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Chapter 1  
     
1.
 For as much as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
  
2.
 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
  
3.
 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,
  
4.
 That you mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein you have been instructed.
  
5.
 There was in the days of Herod Archelaus, the the ethnarch tyrant, a certain priest of Onias from Egypt named Zechariah, the true son of Zadok: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
  
6.
 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
  
7.
 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
  
8.
 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the accordance to the course of his order he received a vision,
  
9.
 According to the custom of the priest's office of the Essene, his lot was to burn incense instead of meat when he went into the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem, a day's journey from his home near the shore of the Salt Sea.
 
10.
 And when he went, a whole multitude were praying with offerings accorded to their knowing of the commandment of Moses and not the way of incense.
  
11.
 And so as Zechariah waited until they had finished and rested there appeared unto him in a vision an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of an altar of incense.
  
12.
 And when Zechariah saw him in his vision, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
  
13.
 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zechariah: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and you shall call his name John.
  
14.
 And you shall have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
  
15.
 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.
  
16.
 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
  
17.
 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
  
18.
 And Zechariah said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
  
19.
 And the angel answering said unto him in his vision, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee these glad tidings.
  
20.
 And, behold, you shall be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because you believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
  
21.
 And the people of the community by the Salt Sea waited for Zechariah to return, and marvelled that he waited so long in the temple.
  
22.
 And when he awoke and came out, he could not speak: and those that saw him perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.
  
23.
 And it came to pass, that, the day after his ministration was accomplished, he returned to his own community.
  
24.
 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived a pure and clean birth with Zechariah, and then hid herself and child five years, saying,
  
25.
 Thus has the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
  
26.
 And in the sixth year from the new time and the birth of the child, the angel Gabriel was sent from God in vision unto the community of the same order in Galilee, named Nazara which means City of Truth but which is now known only as the city of Nazareth,
  
27.
 To a virgin espoused to the host of Nazara whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
  
28.
 And the angel came in unto her in vision, and said, Hail, you that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art you among women.
  
29.
 And when she saw him in her dream, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
  
30.
 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for you have found favour with God.
  
31.
 And, behold, you shall conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus.
  
32.
 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
  
33.
 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
  
34.
 Then said Mary unto the angel, When shall this be, for I have not yet entered the wedding chamber and seeing I know yet know not a man?
  
35.
 And the angel answered and said unto her, He shall have a clean and pure conception according to your highest rule, a virgin birth in which flesh shall not touch flesh, and the power of the Highest shall protect and watch over thee and he shall be born on the fourteenth day of the first month of Passover: therefore he shall be remembered as holy.
  
36.
 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth year he is with her, who was called barren.
  
37.
 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
  
38.
 And Mary said, Behold she is the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
  
39.
 And Mary awoke from her vision and went into the hill country with her servants, unto the city of Juda above the shores of the Salt Sea;
  
40.
 And entered into the house of Zechariah, and saluted Elisabeth.
  
41.
 And it came to pass, that, when Mary heard the salutation of Elisabeth, the child inside Mary lept for joy; and Mary was filled with the Holy Spirit:
  
42.
 And she spoke out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art you Elisabeth among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
  
43.
 And whence is this to me, that you should call me the mother of my Lord?
  
44.
 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, my child to be born lept for joy.
  
45.
 And blessed is she that believes in the fulfilment of the prophecies foretold: for we shall perform of those things which were told.
  
46.
 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
  
47.
 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.
  
48.
 For he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from this henceforth all generations shall call you blessed Elisabeth.
  
49.
 For he that is mighty has done to you great things; and holy is His name.
  
50.
 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
  
51.
 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
  
52.
 He has put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
  
53.
 He has filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he has sent empty away.
  
54.
 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
  
55.
 As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
  
56.
 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
  
57.
 Now the time came that after the visitation that Elisabeth did bring forth her son from hiding.
  
58.
 And when the child was finally revealed, the word spread quickly on how the Lord had shown great mercy upon her and the wonderous miracles surrounding the birth of the child; and they rejoiced with her.
  
59.
 For it had been according to custom, that on the eighth day of his birth the child was circumcised; and they planned to call him Zechariah, after the name of his father.
  
60.
 And his mother had answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
  
61.
 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
  
62.
 And they had made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
  
63.
 And he had asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
  
64.
 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, and praised God.
  
65.
 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea upon the reveal of the child.
  
66.
 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.
  
67.
 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
  
68.
 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he has visited and redeemed his people,
  
69.
 And has raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;  
70.
 As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
  
71.
 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
  
72.
 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
  
73.
 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
  
74.
 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
  
75.
 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
  
76.
 And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Highest: for you shall go before the face of the Lord to fulfil the prophecies;
  
77.
 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
  
78.
 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high has visited us,
  
79.
 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
  
80.
 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel.
  

 
 
 

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