Dedication to Theophilus
1 aInasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been baccomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were ceyewitnesses and ministers of the word have ddelivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 ethat you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.
Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
5 In the fdays of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,1 of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was gbarren, and both were advanced in years.
8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his hdivision was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by ilot to enter the temple of the Lord and jburn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the kaltar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was ltroubled when he saw him, mand fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. nAnd he must not odrink wine or strong drink, pand he will be qfilled with the Holy Spirit, even rfrom his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, sto turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, t“How shall I uknow this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am vGabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this wgood news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and xunable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And 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 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.
24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to ytake away my reproach among people.”
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the veighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And wfear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah’s Prophecy
67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and xprophesied, saying,
68 y“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for zhe has visited and aredeemed his people
69 and has braised up a chorn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke dby the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we should be esaved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 to show fthe mercy promised to our fathers
and to gremember his holy covenant,
73 hthe oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and irighteousness before him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will jgo before the Lord kto prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the lforgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the msunrise shall visit us1 from on high
79 nto give olight to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the pway of peace.”
80 qAnd the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
