Luke Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things of which we have the fullest evidence.

Whiston⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things of which we have the fullest evidence. ² Even as they delivered them unto us, who from the beginning were eye witnesses, 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 thou mightst know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been catechised. ⁵ THERE was in the days of Herod the king of Judea,a certain priest name Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife [was] of the daughters of Aaron, and her name [was] Elisabeth. ⁶ Now they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless. ⁷ And they had no child, because Elisabeth was barren; and both were advanced in their days. ⁸ Now it came to pass, that while he executed the priests office before God in the order of his course, ⁹ According to the custom of the priests office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of God. ¹⁰ And the whole multitude of the people were praying without, at the hour of incense. ¹¹ But there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² And when Zacharias saw [him], he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. ¹³ And the angel said unto him, Fear not Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear a son, and thou shalt call his name John. ¹⁴ And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoyce 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 Ghost, even from his mothers 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 Elias, 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 Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife advanced in her days. ¹⁹ And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God: and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. ²⁰ And behold, thou shalt be silent, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believedst not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. ²¹ And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. ²² And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckned unto them, and remained speechless. ²³ And it came to pass, that assoon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he then departed to his own house. ²⁴ And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid her self five months, saying, ²⁵ That thus hath the Lord done to me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men. ²⁶ And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God, unto a city of Galilee, whose name was Nazaret, ²⁷ To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgins name [was] Mary. ²⁸ And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail thou that art highly favoured, the Lord [is] with thee: blessed [art] thou among women. ²⁹ And she was troubled at the saying, and considered in her self what sort of salutation this should be. ³⁰ And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: For thou hast found favour with God. ³¹ And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt 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 David his father. ³³ And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. ³⁴ And Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? ³⁵ And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God. ³⁶ And behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is her sixth month who was called barren. ³⁷ For with God nothing shall be impossible. ³⁸ And Mary said, Behold the servant of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. ³⁹ And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda. ⁴⁰ And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabet. ⁴¹ And it came to pass, that when Elisabet heard the Salutation of Mary, and Elisabet's babe leaped in her womb, and Elisabet was filled with the Holy Ghost. ⁴² And she cried out with, a loud voice, and said, Blessed [art] thou among women, and blessed [is] the fruit of thy womb. ⁴³ And whence [is] this to me, that the mother of [my] Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ For lo, when the voice of thy salutation came to mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. ⁴⁵ And blessed [is] she that hath believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. ⁴⁶ And Mary said, My soul doth magnifie the Lord, ⁴⁷ And my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour. ⁴⁸ For the Lord hath regarded the low estate of his servant, for behold, from henceforth, all generations shall call me blessed. ⁴⁹ For God that is mighty hath done to [me] great things, and holy [is] his name. ⁵⁰ And his mercy [is] on them that fear him, from generation to generation. ⁵¹ He hath shewed strength with his arm, he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. ⁵² He hath put down the mighty from [their] seats, and exalted them of low degree. ⁵³ He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent away empty. ⁵⁴ He hath holpen his servant Israel, to remember [his] mercy, ⁵⁵ As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. ⁵⁶ And Mary abode with her three months, and returned to her own house. ⁵⁷ Now Elisabets full time came, that she should be delivered;and she brought forth a son. ⁵⁸ And her neighbours and her kinsfolks heard how the Lord had magnifyed his mercy to her;and they rejoyced with her. ⁵⁹ And it came to pass, that on the eight day they came to circumcise the child;and they called him, after the name of his father, Zacharias. ⁶⁰ And his mother answered and said, No, but his name shall be called John. ⁶¹ And they said unto her, That there it none of thy kindred that is called by this name. ⁶² And they made signs to his father, what he would have him called. ⁶³ And he asked for a writing-table, and wrote, His name is John. And his tongue was loosed: And they marvelled all. ⁶⁴ And his mouth was opened, and he spake, praising God, ⁶⁵ And great fear came on all that dwelt round about him: and all these saying, were publickly talked of abroad throughout all the hill-country of Judea. ⁶⁶ And all they that heard it laid [it] up in their hearts, saying, What then shall this child be ?For the hand of the Lord [was] also with him. ⁶⁷ And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, ⁶⁸ Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people, ⁶⁹ And hath raised an horn of salvation for us, in the house of David his Servant; ⁷⁰ Ashe spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, who have been since the world began; ⁷¹ Salvation from the hand of our enemies, and of all that hate us. ⁷² To perform the mercy to our fathers, to remember his holy covenant; ⁷³ The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, ⁷⁴ To grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, ⁷⁵ In holiness and righteousness before him, all our days. ⁷⁶ But thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest;for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, to prepare his ways; ⁷⁷ To give knowledge of salvation unto his people, in the remission of their sins. ⁷⁸ Through the bowels of the mercy of our God;whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us, ⁷⁹ To enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. ⁸⁰ Now the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing into Israel.