Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people, And did raise an horn of salvation to us, In the house of David His servant, As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, Which have been from the age; read more.
Salvation from our enemies, And out of the hand of all hating us, To do kindness with our fathers, And to be mindful of His holy covenant, An oath that He sware to Abraham our father, To give to us, without fear, Out of the hand of our enemies having been delivered, To serve Him, in holiness and righteousness Before Him, all the days of our life. 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. To give knowledge of salvation to His people In remission of their sins, Through the tender mercies of our God, In which the rising from on high did look upon us, To give light to those sitting in darkness and death-shade, To guide our feet to a way of peace.'


Into Thy hand I commit my spirit, Thou hast redeemed me, Jehovah God of truth.



Israel doth wait on Jehovah, For with Jehovah is kindness, And abundant with Him is redemption.

And now, thus said Jehovah, Thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Fashioner, O Israel, Be not afraid, for I have redeemed thee, I have called on thy name -- thou art Mine.

Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people,

and she, at that hour, having come in, was confessing, likewise, to the Lord, and was speaking concerning him, to all those looking for redemption in Jerusalem.


Go out from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans, With a voice of singing declare, Cause ye this to be heard, Bring it forth unto the end of the earth, Say, Redeemed hath Jehovah His servant Jacob.

for a holy people art thou to Jehovah thy God; on thee hath Jehovah thy God fixed, to be to Him for a peculiar people, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the ground. Not because of your being more numerous than any of the peoples hath Jehovah delighted in you, and fixeth on you, for ye are the least of all the peoples, but because of Jehovah's loving you, and because of His keeping the oath which He hath sworn to your fathers, hath Jehovah brought you out by a strong hand, and doth ransom you from a house of servants, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

'And that prophet, or that dreamer of the dream, is put to death, for he hath spoken apostasy against Jehovah your God (who is bringing you out of the land of Egypt, and hath ransomed you out of a house of servants), to drive you out of the way in which Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee to walk, and thou hast put away the evil thing from thy midst.

And now, thus said Jehovah, Thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Fashioner, O Israel, Be not afraid, for I have redeemed thee, I have called on thy name -- thou art Mine.

Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people,

and I pray unto Jehovah, and say, Lord Jehovah, destroy not Thy people, and Thine inheritance, whom Thou hast ransomed in Thy greatness; whom Thou hast brought out of Egypt with a strong hand;

'Thou dost not turn aside the judgment of a fatherless sojourner, nor take in pledge the garment of a widow; and thou hast remembered that a servant thou hast been in Egypt, and Jehovah thy God doth ransom thee from thence; therefore I am commanding thee to do this thing.

A memorial He hath made of His wonders, Gracious and merciful is Jehovah. Prey He hath given to those fearing Him, He remembereth to the age His covenant. The power of His works He hath declared to His people, To give to them the inheritance of nations. read more.
The works of His hands are true and just, Stedfast are all His appointments. They are sustained for ever to the age. They are made in truth and uprightness. Redemption He hath sent to His people, He hath appointed to the age His covenant, Holy and fearful is His name.

Israel doth wait on Jehovah, For with Jehovah is kindness, And abundant with Him is redemption. And He doth redeem Israel from all his iniquities!

Give ye thanks to Jehovah, For good, for to the age is His kindness. Give ye thanks to the God of gods, For to the age is His kindness. Give ye thanks to the Lord of lords, For to the age is His kindness. read more.
To Him doing great wonders by Himself alone, For to the age is His kindness. To Him making the heavens by understanding, For to the age is His kindness. To Him spreading the earth over the waters, For to the age is His kindness. To Him making great lights, For to the age is His kindness. The sun to rule by day, For to the age is His kindness. The moon and stars to rule by night, For to the age is His kindness. To Him smiting Egypt in their first-born, For to the age is His kindness. And bringing forth Israel from their midst, For to the age is His kindness. By a strong hand, and a stretched-out-arm, For to the age is His kindness. To Him cutting the sea of Suph into parts, For to the age is His kindness, And caused Israel to pass through its midst, For to the age is His kindness, And shook out Pharaoh and his force in the sea of Suph, For to the age is His kindness. To Him leading His people in a wilderness, For to the age is His kindness. To Him smiting great kings, For to the age is His kindness. Yea, He doth slay honourable kings, For to the age is His kindness. Even Sihon king of the Amorite, For to the age is His kindness. And Og king of Bashan, For to the age is His kindness. And He gave their land for inheritance, For to the age is His kindness. An inheritance to Israel His servant, For to the age is His kindness. Who in our lowliness hath remembered us, For to the age is His kindness. And He delivereth us from our adversaries, For to the age is His kindness.

And the truth is lacking, And whoso is turning aside from evil, Is making himself a spoil. And Jehovah seeth, and it is evil in His eyes, That there is no judgment. And He seeth that there is no man, And is astonished that there is no intercessor, And His own arm giveth salvation to Him, And His righteousness -- it sustained Him. And He putteth on righteousness as a breastplate, And an helmet of salvation on His head, And He putteth on garments of vengeance for clothing, And is covered, as with an upper-robe, with zeal. read more.
According to deeds -- so He repayeth. Fury to His adversaries, their deed to His enemies, To the isles their deed He repayeth. And they fear from the west the name of Jehovah, And from the rising of the sun -- His honour, When come in as a flood doth an adversary, The Spirit of Jehovah hath raised an ensign against him. And come to Zion hath a redeemer, Even to captives of transgression in Jacob, An affirmation of Jehovah.

The kind acts of Jehovah I make mention of, The praises of Jehovah, According to all that Jehovah hath done for us, And the abundance of the goodness to the house of Israel, That He hath done for them, According to His mercies, And according to the abundance of His kind acts. And He saith, Only My people they are, Sons -- they lie not, and He is to them for a saviour. In all their distress He is no adversary, And the messenger of His presence saved them, In His love and in His pity He redeemed them, And He doth lift them up, And beareth them all the days of old.

Hear a word of Jehovah, O nations, And declare ye among isles afar off, and say: He who is scattering Israel doth gather him, And hath kept him as a shepherd doth his flock, For Jehovah hath ransomed Jacob, And redeemed him from a hand stronger than he.


and so all Israel shall be saved, according as it hath been written, 'There shall come forth out of Sion he who is delivering, and he shall turn away impiety from Jacob,

Lo, days are coming -- an affirmation of Jehovah, And I have raised to David a righteous shoot, And a king hath reigned and acted wisely, And done judgment and righteousness in the earth. In his days is Judah saved, and Israel dwelleth confidently, And this his name that Jehovah proclaimeth him, 'Our Righteousness.'

The burden of a word of Jehovah on Israel. An affirmation of Jehovah, Stretching out heaven, and founding earth, And forming the spirit of man in his midst. Lo, I am making Jerusalem a cup of reeling To all the peoples round about, And also against Judah it is, In the siege against Jerusalem. And it hath come to pass, in that day, I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone to all the peoples, All loading it are completely pressed down, And gathered against it have been all nations of the earth. read more.
In that day -- an affirmation of Jehovah, I do smite every horse with astonishment, And its rider with madness, And on the house of Judah I open My eyes, And every horse of the peoples I smite with blindness. And leaders of Judah have said in their heart, 'Strength to me are the inhabitants of Jerusalem, In Jehovah of Hosts their God.' In that day I make the leaders of Judah As a hearth of fire among trees, And as a torch of fire in a sheaf, And they have consumed -- on the right and on the left -- all the peoples round about, And Jerusalem hath inhabited again her place in Jerusalem. And saved hath Jehovah the tents of Judah first, So that become not great against Judah Doth the beauty of the house of David, And the beauty of the inhabitant of Jerusalem. In that day cover over doth Jehovah the inhabitant of Jerusalem, And the stumbling among them hath been in that day as David, And the house of David as God -- As a messenger of Jehovah -- before them. And it hath come to pass, in that day, I seek to destroy all the nations Who are coming in against Jerusalem, And I have poured on the house of David, And on the inhabitant of Jerusalem, A spirit of grace and supplications, And they have looked unto Me whom they pierced, And they have mourned over it, Like a mourning over the only one, And they have been in bitterness for it, Like a bitterness over the first-born.

Who doth give from Zion the salvation of Israel? When Jehovah doth turn back To a captivity of His people, Jacob doth rejoice -- Israel is glad!

Who doth give from Zion the salvation of Israel? When God turneth back to a captivity of His people, Jacob doth rejoice -- Israel is glad!

The word that hath been unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying, 'Thus spake Jehovah, God of Israel, saying, Write for thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee on a book. For, lo, days are coming -- an affirmation of Jehovah -- and I have turned back to the captivity of My people Israel and Judah, said Jehovah, and I have caused them to turn back unto the land that I gave to their fathers, and they do possess it.' read more.
And these are the words that Jehovah hath spoken concerning Israel and concerning Judah: Surely thus said Jehovah: A voice of trembling we have heard, Fear -- and there is no peace. Ask, I pray you, and see, is a male bringing forth? Wherefore have I seen every man, His hands on his loins, as a travailing woman, And all faces have been turned to paleness? Woe! for great is that day, without any like it, Yea, a time of adversity it is to Jacob, Yet out of it he is saved. And it hath come to pass, in that day, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, I break his yoke from off thy neck, And thy bands I draw away, And lay no more service on him do strangers. And they have served Jehovah their God, And David their king whom I raise up to them. And thou, be not afraid, My servant Jacob, An affirmation of Jehovah, Nor be affrighted, O Israel, For, lo, I am saving thee from afar, And thy seed from the land of their captivity, And Jacob hath turned back and rested, And is quiet, and there is none troubling. For with thee am I, An affirmation of Jehovah -- to save thee, For I make an end of all the nations Whither I have scattered thee, Only, of thee I do not make an end, And I have chastised thee in judgment, And do not entirely acquit thee.

Lo, days are coming, an affirmation of Jehovah, And I have established the good word That I spake unto the house of Israel, And concerning the house of Judah. In those days, and at that time, I cause to shoot up to David a shoot of righteousness, And he hath done judgment and righteousness in the earth. In those days is Judah saved, And Jerusalem doth dwell confidently, And this is he whom Jehovah proclaimeth to her: 'Our Righteousness.'

Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people, And did raise an horn of salvation to us, In the house of David His servant, As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, Which have been from the age; read more.
Salvation from our enemies, And out of the hand of all hating us,


and having asked for a tablet, he wrote, saying, 'John is his name;' and they did all wonder; and his mouth was opened presently, and his tongue, and he was speaking, praising God. And fear came upon all those dwelling around them, and in all the hill-country of Judea were all these sayings spoken of, read more.
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. And Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and did prophesy, saying, Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people, And did raise an horn of salvation to us, In the house of David His servant, As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, Which have been from the age; Salvation from our enemies, And out of the hand of all hating us, To do kindness with our fathers, And to be mindful of His holy covenant, An oath that He sware to Abraham our father, To give to us, without fear, Out of the hand of our enemies having been delivered, To serve Him, in holiness and righteousness Before Him, all the days of our life. 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.

There came a man -- having been sent from God -- whose name is John, this one came for testimony, that he might testify about the Light, that all might believe through him; that one was not the Light, but -- that he might testify about the Light. read more.
He was the true Light, which doth enlighten every man, coming to the world; in the world he was, and the world through him was made, and the world did not know him: to his own things he came, and his own people did not receive him; but as many as did receive him to them he gave authority to become sons of God -- to those believing in his name, who -- not of blood nor of a will of flesh, nor of a will of man but -- of God were begotten. And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth. John doth testify concerning him, and hath cried, saying, 'This was he of whom I said, He who after me is coming, hath come before me, for he was before me;'

John answered and said, 'A man is not able to receive anything, if it may not have been given him from the heaven; ye yourselves do testify to me that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am having been sent before him;

ye have sent unto John, and he hath testified to the truth. 'But I do not receive testimony from man, but these things I say that ye may be saved; he was the burning and shining lamp, and ye did will to be glad, for an hour, in his light.


And Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and did prophesy, saying, Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people, And did raise an horn of salvation to us, In the house of David His servant, read more.
As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, Which have been from the age; Salvation from our enemies, And out of the hand of all hating us, To do kindness with our fathers, And to be mindful of His holy covenant, An oath that He sware to Abraham our father, To give to us, without fear, Out of the hand of our enemies having been delivered, To serve Him, in holiness and righteousness Before Him, all the days of our life. 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. To give knowledge of salvation to His people In remission of their sins, Through the tender mercies of our God, In which the rising from on high did look upon us, To give light to those sitting in darkness and death-shade, To guide our feet to a way of peace.'


Into Thy hand I commit my spirit, Thou hast redeemed me, Jehovah God of truth.



Israel doth wait on Jehovah, For with Jehovah is kindness, And abundant with Him is redemption.

And now, thus said Jehovah, Thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Fashioner, O Israel, Be not afraid, for I have redeemed thee, I have called on thy name -- thou art Mine.

Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people,

and she, at that hour, having come in, was confessing, likewise, to the Lord, and was speaking concerning him, to all those looking for redemption in Jerusalem.


And of Jesus Christ, the birth was thus: For his mother Mary having been betrothed to Joseph, before their coming together she was found to have conceived from the Holy Spirit, and Joseph her husband being righteous, and not willing to make her an example, did wish privately to send her away. And on his thinking of these things, lo, a messenger of the Lord in a dream appeared to him, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, thou mayest not fear to receive Mary thy wife, for that which in her was begotten is of the Holy Spirit, read more.
and she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.' And all this hath come to pass, that it may be fulfilled that was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Lo, the virgin shall conceive, and she shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel,' which is, being interpreted 'With us he is God.' And Joseph, having risen from the sleep, did as the messenger of the Lord directed him, and received his wife, and did not know her till she brought forth her son -- the first-born, and he called his name Jesus.

And in the sixth month was the messenger Gabriel sent by God, to a city of Galilee, the name of which is Nazareth, to a virgin, betrothed to a man, whose name is Joseph, of the house of David, and the name of the virgin is Mary. And the messenger having come in unto her, said, 'Hail, favoured one, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women;' read more.
and she, having seen, was troubled at his word, and was reasoning of what kind this salutation may be. And the messenger said to her, 'Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God; and lo, thou shalt conceive in the womb, and shalt bring forth a son, and call his name Jesus; 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, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob to the ages; and of his reign there shall be no end.' And Mary said unto the messenger, 'How shall this be, seeing a husband I do not know?' 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; 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; because nothing shall be impossible with God.' 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. And Mary having arisen in those days, went to the hill-country, with haste, to a city of Judea, and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. 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, and spake out with a loud voice, and said, 'Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb; and whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord might come unto me? for, lo, when the voice of thy salutation came to my ears, leap in gladness did the babe in my womb; and happy is she who did believe, for there shall be a completion to the things spoken to her from the Lord.' And Mary said, 'My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit was glad on God my Saviour, Because He looked on the lowliness of His maid-servant, For, lo, henceforth call me happy shall all the generations, For He who is mighty did to me great things, And holy is His name, And His kindness is to generations of generations, To those fearing Him, He did powerfully with His arm, He scattered abroad the proud in the thought of their heart, He brought down the mighty from thrones, And He exalted the lowly, The hungry He did fill with good, And the rich He sent away empty, He received again Israel His servant, To remember kindness, As He spake unto our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed -- to the age.' And Mary remained with her about three months, and turned back to her house. And to Elisabeth was the time fulfilled for her bringing forth, and she bare a son, 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 his mother answering said, 'No, but he shall be called John.' And they said unto her -- 'There is none among thy kindred who is called by this name,' and they were making signs to his father, what he would wish him to be called, and having asked for a tablet, he wrote, saying, 'John is his name;' and they did all wonder; and his mouth was opened presently, and his tongue, and he was speaking, praising God. And fear came upon all those dwelling around them, and in all the hill-country of Judea were all these sayings spoken of, 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. And Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and did prophesy, saying, Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people, And did raise an horn of salvation to us, In the house of David His servant, As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, Which have been from the age; Salvation from our enemies, And out of the hand of all hating us, To do kindness with our fathers, And to be mindful of His holy covenant, An oath that He sware to Abraham our father, To give to us, without fear, Out of the hand of our enemies having been delivered, To serve Him, in holiness and righteousness Before Him, all the days of our life. 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. To give knowledge of salvation to His people In remission of their sins, Through the tender mercies of our God, In which the rising from on high did look upon us, To give light to those sitting in darkness and death-shade, To guide our feet to a way of peace.' And the child grew, and was strengthened in spirit, and he was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.


Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people, And did raise an horn of salvation to us, In the house of David His servant, As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, Which have been from the age; read more.
Salvation from our enemies, And out of the hand of all hating us, To do kindness with our fathers, And to be mindful of His holy covenant, An oath that He sware to Abraham our father, To give to us, without fear, Out of the hand of our enemies having been delivered, To serve Him, in holiness and righteousness Before Him, all the days of our life. 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. To give knowledge of salvation to His people In remission of their sins, Through the tender mercies of our God, In which the rising from on high did look upon us, To give light to those sitting in darkness and death-shade, To guide our feet to a way of peace.'




Jehovah liveth -- and blessed is my rock, And exalted is the God of my salvation.

Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people, And did raise an horn of salvation to us, In the house of David His servant,


Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people, And did raise an horn of salvation to us, In the house of David His servant, As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, Which have been from the age; read more.
Salvation from our enemies, And out of the hand of all hating us, To do kindness with our fathers, And to be mindful of His holy covenant, An oath that He sware to Abraham our father, To give to us, without fear, Out of the hand of our enemies having been delivered, To serve Him, in holiness and righteousness Before Him, all the days of our life. 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. To give knowledge of salvation to His people In remission of their sins, Through the tender mercies of our God, In which the rising from on high did look upon us, To give light to those sitting in darkness and death-shade, To guide our feet to a way of peace.'


And Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and did prophesy, saying, Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people, And did raise an horn of salvation to us, In the house of David His servant, read more.
As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, Which have been from the age; Salvation from our enemies, And out of the hand of all hating us, To do kindness with our fathers, And to be mindful of His holy covenant, An oath that He sware to Abraham our father, To give to us, without fear, Out of the hand of our enemies having been delivered, To serve Him, in holiness and righteousness Before Him, all the days of our life. 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. To give knowledge of salvation to His people In remission of their sins, Through the tender mercies of our God, In which the rising from on high did look upon us, To give light to those sitting in darkness and death-shade, To guide our feet to a way of peace.' And the child grew, and was strengthened in spirit, and he was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.


Into Thy hand I commit my spirit, Thou hast redeemed me, Jehovah God of truth.



Israel doth wait on Jehovah, For with Jehovah is kindness, And abundant with Him is redemption.

And now, thus said Jehovah, Thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Fashioner, O Israel, Be not afraid, for I have redeemed thee, I have called on thy name -- thou art Mine.

Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people,

and she, at that hour, having come in, was confessing, likewise, to the Lord, and was speaking concerning him, to all those looking for redemption in Jerusalem.


And now, thus said Jehovah, Thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Fashioner, O Israel, Be not afraid, for I have redeemed thee, I have called on thy name -- thou art Mine.

Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people,

Remember these, O Jacob, and Israel, For My servant thou art, I formed thee, a servant to Me thou art, O Israel, thou dost not forget Me. I have blotted out, as by a thick cloud, Thy transgressions, And as by a cloud thy sins, Return unto Me, for I have redeemed thee. Sing, O heavens, for Jehovah hath wrought, Shout, O lower parts of earth, Break forth, O mountains, with singing, Forest, and every tree in it, For Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, And in Israel He doth beautify Himself.


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,

And Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and did prophesy, saying, Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people, And did raise an horn of salvation to us, In the house of David His servant, read more.
As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, Which have been from the age; Salvation from our enemies, And out of the hand of all hating us, To do kindness with our fathers, And to be mindful of His holy covenant, An oath that He sware to Abraham our father, To give to us, without fear, Out of the hand of our enemies having been delivered, To serve Him, in holiness and righteousness Before Him, all the days of our life. 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. To give knowledge of salvation to His people In remission of their sins, Through the tender mercies of our God, In which the rising from on high did look upon us, To give light to those sitting in darkness and death-shade, To guide our feet to a way of peace.'


Annas and Caiaphas being chief priests -- there came a word of God unto John the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness,

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; and they were both righteous before God, going on in all the commands and righteousnesses of the Lord blameless, and they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and both were advanced in their days. read more.
And it came to pass, in his acting as priest, in the order of his course before God, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot was to make perfume, having gone into the sanctuary of the Lord, and all the multitude of the people were praying without, at the hour of the perfume. And there appeared to him a messenger of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of the perfume, and Zacharias, having seen, was troubled, and fear fell on him; 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, and there shall be joy to thee, and gladness, and many at his birth shall joy, 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; and many of the sons of Israel he shall turn to the Lord their God, 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.' And Zacharias said unto the messenger, 'Whereby shall I know this? for I am aged, and my wife is advanced in her days?' 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, 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.' And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and wondering at his tarrying in the sanctuary, 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. And it came to pass, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he went away to his house, and after those days, his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying -- Thus hath the Lord done to me, in days in which He looked upon me, to take away my reproach among men.' And in the sixth month was the messenger Gabriel sent by God, to a city of Galilee, the name of which is Nazareth, to a virgin, betrothed to a man, whose name is Joseph, of the house of David, and the name of the virgin is Mary. And the messenger having come in unto her, said, 'Hail, favoured one, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women;' and she, having seen, was troubled at his word, and was reasoning of what kind this salutation may be. And the messenger said to her, 'Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God; and lo, thou shalt conceive in the womb, and shalt bring forth a son, and call his name Jesus; 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, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob to the ages; and of his reign there shall be no end.' And Mary said unto the messenger, 'How shall this be, seeing a husband I do not know?' 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; 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; because nothing shall be impossible with God.' 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. And Mary having arisen in those days, went to the hill-country, with haste, to a city of Judea, and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. 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, and spake out with a loud voice, and said, 'Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb; and whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord might come unto me? for, lo, when the voice of thy salutation came to my ears, leap in gladness did the babe in my womb; and happy is she who did believe, for there shall be a completion to the things spoken to her from the Lord.' And Mary said, 'My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit was glad on God my Saviour, Because He looked on the lowliness of His maid-servant, For, lo, henceforth call me happy shall all the generations, For He who is mighty did to me great things, And holy is His name, And His kindness is to generations of generations, To those fearing Him, He did powerfully with His arm, He scattered abroad the proud in the thought of their heart, He brought down the mighty from thrones, And He exalted the lowly, The hungry He did fill with good, And the rich He sent away empty, He received again Israel His servant, To remember kindness, As He spake unto our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed -- to the age.' And Mary remained with her about three months, and turned back to her house. And to Elisabeth was the time fulfilled for her bringing forth, and she bare a son, 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 his mother answering said, 'No, but he shall be called John.' And they said unto her -- 'There is none among thy kindred who is called by this name,' and they were making signs to his father, what he would wish him to be called, and having asked for a tablet, he wrote, saying, 'John is his name;' and they did all wonder; and his mouth was opened presently, and his tongue, and he was speaking, praising God. And fear came upon all those dwelling around them, and in all the hill-country of Judea were all these sayings spoken of, 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. And Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and did prophesy, saying, Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people, And did raise an horn of salvation to us, In the house of David His servant, As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, Which have been from the age; Salvation from our enemies, And out of the hand of all hating us, To do kindness with our fathers, And to be mindful of His holy covenant, An oath that He sware to Abraham our father, To give to us, without fear, Out of the hand of our enemies having been delivered, To serve Him, in holiness and righteousness Before Him, all the days of our life. 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. To give knowledge of salvation to His people In remission of their sins, Through the tender mercies of our God, In which the rising from on high did look upon us, To give light to those sitting in darkness and death-shade, To guide our feet to a way of peace.' And the child grew, and was strengthened in spirit, and he was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.