Luke 1
The New Consensus Bible is an AI-generated contemporary rendering, built from seven public-domain translations and the 20-tradition consensus. See all the work behind this chapter.
1Since indeed many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3it seemed good to me also, having investigated everything carefully from the very first, to write for you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4so that you may know the certainty concerning the things about which you were instructed. 5In the days of Herod, the king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zechariah, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in their days. 8Now it happened that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9according to the custom of the priesthood, it fell to his lot to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense burning. 11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. 14And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb. 16And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers back to children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." 18And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her days." 19And answering, the angel said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce this good news to you. 20And look, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day these things happen, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time." 21And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were marveling at his delay in the temple. 22But when he came out, he was not able to speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23And it came about that when the days of his priestly service were fulfilled, he departed to his house. 24Now after these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she kept herself hidden for five months, saying, 25"Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which he looked favorably to take away my disgrace among people." 26Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the name of the virgin was Mary. 28And coming in to her, he said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." 29But she was greatly troubled at the statement, and kept reasoning what kind of greeting this might be. 30And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And look, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob for eternity, and of his kingdom there will be no end." 34But Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I do not know a man?" 35And answering, the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the holy child being born will be called the Son of God. 36And look, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37For no word from God will be impossible." 38And Mary said, "Look, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. 39Now arising in those days, Mary went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40and she entered into the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41And it happened that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42And she cried out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43And why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44For look, as the voice of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy in my womb. 45And blessed is she who believed that there will be a fulfillment of the things spoken to her from the Lord." 46And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48for he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. For look, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50And his mercy is for generations and generations to those who fear him. 51He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the intention of their heart. 52He has brought down rulers from thrones, and has exalted the humble. 53He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54He has helped Israel his servant, in order to remember mercy, 55just as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever." 56And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house. 57Now the time was fulfilled for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. 59And it happened on the eighth day that they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him by the name of his father, Zechariah. 60But his mother answered and said, "No, but he will be called John." 61And they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name." 62Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he might want him to be called. 63And he asked for a small writing tablet and wrote, saying, "John is his name." And they all marveled. 64And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. 65And fear fell on all those living around them, and all these matters were being discussed throughout the entire hill country of Judea. 66And all who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, "What then will this child be?" For indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him. 67And Zechariah his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he prophesied, saying, 68"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and accomplished redemption for his people, 69and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David— 70just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old— 71salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, 72to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, 73the oath that he swore to Abraham our father, 74to grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77to give the knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78because of the deep compassion of our God, by which the dawn from on high will visit us, 79to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." 80And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Watch & listen
Luke 1
Angelic visitations to Zechariah and Mary set into motion the miraculous births of John the Baptist and Jesus, fulfilling ancient promises.
The New Consensus Bible text of Luke 1, read aloud over the chapter’s eight scenes. The words appear below as they are read.
Film, illustrations and song are AI-generated from this chapter’s consensus — not a depiction any tradition has approved. The imagery is deliberately neutral on the points the traditions dispute, and every word spoken or printed is the New Consensus Bible quoted verbatim.