1 Forasmuch as many have undertaken to draw up a relation concerning the matters fully believed among us,2 as those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses of and attendants on the Word have delivered them to us,3 it has seemed good to *me* also, accurately acquainted from the origin with all things, to write to thee with method, most excellent Theophilus,4 that thou mightest know the certainty of those things in which thou hast been instructed.5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest, by name Zacharias, of the course of Abia, and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth.6 And they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.7 And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.8 And it came to pass, as he fulfilled his priestly service before God in the order of his course,9 it fell to him by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense.10 And all the multitude of the people were praying without at the hour of incense.11 And an angel of {the} Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the altar of incense.12 And Zacharias was troubled, seeing {him}, and fear fell upon him.13 But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias, because thy supplication has been heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.14 And he shall be to thee joy and rejoicing, and many shall rejoice at his birth.15 For he shall be great before {the} Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with {the} Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.16 And many of the sons 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 hearts of fathers to children, and disobedient ones to {the} thoughts of just {men}, to make ready for {the} Lord a prepared people.18 And Zacharias said to the angel, How shall I know this, for *I* am an old man, and my wife advanced in years?19 And the angel answering, said to him, *I* am Gabriel, who stand before God, and I have been sent to speak to thee, and to bring these glad tidings to thee;20 and behold, thou shalt be silent and not able to speak, till the day in which these things shall take place, because thou hast not believed my words, the which shall be fulfilled in their time.21 And the people were awaiting Zacharias, and they wondered at his delaying in the temple.22 But when he came out he could not speak to them, and they recognised that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was making signs to them, and continued dumb.23 And it came to pass, when the days of his service were completed, he departed to his house.24 Now after these days, Elizabeth his wife conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,25 Thus has {the} Lord done to me in {these} days in which he looked upon {me} to take away my reproach among men.26 But in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent of God to a city of Galilee, of which {the} name {was} 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 angel came in to her, and said, Hail, {thou} favoured one! the Lord {is} with thee: {blessed art *thou* amongst women}.29 But she, {seeing} {the angel}, was troubled at his word, and reasoned in her mind what this salutation might be.30 And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God;31 and behold, thou shalt conceive in the womb and bear a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus.32 *He* shall be great, and shall be called Son of {the} Highest; and {the} Lord God shall give him the throne of David his father;33 and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for the ages, and of his kingdom there shall not be an end.34 But Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I know not a man?35 And the angel answering said to her, {The} Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and power of {the} Highest overshadow thee, wherefore the holy thing also which shall be born shall be called 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 to her that was called barren:37 for nothing shall be impossible with God.38 And Mary said, Behold the bondmaid of {the} Lord; be it to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.39 And Mary, rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,40 and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elizabeth.41 And it came to pass, as Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with {the} Holy Spirit,42 and cried out with a loud voice and said, Blessed {art} *thou* amongst women, and blessed the fruit of thy womb.43 And whence {is} this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?44 For behold, as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped with joy in my womb.45 And blessed {is} she that has believed, for there shall be a fulfilment of the things spoken to her from {the} Lord.46 And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord,47 and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.48 For he has looked upon the low estate of his bondmaid; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.49 For the Mighty One has done to me great things, and holy {is} his name;50 and his mercy {is} to generations and generations to them that fear him.51 He has wrought strength with his arm; he has scattered haughty {ones} in the thought of their heart.52 He has put down rulers from thrones, and exalted the lowly.53 He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent away the rich empty.54 He has helped Israel his servant, in order to remember mercy,55 (as he spoke to our fathers,) to Abraham and to his seed for ever.56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her house.57 But the time was fulfilled for Elizabeth that she should bring forth, and she gave birth to a son.58 And her neighbours and kinsfolk heard that {the} Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her.59 And it came to pass on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they called it after the name of his father, Zacharias.60 And his mother answering said, No; but he shall be called John.61 And they said to her, There is no one among thy kinsfolk who is called by this name.62 And they made signs to his father as to what he might wish it to be called.63 And having asked for a writing-table, he wrote saying, John is his name. And they all wondered.64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue, and he spake, blessing God.65 And fear came upon all who dwelt round about them; and in the whole hill-country of Judaea all these things were the subject of conversation.66 And all who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then will this child be? And {the} Lord's hand was with him.67 And Zacharias his father was filled with {the} Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,68 Blessed be {the} Lord the God of Israel, because he has visited and wrought redemption for his people,69 and raised up a horn of deliverance for us in the house of David his servant;70 as he spoke by {the} mouth of his holy prophets, who have been since the world began;71 deliverance from our enemies and out of the hand of all who hate us;72 to fulfil mercy with our fathers and remember his holy covenant,73 {the} oath which he swore to Abraham our father,74 to give us, that, saved out of the hand of our enemies, we should serve him without fear75 in piety and righteousness before him all our days.76 And *thou*, child, shalt be called {the} prophet of {the} Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of {the} Lord to make ready his ways;77 to give knowledge of deliverance to his people by {the} remission of their sins78 on account of {the} bowels of mercy of our God; wherein {the} dayspring from on high has visited us,79 to shine upon them who were sitting in darkness and in {the} shadow of death, to guide our feet into {the} way of peace.80 -And the child grew and was strengthened in spirit; and he was in the deserts until the day of his shewing to Israel.

1 Aangesien baie onderneem het om 'n verhaal op te stel oor die dinge wat onder ons al vervul is,2 soos hulle wat van die begin af ooggetuies en dienaars van die Woord was, dit aan ons oorgelewer het,3 het ek ook dit goedgedink, hooggeagte Theofilus, nadat ek van voor af alles noukeurig ondersoek het, om dit in volgorde aan u te skrywe,4 sodat u met volle sekerheid kan weet die dinge waaromtrent u onderrig is.5 Daar was in die dae van Herodes, koning van Jud,a, 'n sekere priester met die naam van Sagar¡a, uit die afdeling van Ab¡a; en sy vrou was uit die dogters van A„ron, en haar naam was Elisabet.6 En hulle was altwee regverdig voor God en het in al die gebooie en regte van die Here onberispelik gewandel.7 En hulle het geen kind gehad nie, omdat Elisabet onvrugbaar was en albei op ver gevorderde leeftyd.8 En terwyl hy besig was om die priesteramp voor God te bedien in die beurt van sy afdeling,9 het die lot volgens priesterlike gewoonte op hom geval om in te gaan in die tempel van die Here en reukwerk te brand.10 En die hele menigte van die volk was buite, besig om te bid op die uur van die reukoffer.11 Toe verskyn daar aan hom 'n engel van die Here, wat aan die regterkant van die reukofferaltaar staan.12 En toe Sagar¡a hom sien, was hy ontsteld, en vrees het hom oorval.13 Maar die engel sê vir hom: Moenie vrees nie, Sagar¡a, want jou gebed is verhoor, en jou vrou Elisabet sal vir jou 'n seun baar, en jy moet hom Johannes noem.14 En hy sal blydskap en verheuging vir jou wees, en baie sal oor sy geboorte bly wees;15 want hy sal groot wees voor die Here. En wyn en sterk drank sal hy nooit drink nie, en hy sal vervul word met die Heilige Gees reeds van die skoot van sy moeder af.16 En hy sal baie van die kinders van Israel bekeer tot die Here hulle God.17 En hy sal voor Hom uit gaan in die gees en die krag van El¡a, om die harte van die vaders terug te bring tot die kinders en die ongehoorsames tot die gesindheid van die regverdiges, om vir die Here 'n toegeruste volk te berei.18 Toe sê Sagar¡a vir die engel: Waaraan sal ek dit weet? Want ek is 'n ou man, en my vrou is op ver gevorderde leeftyd.19 En die engel antwoord en sê vir hom: Ek is Gabriël wat voor God staan, en ek is gestuur om met jou te spreek en jou hierdie goeie tyding te bring.20 En kyk, jy sal swyg en nie kan praat nie tot op die dag dat hierdie dinge gebeur, omdat jy my woorde wat op hulle tyd vervul sal word, nie geglo het nie.21 En die volk het op Sagar¡a bly wag en was verwonderd dat hy so lank in die tempel vertoef.22 Maar toe hy uitkom, kon hy met hulle nie praat nie; hulle bemerk toe dat hy 'n gesig in die tempel gesien het. En hy het aanhoudend vir hulle beduie en stom gebly.23 En toe die dae van sy diens vervul was, het hy huis toe gegaan.24 En n hierdie dae het Elisabet, sy vrou, ontvang en haar vyf maande lank verberg en gesê:25 So het die Here met my gedoen in die dae toe Hy my aangesien het om my smaad onder die mense weg te neem.26 En in die sesde maand is die engel Gabriël deur God gestuur na 'n stad in Galil,a met die naam van N saret,27 na 'n maagd wat verloof was aan 'n man met die naam van Josef, uit die huis van Dawid; en die naam van die maagd was Maria.28 En die engel het by haar binnegekom en gesê: Wees gegroet, begenadigde! Die Here is met jou; geseënd is jy onder die vroue.29 En toe sy hom sien, was sy baie ontsteld oor sy woord, en sy het daaroor nagedink wat hierdie groet tog kon beteken.30 En die engel sê vir haar: Moenie vrees nie, Maria, want jy het genade by God gevind.31 En kyk, jy sal swanger word en 'n Seun baar, en jy moet Hom Jesus noem.32 Hy sal groot wees en die Seun van die Allerhoogste genoem word; en die Here God sal aan Hom die troon van sy vader Dawid gee,33 en Hy sal koning wees oor die huis van Jakob tot in ewigheid, en aan sy koninkryk sal daar geen einde wees nie.34 Toe sê Maria vir die engel: Hoe kan dit wees aangesien ek geen man het nie?35 En die engel antwoord en sê vir haar: Die Heilige Gees sal oor jou kom en die krag van die Allerhoogste sal jou oorskadu. Daarom ook sal die Heilige wat gebore word, Seun van God genoem word.36 En kyk, Elisabet, jou bloedverwant, het self ook 'n seun ontvang in haar ouderdom, en hierdie maand is die sesde vir haar wat onvrugbaar genoem is.37 Want geen ding sal by God onmoontlik wees nie.38 En Maria sê: Hier is die diensmaagd van die Here. Laat dit met my gaan volgens u woord. En die engel het van haar weggegaan.39 En in daardie dae het Maria opgestaan en haastig na die bergstreek gegaan, na 'n stad van Juda;40 en sy het in die huis van Sagar¡a gekom en Elisabet gegroet.41 En toe Elisabet die groet van Maria hoor, het die kindjie in haar skoot opgespring; en Elisabet is vervul met die Heilige Gees42 en het met 'n groot stem uitgeroep en gesê: Geseënd is jy onder die vroue, en geseënd is die vrug van jou skoot!43 En wat het my oorgekom dat die moeder van my Here na my toe kom?44 Want kyk, toe die geluid van jou groet in my ore klink, het die kindjie in my skoot van vreugde opgespring.45 En salig is sy wat geglo het, want die dinge wat deur die Here aan haar gesê is, sal vervul word.46 En Maria het gesê: My siel maak die Here groot,47 en my gees is verheug in God, my Saligmaker;48 omdat Hy die nederige toestand van sy diensmaagd aangesien het; want kyk, van nou af sal al die geslagte my salig noem.49 Want Hy wat magtig is, het groot dinge aan my gedoen, en heilig is sy Naam.50 En sy barmhartigheid is van geslag tot geslag vir die wat Hom vrees.51 Hy het deur sy arm kragtige dade gedoen. Hoogmoediges in die gedagtes van hulle hart het Hy verstrooi.52 Maghebbers het Hy van trone afgeruk en nederiges verhoog.53 Hongeriges het Hy met goeie dinge vervul en rykes met leë hande weggestuur.54 Hy het sy kneg Israel bygestaan, sodat Hy aan sy barmhartigheid sou dink55 soos Hy tot ons vaders gespreek het -- aan Abraham en sy nageslag tot in ewigheid.56 En Maria het by haar omtrent drie maande gebly; en sy het teruggegaan na haar huis toe.57 En die tyd dat sy moeder moes word, is vir Elisabet vervul, en sy het 'n seun gebaar.58 En toe haar bure en bloedverwante hoor dat die Here sy barmhartigheid aan haar groot gemaak het, was hulle saam met haar bly.59 En op die agtste dag het hulle gekom om die kindjie te besny, en hulle wou hom Sagar¡a noem, na die naam van sy vader.60 Toe antwoord sy moeder en sê: Nee, maar hy moet Johannes genoem word.61 En hulle sê vir haar: Daar is niemand in jou familie wat die naam het nie.62 En hulle beduie vir sy vader hoe hy wou hê dat hy genoem moes word.63 Hy vra toe 'n skryfbordjie en skryf: Johannes is sy naam. En almal was verwonderd.64 En onmiddellik is sy mond geopen en het sy tong losgeraak, en hy het gepraat en God geloof.65 En daar het vrees gekom oor almal wat rondom hulle gewoon het, en daar is baie gepraat oor al hierdie dinge in die hele bergstreek van Jud,a.66 En almal wat dit gehoor het, het dit ter harte geneem en gesê: Wat sal tog van hierdie kindjie word? En die hand van die Here was met hom.67 En Sagar¡a, sy vader, is vervul met die Heilige Gees en het geprofeteer en gesê:68 Geloofd sy die Here, die God van Israel, omdat Hy sy volk besoek het en vir hulle verlossing teweeggebring het,69 en 'n horing van heil vir ons opgerig het in die huis van Dawid, sy kneg --70 soos Hy gespreek het deur die mond van sy heilige profete van ouds af --71 redding van ons vyande en uit die hand van almal wat vir ons haat,72 om barmhartigheid te bewys aan ons vaders en aan sy heilige verbond te dink,73 aan die eed wat Hy gesweer het vir Abraham, ons vader, om aan ons te gee74 dat ons, verlos uit die hand van ons vyande, Hom sonder vrees kan dien,75 in heiligheid en geregtigheid voor Hom, al die dae van ons lewe.76 En jy, kindjie, sal 'n profeet van die Allerhoogste genoem word, want jy sal voor die aangesig van die Here uitgaan om sy weë reg te maak;77 om kennis van saligheid aan sy volk te gee in die vergifnis van hulle sondes,78 deur die innige barmhartigheid van onse God waarmee die opgaande Lig uit die hoogte ons besoek het,79 om te skyn oor die wat in duisternis en doodskaduwee sit, om ons voete na die pad van vrede te rig.80 En die kindjie het gegroei en sterk geword in die Gees; en hy was in die woestyne tot op die dag van sy vertoning aan Israel.