Since many have undertaken to compile an account of the things ^1aaccomplished among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who ^afrom the beginning ¹were ^beyewitnesses and ^2cservants of ^dthe ³word, 3 it seemed fitting to me as well, ^ahaving ¹investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you ^bin an orderly sequence, ^cmost excellent ^dTheophilus; 4 so that you may know the exact truth about the ¹things you have been ^2ataught.

5 ^aIn the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the ^bdivision of ¹Abijah; and he had a wife ²from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both ^arighteous in the sight of God, walking ^bblamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7 And yet they had no child, because Elizabeth was infertile, and they were both advanced in ¹years.

8 Now it happened that while ^ahe 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 ^ato enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer ^aoutside at the hour of the incense offering. 11 Now ^aan angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 Zechariah was troubled when he saw the angel, and ^afear ¹gripped him. 13 But the angel said to him, “^aDo not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and ^byou shall ¹name him John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will ^adrink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit ¹while still in his mother’s womb. 16 And he will ^aturn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 And it is he who will ^ago as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of ^bElijah, ^cTO TURN THE HEARTS OF FATHERS BACK TO THEIR CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to ^dmake ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this? For ^aI am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her ¹years.” 19 The angel answered and said to him, “I am ^aGabriel, who ^1bstands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will 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 at their proper time.”

21 And meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, 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 repeatedly ^1amade signs to them, and remained speechless. 23 When the days of his priestly service were concluded, he went back home.

24 Now after these days his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and she kept herself ¹in 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 ^atake away my disgrace among people.”

26 Now in the sixth month the angel ^aGabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named ^bNazareth, 27 to ^aa virgin ¹betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, ^bof the ²descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was ³Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord ¹is with you.” 29 But she ^awas very perplexed at this statement, and was pondering what kind of greeting this was. 30 And the angel said to her, “^aDo not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you ^ashall name Him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of ^athe Most High; and the Lord God will give Him ^bthe throne of His father David; 33 ^aand He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, ^band His kingdom will have no end.” 34 But Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I ¹am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “^aThe Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of ^bthe Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also ^cthe ¹holy Child will be called ^dthe Son of God. 36 And behold, even your relative Elizabeth herself has conceived a son in her old age, and ¹she who was called infertile is now in her sixth month. 37 For ^anothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

39 Now ¹at this time Mary set out and went in a hurry to ^athe hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was ^afilled 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 ¹how has it happened to me that the mother of ^amy 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 ^ablessed is she who ¹believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her ²by the Lord.”

46 And Mary said:“^aMy soul ^1bexalts the Lord,

56 Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.

57 Now the time ¹had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had ^1adisplayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.

59 And it happened that on ^athe eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zechariah, ¹after his father. 60 And yet his mother responded and said, “No indeed; but ^ahe shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 And they ^1amade signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. 63 And he asked for a tablet and wrote ¹as follows, “^aHis name is John.” And they were all amazed. 64 ^aAnd at once his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began speaking in praise of God. 65 And fear came on all those who lived around them; and all these matters were being talked about in ^athe entire hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For indeed ^athe hand of the Lord was with him.

67 And his father Zechariah ^awas filled with the Holy Spirit and ^bprophesied, saying:

80 ^aNow the child grew and was becoming strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.