the name of Zacharias of the division of Abia. His wife came from the daughters of
Aaron and her name was Elisabeth. They were both righteous before God. In all their observance of the commandments and ordinances of the Lord they were blameless. They had not had a child because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in age. Now it came to pass when his division was on duty it fell to him (Zacharias) to burn incense upon entering into the shrine of the Lord. All the multitude of people were praying outside at the time of the burning. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right of the altar of incense. Zacharias was troubled on seeing him and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him. "Do not be afraid Zacharias. Your request has been heard and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you will
call him John. You will have great joy and gladness and many will rejoice over his birth. For he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He is not to drink wine and strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy spirit even from the womb of his mother. He will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias to turn the hearts of fathers to that of children and those who are disobedient to the understanding of the just. He will prepare people for the coming of the Lord."
Zacharias said to the angel "How can this be for I am old and my wife is past child-bearing."
1:19 Answering this the angel said to him. "I am Gabriel, the one standing before God and I was sent to speak to you and to announce these things to you. Behold you will be silent and unable to speak until that day when these things happen, because you did not believe what I was saying." The people were expecting Zacharias and they wondered why he was delayed in the shrine. On going
out he was unable to speak to them. They knew that he had seen a vision in the shrine. He was beckoning to them yet remained dumb. It happened that when his days of service were completed he went away to his house. After this Elisabeth his wife conceived and hid herself for five months saying. "The Lord has done this for me in order to take away my
reproach from amongst people." Now when she was in her sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee called Nazareth to a virgin who was betrothed to a man called Joseph. He was of the house of David. The name of the virgin was Mary. Upon entering he (Gabriel) said to her. "Hail favoured one. The Lord is with you." She was
greatly disturbed at this address and wondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her. "Do not be afraid Mary for you have found favour with God. Behold you will conceive in our womb and bear a son. You will call him Jesus. This son will be great and will be called Son of the Most high. The Lord God will give him the throne of David his Father.
He will reign over the house of Jacob for all ages. There will not be an end of his kingdom.Mary said to the angel "How will this be since I have no husband?" Answering the angel said to her
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you. The power of the Most High will overshadow you. Wherefore what is born to you will be
called the holy Son of God. And behold your relative Elizabeth has
also conceived a son in her old age and despite being called barren is now in her sixth month because nothing is impossible with God."
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Mary said "Behold the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me as you have said". The angel went away from her. Then getting up around this time she went to the mountain country with haste to a city of Judah She went into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. It came to pass when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe in her womb suddenly jumped. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She called out with a great cry of joy and said "Blessed are you amongst women. Blessed is the fruit of your womb. Whence is it that the mother of my Lord should come to visit me. For behold when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped with joy. Blessed is the one who believes
because there will be a completion of the things which have been spoken to her by the Lord."
Mary said to her "My soul magnifies the Lord. My spirit exults in God my Saviour. He has looked upon the low estate of his handmaid. Behold from now on all generations will consider me blessed because the Mighty one has done great things to me. Holy is his name. His mercy is to generations and generations of those who fear him. He has done mighty things with his arm. He has scattered those who are haughty in the understanding of their hearts. He has pulled down potentates from thrones and had exalted people who are humble. He has filled those who hunger with good things and he has sent away the rich empty handed. He has helped Israel his servant in remembrance of his mercy as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever." Mary remained with her (Elizabeth) for about three months then returned to her home.
Now for Elizabeth the time came for her to give birth and she gave birth to a son. The neighbours and her relatives heard about this and they shared in her joy that the mercy of the Lord had been shown to her. It happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. They were calling him by his father's name Zacharias. But answering them his mother said. "No. He is to be called John." They said to her "There are no relatives of yours who are called by this name. They nodded to his father as to what he wanted him called. Asking for a tablet he wrote saying. "His name is John." They all marvelled about this.
Then from that moment his (Zacharias) mouth was opened and he spoke blessing God. Then a fear came on all those who were living around them. In all the mountain country of Judea around people were talking about this. On hearing about it they reflected in their hearts saying "What then will this child become? For the hand of the Lord is with him." Zacharias, his father, was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied saying. "Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel. He has visited and has brought about redemption for his people. He has raised a horn of salvation for us in the house of David his servant. This is as he had spoken through the mouth of the holy ones in the age of the prophets. There is salvation from our enemies and from the hand of those who hate us. (The Most High) has shown mercy with our fathers and remembers his holy covenant (agreement) which he swore to Abraham our father. This was a promise to deliver us from the hands of our enemies. So that we could serve him in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our lives. And you also, child will be called a prophet of the Most High. You will go before the Lord to prepare his way. You will give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of sins. Because of the depths of the mercy of our God, a rising sun will visit us from on high. It will appear to those who are in darkness and who sit in a shadow of death. It will guide our feet into a way of peace."
And so the child grew and became strong in spirit. He was in the deserts until he began to
appear to Israel.
2:1 Now it happened at that time that a decree from Caesar Augustus was issued
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that everyone in the known world was to be registered. This registration was first ordered when Cyrenius governed Syria. And so everyone went to be registered, each man to his original city. So Joseph also went from a city in Galilee called Nazareth to a city of David in Judea. This was called Bethlehem. He went there because he was of the house and family of David. He took Mary who had been betrothed to him. She was pregnant. And it happened that while they were there her time of pregnancy was completed and she was to give birth. She bore her son who was the firstborn. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. There were shepherds there in the same countryside. They were in the fields keeping guard over their flock during the night. Suddenly an angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone around them. They were very afraid. The angel said to them. "Do not be afraid. I am announcing to you something which will be a great joy to all people because to-day a Saviour has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord in a city of David. This is a sign for you. You will find a baby
who had been wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." Then suddenly there was with the angel a big army of heavenly beings praising God and saying "Glory to God in the highest places and on earth peace amongst people of good will." When the angels went away from them into heaven the shepherds said to one another. "Let us go then to Bethlehem and let us see this thing that has happened and which the Lord has made known to us." So they came quickly and found both Mary and Joseph with the baby lying in the manger. On seeing this they told others about what had been spoken to them about this child. Everyone on hearing about it marvelled. But Mary kept all these things in her heart pondering on them. The shepherds returned (to the fields) glorifying and praising God about all the things which had been spoken to them and which they had heard and saw.
When eight days were completed and it was time to circumcise him (the child) he was called Jesus. This was the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. When, as was the custom according to the law of Moses, the days of their cleansing were completed, they took him (the
child) up to Jerusalem to present to the Lord. It has been written in the law of the Lord that every male opening a womb will be called holy to the Lord. Therefore a sacrifice according to the law is required. This is a pair of turtledoves or two nestlings of doves. Now behold there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. He was a just and devout man who was waiting for the consolation of Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been communicated to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he should see the Christ of the Lord. So he came by the Spirit into the temple when the parents of the child Jesus brought him in according to the custom of the law. He (Simeon) received him in his arms and blessed God and said. "Now you can release this servant of yours Master, according to your will. My eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared for the face of all the people. This is a light of revelation for the nations and a glory of the people of Israel." The father (of the child) and his mother were marvelling at the things being said concerning him. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother. "Behold this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel and will be a sign that is spoken against. And as for yourself a sword will pierce through your soul so that the hearts and thoughts of many may be revealed."
Continued over page
(Note: Text is mainly a paraphrase of the Literal translation in the RSV Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, 1988)
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