1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to arrange in order a narration about the deeds that have been brought to fullness among us,
2 just as they delivered them to us, who became from the beginning eyewitnesses and servants of the word,
3 it occurred to me also, having followed closely from the beginning all things accurately, to write to thee in order, eminent Theophilus,
4 so that thou might know the certainty of the declarations about which thou were instructed.
5 It came to pass in the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest, named Zacharias, from the division of Abijah, and his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6 And they were both righteous before God, going in all the commandments and righteous things of the Lord blameless.
7 And there was no child to them because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in their days.
8 But it came to pass during his service as a priest in the course of his division in the presence of God,
9 that, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to burn incense after entering into the temple of the Lord.
10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
11 And an agent of Lord became visible to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 And Zacharias having seen, was shaken, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the agent said to him, Fear not, Zacharias, because thy plea was heard, and thy wife Elizabeth will bear a son for thee. And thou shall call his name John.
14 And there will be joy and exultation for thee, and many will rejoice at his birth.
15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he should, no, not drink wine and strong drink. And he will be filled of Holy Spirit, even from his mother's belly.
16 And he will turn back many of the sons of Israel to Lord their God.
17 And he will go ahead, in front of him, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn back the hearts of fathers toward children, and the disobedient in a mentality of the righteous, to make ready for Lord a people prepared.
18 And Zacharias said to the agent, How will I know this? For I am aged, and my wife is advanced in her days.
19 And having answered, the agent said to him, I am Gabriel who stand in the presence of God. And I was sent to speak to thee, and to announce these good news to thee.
20 And behold, thou will be mute, and not able to speak until that day these things will come to pass, because thou did not believed my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.
21 And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and they wondered during his delay in the temple.
22 And when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they recognized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was beckoning to them, and remained speechless.
23 And it came to pass, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he departed to his house.
24 And after these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she concealed herself five months, saying,
25 Thus the Lord has done to me during the days in which he looked, to take away my shame among men.
26 Now in the sixth month the agent Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
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 And the agent having come in near her, he said, Hail, thou who are highly favored. The Lord is with thee, thou who are blessed among women.
29 But having seen, she was perplexed at his saying, and was pondering what kind of greeting this might be.
30 And the agent said to her, Fear not, Mary, for thou have found favor with God.
31 And behold, thou will conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son. And thou shall call his name JESUS.
32 This man 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 And he will reign over the house of Jacob into the ages. And of his kingdom there will be no end.
34 And Mary said to the agent, How will this be, since I know not a man?
35 And having answered, the agent said to her, Holy Spirit will come upon thee, and the power of the Most High will overshadow thee. Therefore also the holy thing that is begotten will be called the Son of God.
36 And behold, Elizabeth thy kinswoman, she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
37 For no word from God will be impossible.
38 And Mary said, Behold the maid-servant of Lord. May it happen to me according to thy word. And the agent departed from her.
39 And having risen in these days, Mary went with haste into the hill country, into a city of Judah,
40 and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41 And it came to pass, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her belly. And Elizabeth was filled of Holy Spirit,
42 and she exclaimed in a great voice, and said, Blessed are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy belly.
43 And why is this to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?
44 For lo, when the voice of thy greeting happened in my ears, the babe leaped with joy in my belly.
45 And blessed is she who believed, because there will be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her from Lord.
46 And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 because he has looked upon the lowliness of his bondmaid. For behold, from henceforth all generations will regard me blessed,
49 because the Mighty has done great things to me. And his name is holy.
50 And his mercy is for generations of generations to those who fear him.
51 He did a mighty work by his arm. He scattered the proud in the mentality of their heart.
52 He brought down potentates from thrones, and raised up lowly men.
53 He filled those who are hungry with good things, and those who are rich he sent away empty.
54 He helped his boy Israel to be reminded of mercy,
55 just as he spoke to our fathers: to Abraham and his seed into the age.
56 And Mary dwelt with her about three months, and returned to her house.
57 Now the time for Elizabeth was fulfilled for her to give birth, and she brought forth a son.
58 And her neighbors and her kinfolk heard that Lord magnified his mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 And it came to pass on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child, and they were calling it by the name of his father Zacharias.
60 And his mother having answered, said, No, but he will be called John.
61 And they said to her, There is no man among thy relatives who is called by this name.
62 And they made signs to his father, whatever he wanted to call him.
63 And having asked for a writing tablet, he wrote, saying, His name is John. And they all marveled.
64 And immediately his mouth was opened, and his tongue, and he spoke, praising God.
65 And fear developed in all who dwell around them. And all these sayings were talked about in the entire hill country of Judea.
66 And all who heard stored up in their heart, saying, What then will this child be? For the hand of Lord was with him.
67 And his father Zacharias was filled of Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
68 Blessed is Lord, the God of Israel, because he came to help, and made ransom for his people.
69 And he raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his boy David,
70 just 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 do mercy with our fathers, and his holy covenant to be remembered,
73 the oath that he swore to Abraham our father, to give to us,
74 without fear from the hand of our enemies, having been saved to serve him
75 in piety and righteousness before him all our the days of our life.
76 And thou, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High. For thou will go ahead, before the face of Lord, to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the remission of their sins,
78 because of the bowels of mercy of our God, by which the dayspring from on high came to help us,
79 to give light to those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into a way of peace.
80 And the child grew, and became strong in spirit. And he was in the desolate regions until the day of his manifestation to Israel.
1 For as moche as many have take in hand to compyle a treates of thoo thinges which are surely knowen amonge vs
2 even as they declared them vnto vs which from the beginnynge sawe them their selves and were ministers at the doyng:
3 I determined also assone as I had searched out diligently all thinges from the beginnynge that then I wolde wryte vnto the good Theophilus:
4 that thou myghtest knowe the certente of thoo thinges wher of thou arte informed.
5 There was in the dayes of Herode kynge of Iurie a certayne prest named Zacharias of ye course of Abia. And his wyfe was of ye doughters of Aaron: And her name was Elizabeth.
6 Booth were perfect before God and walked in all the lawes and ordinaces of the Lorde that no man coulde fynde fawte with them.
7 And they had no chylde because that Elizabeth was barre and booth were well stricken in age.
8 And it cam to passe as he executed the prestes office before god as his course came
9 (accordinge to the custome of the prestes office) his lot was to bourne incece.
10 And wet into ye teple of ye Lorde and the whoale multitude of ye people were with out in prayer whill the incense was aburnynge.
11 And ther appered vnto him an angell of the lorde stondinge on the ryght syde of the altare of incense.
12 And when Zacharias sawe him he was abasshed and feare came on him.
13 And the angell sayde vnto him: feare not Zachary for thy prayer is hearde: And thy wyfe Elizabeth shall beare ye a sonne and thou shalt call his name Iohn
14 and thou shalt have ioye and gladnes and many shall reioyce at his birth.
15 For he shalbe greate in the sight of the lorde and shall nether drinke wyne ner stronge drinke. And he shalbe filled with the holy goost even in his mothers wombe:
16 and many of the chyldren of Israel shall he tourne to their Lorde God.
17 And he shall goo before him in the sprete and power of Helyas to tourne the hertes of the fathers to the chyldren and the vnbelevers to the wysdom of the iuste men: to make the people redy for the Lorde.
18 And Zacharias sayde vnto ye angell: Wher by shall I knowe this? seinge that I am olde and my wyfe well stricken in yeares.
19 And the angell answered and sayde vnto him: I am Gabriell that stonde in the presens of God and am sent to speake vnto the: and to shewe the these glad tydinges.
20 And beholde thou shalt be domme and not able to speake vntyll the tyme that these thinges be performed because thou belevedst not my wordes which shalbe fulfilled in their season.
21 And the people wayted for Zacharias and mervelled that he taryed in the temple.
22 And whe he cam oute he could not speake vnto them. Wherby they perceaved that he had sene some vision in the temple. And he beckened vnto them and remayned speachlesse.
23 And it fortuned assone as ye tyme of his office was oute he departed home into his awne housse.
24 And after thoose dayes his wyfe Elizabeth coceaved and hyd her sylfe .v. monethes sayinge:
25 This wyse hath God dealte wt me in ye dayes when he loked on me to take from me the rebuke yt I suffred amonge men.
26 And in ye .vi. moneth ye angell Gabriel was sent fro god vnto a cite of Galile named Nazareth
27 to a virgin spoused to a man whose name was Ioseph of ye housse of David and ye virgins name was Mary.
28 And ye angell went in vnto her and sayde: Hayle full of grace ye Lorde is with ye: blessed arte thou amonge wemen.
29 When she sawe him she was abasshed at his sayinge: and cast in her mynde what maner of salutacion yt shuld be.
30 And ye angell sayde vnto her: feare not Mary: for thou hast founde grace wt god.
31 Loo: thou shalt coceave in thy wombe and shalt beare a sonne and shalt call his name Iesus.
32 He shalbe greate and shalbe called the sonne of the hyest. And ye lorde God shall geve vnto him the seate of his father David
33 and he shall raygne over ye housse of Iacob forever and of his kyngdome shalbe none ende.
34 Then sayd Mary vnto ye angell: How shall this be seinge I knowe not a man?
35 And ye angell answered and sayd vnto her: The holy goost shall come apon the and ye power of ye hyest shall over shaddowe ye. Therfore also yt holy thinge which shalbe borne shalbe called ye sonne of god.
36 And beholde thy cosen Elizabeth she hath also conceaved a sonne in her age. And this is hyr sixte moneth though she be called barren:
37 for wt god can nothinge be vnpossible.
38 And Mary sayd: beholde ye honde mayden of ye lorde be it vnto me even as thou hast sayde. And the angell departed from her.
39 And Mary arose in thoose dayes and went into ye mountayns wt hast into a cite of Iurie
40 and entred into the housse of zachary and saluted Elizabeth.
41 And it fortuned as Elizabeth hearde ye salutacion of Mary the babe spronge in her belly. And Elizabeth was filled with the holy goost
42 and cryed with a loude voyce and sayde: Blessed arte thou amonge wemen and blessed is the frute of thy wombe.
43 And whence hapeneth this to me that the mother of my Lorde shuld come to me?
44 For loo assone as the voyce of thy salutacion sownded in myne eares the babe sprange in my belly for ioye.
45 And blessed arte thou that belevedst: for thoose thinges shalbe performed wich were tolde ye from the lorde.
46 And Mary sayde. My soule magnifieth the Lorde.
47 And my sprete reioyseth in god my savioure
48 For he hath loked on the povre degre of his honde mayde. Beholde now from hence forth shall all generacions call me blessed.
49 For he that is myghty hath done to me greate thinges and holye is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that feare him thorow oute all generacions.
51 He sheweth strength with his arme he scattereth them that are proude in the ymaginacion of their hertes.
52 He putteth doune the myghty from their seates and exalteth them of lowe degre.
53 He filleth the hongry with good thinges: and sendeth awaye the ryche emptye.
54 He remenbreth mercy: and helpeth his servaunt Israel.
55 Even as he promised to oure fathers Abraham and to his seede for ever.
56 And mary aboode with hyr aboute a .iii. monethes and retourned agayne to hyr awne housse.
57 Elizabethes tyme was come that she shuld be delyvered and she brought forth a sonne.
58 And her neghboures and her cosins hearde tell how the lorde had shewed great mercy vpon her and they reioysed with her.
59 And it fortuned ye eyght daye: they cam to circumcise the chylde: and called his name zacharias after the name of his father.
60 How be it his mother answered and sayd: not so but he shalbe called Ihon.
61 And they sayd vnto hyr: Ther is none of thy kynne that is named wt this name.
62 And they made signes to his father how he wolde have him called.
63 And he axed for wrytynge tables and wroote saying: his name is Iohn. And they marvelled all.
64 And his mouthe was opened immediatly and his tonge also and he spake lawdynge God.
65 And feare came on all the that dwelt nye vnto them. And all these sayinges were noysed abroade throughout all ye hyll coutre of Iurie
66 and all they yt herde the layde them vp in their hertes saying: What maner chylde shall this be? And the honde of ye lorde was with him.
67 And his father zacharias was filled with the holy goost and prophisyed sayinge:
68 Blessed be the Lorde God of Israel for he hath visited and redemed his people.
69 And hath reysed vp an horne of salvacion vnto vs in the housse of his servaunt David.
70 Even as he promised by ye mouth of his holy prophetes which were sens ye worlde began
71 That we shuld be saved from oure enemies and from the hondis of all that hate vs:
72 To fulfill the mercy promised to oure fathers and to remember his holy covenaunt.
73 And to performe the oothe which he sware to oure father Adraham
74 for to geve vs. That we delyvered oute of ye hondes of oure enemyes myght serve him with oute feare
75 all the dayes of oure lyfe in suche holynes and ryghtewesnes that are accept before him.
76 And thou chylde shalt be called the Prophet of the hyest: for thou shalt goo before the face of the lorde to prepare his wayes:
77 And to geve knowlege of salvacion vnto his people for the remission of synnes:
78 Through the tender mercy of oure God wherby the daye springe from an hye hath visited vs.
79 To geve light to the that sate in darcknes and in shadowe of deth and to gyde oure fete into the waye of peace.
80 And the chylde grew and wexed stronge in sprete and was in wyldernes tyll the daye cam when he shuld shewe him sylfe vnto the Israhelites.