Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,

Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;

and inasmuch as I have gone carefully over them all myself from the very beginning, I have decided, O Theophilus, to write them out in order for your excellency,

so that you may know the certainty concerning the things about which you were taught.

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, because your petition [in prayer] was heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.

he shall be your joy and transport, and numbers shall rejoice at his birth.

For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb.

Listen carefully, you will be continually silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe what I told you; but my words will be fulfilled at their proper time.”

And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and they marvelled while he tarried in the temple.

And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.

The Lord has done this to me, for his eyes were on me, to take away my shame in the eyes of men.

And coming to her, the angel said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”

but the angel said to her, "Mary, be not afraid: for you are the object of divine favour.

Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and will call his name 'Jesus.'

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for this reason your holy offspring will be called 'the Son of God.'

And listen, 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.

For with God nothing [is or ever] shall be impossible.”

So Mary said, "Behold, the Lord's female slave! May it happen to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.

And she exclaimed loudly, “Blessed [worthy to be praised] are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

And from where is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

He has manifested His supreme strength. He has scattered those who were haughty in the thoughts of their hearts.

“He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.

He has filled those who are hungry with good [things], and those who are rich he has sent away empty-handed.

(As He said to our forefathers), He has helped His servants, the Israelites, [showing] that He remembered to be merciful

As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

and the neighbours and her kindred heard that the Lord was making His kindness great with her, and they were rejoicing with her.

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,

And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by that name.”

and they were making signs to his father, what he would wish him to be called,

And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished.

And his mouth and his tongue were opened immediately, and he began to speak, praising God.

And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.

And everyone who heard about this incident remembered it [i.e., for some time]. They were saying, "What will this child become? For the hand of the Lord was [surely] with him."

And has raised up for us the Strength of our Salvation In the House of his servant David--

Even as he promised by the mouth of his holy prophets which were since the world began.

That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered.

and all were going to be enrolled, each to his proper city,

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

and she gave birth to her Son, her firstborn; and she wrapped Him in [swaddling] cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no [private] room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

Today your Savior, the Lord Messiah, was born in the City of David.

And this is the sign to you: you will see a young child folded in linen, in the place where the cattle have their food.

Then suddenly there appeared with the angel a large number of the heavenly "army" [i.e., of angels], who were praising God and saying,

"May there be glory to God in the highest [heavens], and may there be peace on earth among men who are pleasing to God."

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came quickly, and saw Mary and Joseph, and the child in the place where the cattle had their food.

After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child,

And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;

And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and while the parents are bringing in the little child Jesus, that they may do according to the provisions of law concerning Him,

“Now, Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to leave [this world] in peace,
According to Your word;

For my eyes have seen Your Salvation,

A Light for revelation to the Gentiles [to disclose what was previously unknown],
And [to bring] the praise and honor and glory of Your people Israel.”

And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.

Then Simeon [asked God to] bless them and said to Jesus' mother Mary, "Look, many Israelites will be caused to fall [i.e., into spiritual ruin] or rise [i.e., to spiritual renewal] because of Him. And [He will be] a 'sign' [for people] to speak against,

and a sword [of deep sorrow] will pierce through your own soul—so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

and has been a widow [all these years], and is now eighty-four years old.) She has never left the Temple, but worships [God] by fasting [i.e., going without food and/or water for religious reasons] and praying night and day.

And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks unto God, and spake of him to all them that were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

And when they had accomplished all things that were according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.

and when they had fulfilled the days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and his parents knew it not;

and, having supposed him to be in the company, they went a day's journey, and were seeking him among the kindred and among the acquaintances,

And after three days they came across him in the Temple, seated among the wise men, giving ear to their words and putting questions to them.

And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.

And he said unto them, 'Why is it that ye were seeking me? did ye not know that in the things of my Father it behoveth me to be?'

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

When Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of the Lord came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the waste land.

And he came into all the country round about Jordan, preaching baptism as a sign of forgiveness of sin for those whose hearts were changed.

Every hollow must be filled up, And every mountain and hill leveled. What is crooked is to be made straight, And the rough roads are to be made smooth,

So he said to the people who went out to him for baptism: You offspring of snakes, at whose word are you going in flight from the wrath to come?

Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

And the multitudes were questioning him, saying, 'What, then, shall we do?'

There came also a party of tax-gatherers to be baptized, and they asked him, "Rabbi, what are we to do?"

And he said to them, "Collect no more than {what you are ordered to}."

And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;

whether perhaps he were the Christ, John answered, saying to all of them. "I indeed am baptizing you in water, but One is coming after me, mightier than I, whose shoe-latchet I am not worthy to unloose. He shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and in fire.

Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, “You are My Son, My Beloved, in You I am well-pleased and delighted!”

When beginning his work, Jesus was about thirty years old. He was regarded as the son of Joseph, whose ancestors were--Eli,

Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,

which was the son of Elmadam: which was the son of Er: which was the son of Joshua: which was the son of Eliezer: which was the son of Joram: which was the son of Matthat: which was the son of Levi:

Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River [i.e., where He had been immersed. See 3:21] and was led by the Holy Spirit [See Matt. 4:1] into the desert.