1Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,G1895G4183G2021G392G1335G4012G4229G4135G1722G22542just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.G2531G3860G2254G3588G575G746G1096G845G2532G5257G30563Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,G1380G2504G199G3877G3956G509G1125G4671G2517G2903G23214so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.G2443G1921G803G4012G3056G3739G27275In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.G1096G1722G2250G2264G935G2449G5100G2409G3686G2197G1537G2183G7G2532G846G1135G1537G2364G2G2532G846G3686G16656Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly.G1161G2258G297G1342G1799G2316G4198G1722G3956G1785G2532G1345G2962G2737But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.G2532G846G2258G3756G5043G2530G1665G2258G4723G2532G846G297G2258G4260G1722G22508Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,G1161G1096G1722G846G2407G1725G2316G1722G5010G846G21839he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.G2596G1485G2405G2975G2370G1525G1519G3485G296210And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.G2532G3956G4128G2992G2258G4336G1854G5610G236811Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.G1161G3700G846G32G2962G2476G1537G1188G2379G236812When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.G2532G2197G1492G5015G2532G5401G1968G1909G84613But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.G1161G32G2036G4314G846G5399G3361G2197G1360G4675G1162G1522G2532G4675G1135G1665G1080G4671G5207G2532G2564G846G3686G249114He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,G2532G4671G2071G5479G2532G20G2532G4183G5463G1909G846G108315for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.G1063G2071G3173G1799G2962G2532G4095G3364G3631G2532G4608G2532G4130G40G4151G2089G1537G846G3384G283616Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.G2532G4183G5207G2474G1994G1909G2962G846G231617And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."G2532G846G4281G1799G846G1722G4151G2532G1411G2243G1994G2588G3962G1909G5043G2532G545G1722G5428G1342G2090G2992G2680G296218Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years."G2532G2197G2036G4314G32G2596G5101G1097G5124G1063G1473G1510G4246G2532G3450G1135G4260G1722G2250G84619The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.G2532G32G611G2036G846G1473G1510G1043G3936G1799G2316G2532G649G2980G4314G4571G2532G2097G4671G5023G209720And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time."G2532G2400G2071G4623G2532G3361G1410G2980G891G2250G3739G5023G1096G473G3739G4100G3756G3450G3056G3748G4137G1519G846G254021Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple.G2532G2992G2258G4328G2197G2532G2296G1722G846G5549G1722G348522When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.G1161G1831G1410G3756G2980G846G2532G1921G3754G3708G3701G1722G3485G2532G846G2258G1269G846G2532G1265G297423When his time of service was completed, he returned home.G2532G1096G5613G2250G846G3009G4130G565G1519G846G362424After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.G1161G3326G5025G2250G846G1135G1665G4815G2532G4032G1438G4002G3376G300425"The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."G3754G3779G4160G2962G4160G3427G1722G2250G3739G1896G851G3450G3681G1722G44426In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,G1161G1722G1623G3376G32G1043G649G5259G2316G1519G4172G1056G3739G3686G347827to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.G4314G3933G3423G435G3739G3686G2501G1537G3624G1138G2532G3933G3686G313728The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."G2532G32G1525G4314G846G2036G5463G5487G2962G3326G4675G2127G4771G1722G113529Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.G1161G1492G1298G1909G846G3056G2532G1260G4217G783G3778G149830But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.G2532G32G2036G846G5399G3361G3137G1063G2147G5485G3844G231631You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.G2532G2400G4815G1722G1064G2532G5088G5207G2532G2564G846G3686G242432He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,G3778G2071G3173G2532G2564G5207G5310G2532G2962G2316G1325G846G2362G846G3962G113833and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."G2532G936G1909G3624G2384G1519G165G2532G846G932G2071G3756G505634"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"G1161G2036G3137G4314G32G4459G2071G5124G2071G1893G1097G3756G43535The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.G2532G32G611G2036G846G40G4151G1904G1909G4571G2532G1411G5310G1982G4671G1352G2532G40G1080G1537G4675G2564G5207G231636Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.G2532G2400G4675G4773G1665G846G4815G2532G4815G5207G1722G846G1094G2532G3778G2076G1623G3376G846G3588G2564G472337For nothing is impossible with God."G3754G3844G2316G3756G3956G4487G10138"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.G1161G3137G2036G2400G1399G2962G1096G3427G2596G4675G4487G2532G32G565G575G84639At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,G1161G3137G450G1722G5025G2250G4198G1519G3714G3326G4710G1519G4172G244840where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth.G2532G1525G1519G3624G2197G2532G782G166541When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.G2532G1096G5613G1665G191G783G3137G1025G4640G1722G846G2836G2532G1665G4130G40G415142In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!G2532G400G3173G5456G2532G2036G2127G4771G1722G1135G2532G2127G2590G4675G283643But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?G2532G4159G5124G3427G2443G3384G3450G2962G2064G4314G316544As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.G1063G2400G5613G5456G4675G783G1096G1519G3450G3775G1025G4640G1722G3450G2836G1722G2045Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"G2532G3107G4100G3754G2071G5050G2980G846G3844G296246And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the LordG2532G3137G2036G3450G5590G3170G296247and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,G2532G3450G4151G21G1909G2316G3450G499048for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,G3754G1914G1909G5014G846G1399G1063G2400G575G3568G3956G1074G3106G3165G310649for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name.G3754G1415G4160G3427G3167G2532G40G846G368650His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.G2532G846G1656G5399G846G1519G1074G107451He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.G4160G2904G1722G846G1023G1287G5244G1271G846G258852He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.G2507G1413G575G2362G2532G5312G501153He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.G1705G3983G18G2532G4147G1821G2756G182154He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be mercifulG482G846G3816G2474G3415G165655to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."G2531G2980G4314G2257G3962G11G2532G846G4690G1519G16556Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.G1161G3137G3306G4862G846G5616G5140G3376G2532G5290G1519G846G362457When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son.G1161G1665G4130G5550G4130G846G5088G2532G1080G520758Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.G2532G4040G2532G846G4773G191G3754G2962G3170G1656G846G3326G846G2532G4796G84659On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah,G2532G1096G1722G3590G2250G2064G4059G3813G2532G2564G846G2197G1909G3686G846G396260but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John."G2532G846G3384G611G2036G3780G235G2564G249161They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name."G2532G2036G4314G846G3754G2076G3762G1722G4675G4772G3739G2564G5129G368662Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.G1161G1770G846G3962G5101G302G2309G846G256463He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John."G2532G154G4093G1125G3004G846G3686G2076G2491G2532G2296G395664Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God.G1161G846G4750G455G3916G2532G846G1100G2532G2980G2127G231665The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.G2532G5401G1096G1909G3956G4039G846G2532G3956G5023G4487G1255G1722G3650G3714G244966Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him.G2532G3956G191G5087G1722G846G2588G3004G5101G686G3813G2071G5124G2071G2532G5495G2962G2258G3326G84667His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:G2532G846G3962G2197G4130G40G4151G2532G4395G300468"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.G2128G2962G2316G2474G3754G1980G2532G3085G846G2992G416069He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant DavidG2532G1453G2768G4991G2254G1722G3624G846G3816G113870(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),G2531G2980G1223G4750G846G40G4396G3588G575G16571salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—G4991G1537G2257G2190G2532G1537G5495G3956G3404G224872to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,G4160G1656G3326G2257G3962G2532G3415G846G40G124273the oath he swore to our father Abraham:G3727G3739G3660G4314G2257G3962G1174to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fearG1325G2254G4506G1537G5495G2257G2190G3000G846G87075in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.G1722G3742G2532G1343G1799G846G3956G2250G2257G222276And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,G2532G4771G3813G2564G4396G5310G1063G4313G4253G4383G2962G2090G846G359877to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,G1325G1108G4991G846G2992G1722G859G846G26678because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heavenG1223G4698G1656G2257G2316G1722G3739G395G1537G5311G1980G224879to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."G2014G2521G1722G4655G2532G4639G2288G2720G2257G4228G1519G3598G151580And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.G1161G3813G837G2532G2901G4151G2532G2258G1722G2048G2193G2250G846G323G4314G2474
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