1 尊敬的提阿非罗先生， 因为有许多人， 已经把在我们中间成就了的事， 2 按照起初亲眼看见的传道人所传给我们的， 编著成书； 3 我已经把这些事从头考查过， 认为也应该按着次序写给你， 4 让你晓得所学到的道理， 都是确实的。 5 犹太王希律在位的日子， 亚比雅班里有一个祭司， 名叫撒迦利亚， 他妻子是亚伦的后代， 名叫以利沙伯。 6 他们在 神面前都是义人， 遵行主的一切诫命规条， 无可指摘， 7 只是没有孩子， 因为以利沙伯不生育， 二人又都上了年纪。 8 有一次， 撒迦利亚在 神面前按着班次执行祭司的职务， 9 照祭司的惯例抽中了签， 进入主的圣殿烧香。 10 烧香的时候， 众人都在外面祈祷。 11 有主的使者站在香坛右边， 向他显现。 12 撒迦利亚一见就惊慌起来， 十分害怕。 13 天使说： "撒迦利亚， 不要怕， 因为你的祈求已蒙垂听， 你妻子以利沙伯要给你生一个儿子， 你要给他起名叫约翰。 14 你必欢喜快乐， 许多人因他出生， 也必喜乐。 15 他在主面前要被尊为大， 淡酒浓酒都不喝， 未出母腹就被圣灵充满。 16 他要使许多以色列人转向主他们的 神。 17 他必有以利亚的灵和能力， 行在主的前面， 叫父亲的心转向儿女， 叫悖逆的转向义人的意念， 为主安排那预备好了的人民。" 18 撒迦利亚对天使说： "我怎么能知道这事呢？我已经老了， 我妻子也上了年纪。" 19 天使回答： "我是站在 神面前的加百列， 奉差遣向你说话， 报给你这好消息。 20 看吧！ 到了时候我的话必要应验； 因为你不信我的话， 你必成为哑巴， 直到这些事成就的那一天， 才能说话。" 21 众人等候撒迦利亚； 因他在圣殿里迟迟不出来， 觉得奇怪。 22 等到他出来， 却不能讲话， 竟成了哑巴， 不断地向他们打手式， 他们就知道他在圣殿里见了异象。 23 供职的日子满了， 他就回家去。 24 过了几天， 他妻子以利沙伯怀了孕， 隐藏了五个月， 说： 25 "主在眷顾的日子， 这样看待我， 要把我在人间的羞耻除掉。" 26 到了第六个月， 天使加百列奉 神差遣， 往加利利的拿撒勒城去， 27 到了一个童贞女那里， 她已经和大卫家一个名叫约瑟的人订了婚， 童贞女的名字是马利亚。 28 天使进去， 对她说： "恭喜！ 蒙大恩的女子， 主与你同在！ " 29 她却因这话惊慌起来， 反复思想这样祝贺是什么意思。 30 天使说： "马利亚， 不要怕！ 因你已从 神那里蒙了恩。 31 你将怀孕生子， 要给他起名叫耶稣。 32 他将要被尊为大， 称为至高者的儿子， 主 神要把他祖大卫的王位赐给他， 33 他要作王统治雅各家， 直到永远， 他的国没有穷尽。" 34 马利亚对天使说： "我还没有出嫁， 怎能有这事呢？" 35 天使回答： "圣灵要临到你， 至高者的能力要覆庇你， 因此那将要出生的圣者， 必称为 神的儿子。 36 你看， 你亲戚以利沙伯， 被称为不生育的， 在老年也怀了男胎， 现在已是第六个月了， 37 因为在 神没有一件事是不可能的。" 38 马利亚说： "我是主的婢女， 愿照你的话成就在我身上！ "天使就离开她去了。 39 后来， 马利亚就起身， 急忙向山地去， 来到犹大的一座城， 40 进了撒迦利亚的家， 向以利沙伯问安。 41 以利沙伯一听见马利亚的问安， 腹中的胎儿就跳动， 以利沙伯也被圣灵充满， 42 就高声说： "你在女子中是有福的！ 你腹中的胎儿也是有福的！ 43 我主的母亲竟然到我这里来。这事怎会临到我呢？ 44 你看， 你问安的声音一进我的耳朵， 我腹中的胎儿就欢喜跳跃。 45 这相信主传给她的话必要成就的女子是有福的。" 46 马利亚说： "我心尊主为大， 47 我灵以 神我的救主为乐， 48 因为他垂顾他使女的卑微， 看哪！ 今后万代都要称我为有福。 49 全能者为我行了大事， 他的名为圣； 50 他的怜悯世世代代归与敬畏他的人。 51 他用膀臂施展大能， 驱散心里妄想的狂傲人。 52 他使有权能的失位， 叫卑微的升高， 53 让饥饿的得饱美食， 使富足的空手回去。 54 他扶助了他的仆人以色列， 为要记念他的怜悯， 55 正如他向我们列祖所说的， 恩待亚伯拉罕和他的后裔， 直到永远。" 56 马利亚和以利沙伯同住约有三个月， 就回家去了。 57 以利沙伯的产期到了， 生了一个儿子。 58 邻里亲戚， 听见主向她大施怜悯， 都和她一同欢乐。 59 到了第八天， 他们来给孩子行割礼， 要照他父亲的名字， 叫他撒迦利亚。 60 但他母亲说： "不可， 要叫他约翰。" 61 他们说： "你亲族里没有叫这名字的。" 62 他们就向孩子的父亲打手式， 看他要叫他什么。 63 他要了一块写字版， 写上说： "他的名字是约翰。"众人都希奇。 64 撒迦利亚的口舌立刻开了， 就出声称颂 神。 65 住在周围的人都害怕， 这一切事传遍了整个犹太山地， 66 凡听见的就把这些事放在心里， 说： "这孩子将会成为怎样的人呢？因为主的手与他同在。" 67 他的父亲撒迦利亚被圣灵充满， 预言说： 68 "主， 以色列的 神， 是应当称颂的， 因他眷顾自己的子民， 施行救赎， 69 在他仆人大卫家中， 为我们兴起救恩的角， 70 正如主自古以来借圣先知口中所说的， 71 救我们脱离仇敌， 和恨我们的人的手； 72 向我们列祖施怜悯， 记念他的圣约， 73 就是他对我们祖先亚伯拉罕所起的誓， 74 把我们从仇敌手中救拔出来， 叫我们可以坦然无惧， 用圣洁公义， 在他面前一生一世敬拜他。 76 孩子啊， 你要称为至高者的先知， 因为你要行在主的面前， 预备他的路， 77 使他的子民， 因罪得赦， 就知道救恩。 78 因我们 神的怜悯， 使清晨的阳光从高天临到我们， 79 光照那坐在黑暗中死荫里的人， 引导我们的脚， 走上平安的路。" 80 这孩子渐渐长大， 心灵健壮， 住在旷野， 直到他在以色列人中公开露面的日子。

1 Seeing that many did take in hand to set in order a narration of the matters that have been fully assured among us,2 as they did deliver to us, who from the beginning became eye-witnesses, and officers of the Word, --3 it seemed good also to me, having followed from the first after all things exactly, to write to thee in order, most noble Theophilus,4 that thou mayest know the certainty of the things wherein thou wast instructed.5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest, by name Zacharias, of the course of Abijah, and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elisabeth;6 and they were both righteous before God, going on in all the commands and righteousnesses of the Lord blameless,7 and they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and both were advanced in their days.8 And it came to pass, in his acting as priest, in the order of his course before God,9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot was to make perfume, having gone into the sanctuary of the Lord,10 and all the multitude of the people were praying without, at the hour of the perfume.11 And there appeared to him a messenger of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of the perfume,12 and Zacharias, having seen, was troubled, and fear fell on him;13 and the messenger said unto him, `Fear not, Zacharias, for thy supplication was heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear a son to thee, and thou shalt call his name John,14 and there shall be joy to thee, and gladness, and many at his birth shall joy,15 for he shall be great before the Lord, and wine and strong drink he may not drink, and of the Holy Spirit he shall be full, even from his mother`s womb;16 and many of the sons of Israel he shall turn to the Lord their God,17 and he shall go before Him, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn hearts of fathers unto children, and disobedient ones to the wisdom of righteous ones, to make ready for the Lord, a people prepared.`18 And Zacharias said unto the messenger, `Whereby shall I know this? for I am aged, and my wife is advanced in her days?`19 And the messenger answering said to him, `I am Gabriel, who have been standing near before God, and I was sent to speak unto thee, and to proclaim these good news to thee,20 and lo, thou shalt be silent, and not able to speak, till the day that these things shall come to pass, because thou didst not believe my words, that shall be fulfilled in their season.`21 And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and wondering at his tarrying in the sanctuary,22 and having come out, he was not able to speak to them, and they perceived that a vision he had seen in the sanctuary, and he was beckoning to them, and did remain dumb.23 And it came to pass, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he went away to his house,24 and after those days, his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying --25 `Thus hath the Lord done to me, in days in which He looked upon [me], to take away my reproach among men.`26 And in the sixth month was the messenger Gabriel sent by God, to a city of Galilee, the name of which [is] Nazareth,27 to a virgin, betrothed to a man, whose name [is] Joseph, of the house of David, and the name of the virgin [is] Mary.28 And the messenger having come in unto her, said, `Hail, favoured one, the Lord [is] with thee; blessed [art] thou among women;`29 and she, having seen, was troubled at his word, and was reasoning of what kind this salutation may be.30 And the messenger said to her, `Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God;31 and lo, thou shalt conceive in the womb, and shalt bring forth a son, and call his name Jesus;32 he shall be great, and Son of the Highest he shall be called, and the Lord God shall give him the throne of David his father,33 and he shall reign over the house of Jacob to the ages; and of his reign there shall be no end.`34 And Mary said unto the messenger, `How shall this be, seeing a husband I do not know?`35 And the messenger answering said to her, `The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, therefore also the holy-begotten thing shall be called Son of God;36 and lo, Elisabeth, thy kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month to her who was called barren;37 because nothing shall be impossible with God.`38 And Mary said, `Lo, the maid-servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to thy saying,` and the messenger went away from her.39 And Mary having arisen in those days, went to the hill-country, with haste, to a city of Judea,40 and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.41 And it came to pass, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe did leap in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,42 and 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 might come unto me?44 for, lo, when the voice of thy salutation came to my ears, leap in gladness did the babe in my womb;45 and happy [is] she who did believe, for there shall be a completion to the things spoken to her from the Lord.`46 And Mary said, `My soul doth magnify the Lord,47 And my spirit was glad on God my Saviour,48 Because He looked on the lowliness of His maid-servant, For, lo, henceforth call me happy shall all the generations,49 For He who is mighty did to me great things, And holy [is] His name,50 And His kindness [is] to generations of generations, To those fearing Him,51 He did powerfully with His arm, He scattered abroad the proud in the thought of their heart,52 He brought down the mighty from thrones, And He exalted the lowly,53 The hungry He did fill with good, And the rich He sent away empty,54 He received again Israel His servant, To remember kindness,55 As He spake unto our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed -- to the age.`56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and turned back to her house.57 And to Elisabeth was the time fulfilled for her bringing forth, and she bare a son,58 and the neighbours and her kindred heard that the Lord was making His kindness great with her, and they were rejoicing with her.59 And it came to pass, on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, and they were calling him by the name of his father, Zacharias,60 and his mother answering said, `No, but he shall be called John.`61 And they said unto her -- `There is none among thy kindred who is called by this name,`62 and they were making signs to his father, what he would wish him to be called,63 and having asked for a tablet, he wrote, saying, `John is his name;` and they did all wonder;64 and his mouth was opened presently, and his tongue, and he was speaking, praising God.65 And fear came upon all those dwelling around them, and in all the hill-country of Judea were all these sayings spoken of,66 and all who heard did lay them up in their hearts, saying, `What then shall this child be?` and the hand of the Lord was with him.67 And Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and did prophesy, saying,68 `Blessed [is] the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people,69 And did raise an horn of salvation to us, In the house of David His servant,70 As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, Which have been from the age;71 Salvation from our enemies, And out of the hand of all hating us,72 To do kindness with our fathers, And to be mindful of His holy covenant,73 An oath that He sware to Abraham our father,74 To give to us, without fear, Out of the hand of our enemies having been delivered,75 To serve Him, in holiness and righteousness Before Him, all the days of our life.76 And thou, child, Prophet of the Highest Shalt thou be called; For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, To prepare His ways.77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people In remission of their sins,78 Through the tender mercies of our God, In which the rising from on high did look upon us,79 To give light to those sitting in darkness and death-shade, To guide our feet to a way of peace.`80 And the child grew, and was strengthened in spirit, and he was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.