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The Announcement of the Birth
of John the Baptist, the Herald of the Messiah
The Messenger Gabriel Appears
to the Priest, Zacharias
Luke 1:1-80
1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to
compile an account of the things accomplished among us,
2 just
as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were
eyewitnesses and servants of the word,
3 it
seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully
from the beginning, to write it out for you in
consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus;
4 so
that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been
taught.
5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea,
there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he
had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6 They
were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the
commandments and requirements of the Lord.
7 But
they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both
advanced in years.
8 Now
it happened that while he was performing his
priestly service before God in the appointed order
of his division,
9 according
to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the
temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10 And
the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of
the incense offering.
11 And
an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the
altar of incense.
12 Zacharias
was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear
gripped him.
13 But
the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition
has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you
will give him the name John.
14 "You will have joy and
gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
15 "For he will be great in the
sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be
filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb.
16 "And he will turn many of the
sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.
17 "It is he who will go as
a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE
FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the
attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for
the Lord."
18 Zacharias
said to the angel, "How will I know this for certain?
For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years."
19 The
angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the
presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you
this good news.
20 "And behold, you shall be
silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place,
because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their
proper time."
21 The
people were waiting for Zacharias, and were wondering at his delay in
the temple.
22 But
when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized
that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to
them, and remained mute.
23 When
the days of his priestly service were ended, he went back home.
24 After
these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself in
seclusion for five months, saying,
25 "This
is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with
favor upon me, to take away my disgrace
among men."
26 Now in the sixth month the angel
Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth,
27 to
a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of
David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And
coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is
with you."
29 But
she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept
pondering what kind of salutation this was.
30 The
angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor
with God.
31 "And behold, you will
conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.
32 "He will be great and will be
called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the
throne of His father David;
33 and
He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will
have no end."
34 Mary
said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"
35 The
angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason
the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.
36 "And behold, even your
relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who
was called barren is now in her sixth month.
37 "For nothing will be
impossible with God."
38 And
Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me
according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
39 Now at this time Mary arose and went
in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah,
40 and
entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41 When
Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 And
she cried out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are
you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your
womb!
43 "And how has it happened
to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?
44 "For behold, when the sound
of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.
45 "And blessed is
she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been
spoken to her by the Lord."
46 And Mary said: "My soul exalts the Lord,
47 And
my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 "For
He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all
generations will count me blessed.
49 "For
the Mighty One has done great things for me; And
holy is His name.
50 "AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION
AFTER
GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR
HIM.
51 "He
has done mighty deeds with His arm; He
has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts
of their heart.
52 "He
has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble.
53 "HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY
WITH GOOD THINGS; And
sent away the rich empty-handed.
54 "He
has given help to Israel His servant, In
remembrance of His mercy,
55 As
He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham
and his descendants forever."
56 And
Mary stayed with her about three months, and then
returned to her home.
57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to
give birth, and she gave birth to a son.
58 Her
neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great
mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.
59 And
it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child,
and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father.
60 But
his mother answered and said, "No indeed; but he shall be called John."
61 And
they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called
by that name."
62 And
they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called.
63 And
he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, "His name is John." And
they were all astonished.
64 And
at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed,
and he began to speak in praise of God.
65 Fear
came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being
talked about in all the hill country of Judea.
66 All
who heard them kept them in mind, saying, "What then will this child turn
out to be?" For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him.
67 And his father Zacharias was filled
with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68 "Blessed
be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished
redemption for His people,
69 And
has raised up a horn of salvation for us In
the house of David His servant—
70 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
show mercy toward our fathers, And
to remember His holy covenant,
73 The
oath which He swore to Abraham our father,
74 To
grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear,
75 In
holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
76 "And
you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on BEFORE THE LORD TO PREPARE HIS WAYS;
77 To
give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins,
78 Because
of the tender mercy of our God, With
which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
79 TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT
IN DARKNESS AND
THE SHADOW OF DEATH, To
guide our feet into the way of peace."
80 And
the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he
lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
(Scripture quotation taken
from
the NASB.)
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