Luke 1

7 translations · read through 12 traditions · film, song & storybook.

NCB · New Consensus Bible

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.

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What the traditions agree on

Several traditions affirm that Luke's prologue demonstrates biblical inspiration operating organically through human research, and that the miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit preserves Christ's assumed human nature from the taint of original sin. Some traditions also find specific doctrines in the narrative, maintaining that Elizabeth's greeting grounds the title Theotokos, that John the Baptist's consecration models physical abstinence, and that the prophetic promises guarantee the attainability of entire sanctification. However, Mary's nature and response are highly disputed, with divisions over whether her greeting implies permanent preservation from original sin, whether her identification of God as Savior demonstrates she was a sinner needing redemption, and whether her response exemplifies active human cooperation reversing Eve's disobedience or absolute, passive submission. The interpretation of the prophetic canticles is similarly disputed; traditions disagree on whether the Magnificat demands the socio-political reversal of wealth and human hierarchies or focuses primarily on the spiritual remission of sins, as well as whether these songs serve as foundational texts for daily liturgical prayer.

Where the traditions differ

The historical prologue provides objective, verifiable certainty for the events of the Gospel narrative.
catholic: QUALIFY; anglican: AFFIRM; lutheran: AFFIRM; baptist: AFFIRM; restorationist: AFFIRM
Zechariah and Elizabeth's obedience is strictly contextualized as adherence to the Old Covenant economy.
methodist: DENY; adventist: DENY; restorationist: AFFIRM
The angelic greeting of Mary as 'full of grace' implies a permanent state of preservation from original sin.
catholic: AFFIRM; baptist: DENY
The Holy Spirit's overshadowing effects the hypostatic union by forming one incarnate nature of God the Word.
catholic: DENY; oriental-orthodox: AFFIRM; lutheran: DENY
The virgin conception indicates that Christ's flesh was exclusively heavenly in origin and not transmitted from Mary.
oriental-orthodox: DENY; lutheran: DENY; anabaptist: QUALIFY
Mary's willing acceptance functions as a reversal of Eve's disobedience through active human cooperation with divine grace.
orthodox: AFFIRM; lutheran: DENY; reformed: DENY; methodist: QUALIFY
Mary's response exemplifies the ideal posture of absolute, passive submission to God's sovereign word.
catholic: QUALIFY; orthodox: DENY; lutheran: AFFIRM; reformed: AFFIRM; baptist: AFFIRM; methodist: DENY; anabaptist: AFFIRM; pentecostal: QUALIFY; restorationist: QUALIFY
The Magnificat and Benedictus serve as foundational canticles for daily liturgical prayer.
catholic: AFFIRM; orthodox: QUALIFY; oriental-orthodox: QUALIFY; anglican: AFFIRM; lutheran: AFFIRM; reformed: QUALIFY; baptist: DENY; methodist: AFFIRM
Mary's identification of God as her Savior demonstrates that she was a sinner in need of personal redemption.
catholic: DENY; baptist: AFFIRM
The Magnificat serves as a programmatic Jubilee manifesto demanding the socio-political reversal of wealth and human hierarchies.
anglican: AFFIRM; lutheran: DENY; reformed: DENY; baptist: DENY; methodist: QUALIFY; anabaptist: AFFIRM; pentecostal: QUALIFY
The songs of Mary and Zechariah demonstrate that the New Covenant is the direct historical continuation of the singular covenant of grace made with Abraham.
catholic: QUALIFY; anglican: AFFIRM; lutheran: AFFIRM; reformed: AFFIRM
The overarching theme of salvation in the prophetic canticles focuses primarily on the spiritual remission of sins rather than earthly political liberation.
anglican: QUALIFY; lutheran: AFFIRM; baptist: AFFIRM; methodist: QUALIFY; anabaptist: DENY

How each tradition reads it

Each reading was generated in isolation — no tradition sees another’s answer.

Catholic

Luke opens with a formal historiographical prologue, establishing the narrative's grounding in eyewitness testimony and its purpose of providing certainty. The chapter then structures itself around a 'diptych' of parallel miraculous conceptions: John the Baptist and Jesus. The narrative highlights the contrast between the Old Testament priesthood, represented by Zechariah, and the dawn of the New Covenant in Mary. Zechariah asks for proof ('How shall I know this?') and is struck mute for his unbelief. Mary, conversely, asks a question regarding the mode of fulfillment ('How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?') and concludes with perfect submission ('Behold the handmaid of the Lord'). The chapter is punctuated by prophetic canticles—the Magnificat of Mary and the Benedictus of Zechariah—which declare that the ancient promises to Abraham and David are now being decisively fulfilled. Reception: This chapter is a primary scriptural locus for Catholic Mariology and Christology. The angel's greeting in verse 28, 'highly favored' or 'full of grace' (Greek: kecharitomene), is read not merely as a description of an event, but as a permanent, perfected state, providing the scriptural foundation for the dogma of the Immaculate Conception (Pius IX). Mary's question in verse 34 has been traditionally read by Latin Fathers, notably Augustine, as implying she had already made a vow of perpetual virginity. The Holy Spirit 'overshadowing' Mary in verse 35 (episkiasei) connects her to the Tabernacle of the Old Testament, a typological reading expanded during the Visitation (verses 39-45). Just as David leapt before the Ark of the Covenant as it travelled to the hill country of Judah, John the Baptist leaps before Mary. Elizabeth's declaration, 'the mother of my Lord' (verse 43), is viewed as the biblical basis for the title Theotokos (God-bearer), solemnly defined at the Council of Ephesus. Furthermore, Thomas Aquinas and the scholastic tradition argue that John's leaping in verse 41 marks the exact moment he was sanctified and cleansed from original sin in the womb. Eastern Catholic traditions, drawing heavily on Greek and Syriac Fathers like Ephrem the Syrian, emphasize the profound paradox of verse 35, marveling at Mary's womb becoming the 'container of the Uncontainable' and the true focal point where the divine and human natures unite.

Eastern Orthodox

Luke establishes his orderly account, rooting the narrative in the history of Israel. The chapter contrasts the disbelief of Zacharias with the faithful submission of Mary, framing the miraculous births of John the Baptist and Jesus as the dawn of the messianic age and the fulfillment of God's covenant with Abraham. The parallel annunciations highlight the transition from the Old Covenant, represented by the aging temple priest, to the New Covenant, inaugurated in the womb of a humble virgin. Reception: Eastern Orthodox theology reads this chapter fundamentally through the lens of the Incarnation and the dogmatic definition of Mary as Theotokos (God-bearer). The Council of Ephesus and subsequent patristic consensus heavily relied on Elizabeth's greeting in verse 43, 'the mother of my Lord', as scriptural validation for this title, as defended by Cyril of Alexandria against Nestorianism. The overshadowing of the Holy Spirit in verse 35 is approached apophatically; John of Damascus emphasizes that the exact mode of the uncreated Word taking flesh remains an ineffable mystery. Mary's response in verse 34 is interpreted by the Fathers as evidence of her perpetual virginity, while her unhesitating fiat in verse 38 is framed by Irenaeus of Lyons as the ultimate act of human synergia (cooperation) with God, marking her as the New Eve whose obedience untied the knot of the first Eve's disobedience.

Oriental Orthodox

Luke establishes the historical and ordered nature of his gospel before recounting dual miraculous conceptions: John the Baptist to the barren, elderly Elizabeth and Zacharias, and Jesus to the Virgin Mary. The narrative interweaves their stories through the angelic announcements of Gabriel, Zacharias's temporary muteness due to disbelief, Mary's obedient acceptance, and the profound meeting of the two mothers where the unborn John leaps in the womb. The chapter concludes with John's birth, the restoration of Zacharias's speech, and two major canticles of praise: Mary's Magnificat and Zacharias's Benedictus. Reception: The Oriental Orthodox communion reads Luke 1 as the foundational narrative of the Incarnation, intensely focused on the title Theotokos (Mother of God) defended at the Council of Ephesus. Cyril of Alexandria, in his Commentary on Luke, emphasizes Mary's role, contrasting her faithful assent with Zacharias's doubt. Severus of Antioch draws heavily on the angelic declaration that the Holy Spirit would 'overshadow' Mary to articulate the miaphysite Christology: the Word did not unite with a pre-existing human person, but took flesh animated by a rational soul directly from the Virgin's womb, forming one incarnate nature. In the Syriac tradition, Jacob of Serugh's metrical homilies expound on the Visitation, viewing John's leaping in the womb as the first prophetic witness to the Incarnate Word, and Mary as the new Ark of the Covenant carrying the uncontainable divine presence.

Anglican / Episcopal

Luke 1 opens with a formal prologue (verses 1-4) establishing the historical reliability and orderly account of the narrative. The chapter then parallels the miraculous announcements and conceptions of John the Baptist and Jesus (verses 5-38). Through angelic visitations, Luke roots these events deeply in Israel's history, depicting Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary as faithful remnants of Old Testament piety. The chapter culminates in two major prophetic canticles—Mary’s Magnificat (verses 46-55) and Zechariah’s Benedictus (verses 68-79)—which interpret these births as the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to Abraham and David, bringing eschatological reversal, mercy, and salvation. Reception: The Anglican reception of Luke 1 is fundamentally shaped by its liturgical integration. Thomas Cranmer embedded the Magnificat (verses 46-55) and the Benedictus (verses 68-79) into the daily rhythms of Evening and Morning Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer, ensuring these texts form the core of Anglican daily devotion. Theologically, the chapter is read across the comprehensiveness of the tradition. Evangelical Anglicans, such as J.C. Ryle in 'Expository Thoughts on the Gospels', emphasize the prologue (verses 1-4) as proof of the gospel's historical certainty and read the canticles as testimonies of God's grace and salvation. Anglo-Catholics, like E.L. Mascall in 'Christ, the Christian, and the Church', focus heavily on the Annunciation (verses 26-38), viewing Mary's 'fiat' (verse 38) as the crucial moment of the Incarnation, emphasizing her unique role as the God-bearer. Broad and progressive Anglicans, represented by theologians like Rowan Williams in 'Ponder These Things', frequently highlight the Magnificat (verses 51-53) as a radical manifesto for social justice, where God's holiness is demonstrated by overturning oppressive power structures and exalting the marginalized.

Lutheran

Luke 1 establishes the historical certainty of the Gospel narrative. It juxtaposes the angelic visitations to Zacharias in the Jerusalem temple and to Mary in obscure Nazareth. Zacharias's doubt results in muteness, while Mary's faith embraces the miraculous conception of the Son of the Most High by the Holy Spirit. The chapter concludes with two major prophetic canticles, the Magnificat and the Benedictus, which celebrate God's fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant through the impending births of the forerunner, John, and the Messiah, Jesus. Reception: The Lutheran tradition reads this chapter through the lenses of sola gratia, the theology of the cross, and Christology. Martin Luther's 'Commentary on the Magnificat' interprets Mary's 'low estate' (verse 48) not as a meritorious moral humility, but as her objective insignificance, emphasizing that God's grace works ex nihilo to exalt the lowly and crush the proud (verse 51), a classic expression of the law-gospel dynamic. Furthermore, the Formula of Concord (Solid Declaration, Article VIII) relies heavily on the angel's declaration in verse 35 to affirm Mary as truly Theotokos (Mother of God). This safeguards the communicatio idiomatum, insisting that the Son of God assumed human nature in the womb, uniting the divine and human natures in one person. The Benedictus is likewise received as a pure proclamation of the Gospel, specifically locating salvation in the 'remission of their sins' (verse 77) by God's tender mercy, apart from human works.

Reformed / Presbyterian

Luke opens his Gospel with a formal prologue asserting the meticulous historical research and accuracy underlying his narrative (vv. 1-4). The chapter then introduces the miraculous dawn of the Messianic age through two parallel birth announcements by the angel Gabriel: one to the elderly priest Zacharias regarding John the Baptist, and one to the virgin Mary regarding Jesus. The narrative contrasts Zacharias's initial demand for a sign (v. 18) with Mary's humble submission to the divine word (v. 38). The chapter reaches its theological peak in two great canticles of praise, the Magnificat (vv. 46-55) and the Benedictus (vv. 68-79), which interpret these pregnancies as God's decisive, historical fulfillment of His ancient promises to Israel, David, and Abraham. Reception: The Reformed tradition reads Luke 1 heavily through the lens of covenant theology and redemptive-historical continuity. The songs of Mary and Zacharias are cited as premier evidence for a unified covenant of grace; God is not initiating a novel plan of salvation but is explicitly remembering His 'holy covenant' and the oath sworn to Abraham (vv. 54-55, 72-73). John Calvin and later federal theologians like Herman Bavinck emphasize this continuity, viewing John the Baptist not merely as a herald but as the transitional figure linking the prophetic types to their fulfillment. Luke's prologue (vv. 1-4) is foundational for Reformed bibliology. Dogmaticians such as Francis Turretin use this passage to articulate an 'organic' view of inspiration, demonstrating that the Holy Spirit's superintendence utilizes, rather than bypasses, human historical research and reasoning. Christologically, verse 35 is central. The Heidelberg Catechism and Calvin's Institutes draw upon the Holy Spirit 'overshadowing' Mary to explain how the eternal Son assumed a true human nature while being preserved from original sin. Liturgically, the chapter intersects with the regulative principle of worship. While some strict Presbyterian branches historically limited sung praise exclusively to the Old Testament Psalms, the Genevan tradition under Calvin included metrical translations of the Magnificat and the Benedictus in public worship, recognizing them as divinely inspired, new covenant songs of praise.

Baptist

Luke begins with a formal prologue, explaining that his narrative is the result of careful historical investigation of eyewitness accounts, written to provide Theophilus with certainty about the events fulfilled among them. The chapter then shifts to narrative, alternating between the miraculous announcements of two distinct but related births. First, the angel Gabriel appears to the elderly priest Zechariah in the temple, promising a son, John, who will prepare the way for the Lord in the spirit of Elijah. Zechariah's doubt results in temporary muteness. Six months later, Gabriel appears to Mary, a virgin in Nazareth, announcing she will conceive the Son of God by the Holy Spirit. Mary responds in faithful submission and visits her relative Elizabeth. Upon her arrival, the unborn John leaps, and Mary sings a song of praise (the Magnificat) extolling God's mercy to the humble and his reversal of earthly fortunes. The chapter concludes with John's birth, the restoration of Zechariah's speech, and his prophetic song (the Benedictus) celebrating God's fulfillment of his covenant promises to bring salvation and light to his people. Reception: In the Baptist tradition, this chapter is heavily utilized to establish foundational doctrines of biblical authority and personal salvation. The prologue (verses 1-4) is central to Baptist apologetics and doctrines of Scripture; theologians argue that divine inspiration does not bypass human agency but superintends careful historical investigation to produce an inerrant and certain text. The angelic declaration in verse 35 is championed as the bedrock for the virgin birth, guaranteeing the sinless human nature of Christ necessary for substitutionary atonement. Furthermore, Particular and Reformed Baptists have historically read Mary's Magnificat and Zechariah's Benedictus through the lens of sovereign grace. Mary's explicit identification of God as 'my Savior' (verse 47) is frequently cited by Baptist apologists to assert her status as a redeemed sinner, countering Roman Catholic dogmas of the Immaculate Conception. The songs of Mary and Zechariah are understood not merely as nationalistic hopes but as declarations of individual, spiritual redemption and the remission of sins through the tender mercy of God (verse 77).

Methodist / Wesleyan / Holiness

The chapter functions as a theological and historical prologue to the Gospel, introducing the miraculous origins of both John the Baptist and Jesus. Through angelic visitations, it establishes John as the prophetic forerunner and Jesus as the Son of the Most High. The narrative is heavily punctuated by the activity of the Holy Spirit and features two major canticles of praise (the Magnificat and the Benedictus) that emphasize God's faithfulness to the covenant, the lifting up of the lowly, and the impending redemption of Israel. Reception: The Wesleyan-Holiness tradition reads Luke 1 through the distinct lenses of synergism (grace and free response) and Christian perfection. Mary's fiat in verse 38 ('let it be to me according to your word') is championed as the paradigm of the human free response to God's prevenient and initiating grace; God does not force the incarnation upon her, but invites her cooperative faith. Most notably, the tradition relies heavily on Zechariah's Benedictus, specifically verses 74-75, as a primary scriptural anchor for the doctrine of entire sanctification. John Wesley routinely cited the promise that believers might 'serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life' to argue that complete deliverance from the power of sin is promised in this present life, rather than merely at the moment of death. Furthermore, the description of Zechariah and Elizabeth in verse 6 as 'walking blameless' is read as proof that a life of sincere, practical piety and obedience has always been God's standard, made possible by grace.

Anabaptist / Mennonite

The narrative grounds the Gospel in the history of Israel, demonstrating through the miraculous births of John the Baptist and Jesus that God is faithfully intervening to fulfill covenant promises. The chapter features angelic announcements, expressions of doubt and faith, and prophetic songs of praise (the Magnificat and the Benedictus). Through these songs, the text highlights God's preference for the lowly and marginalized, signaling that the inauguration of a new era will involve a decisive reversal of human fortunes and the dawning of divine peace. Reception: The Anabaptist tradition heavily emphasizes the prophetic songs of Luke 1 as programmatic for the life of the church and the ethics of the kingdom. The Magnificat (vv. 46-55) is read not merely as a hymn of personal piety, but as a manifesto of the inbreaking Kingdom of God. John Howard Yoder famously identified Mary's song as the overture to Luke's Jubilee theme, arguing that salvation in the Gospel inherently involves the socio-political reversal of human hierarchies—dethroning the mighty, elevating the lowly, and redistributing wealth. Furthermore, the conclusion of Zechariah's song, which declares the Messiah will guide feet 'into the way of peace' (v. 79), is received as a normative Christological mandate. For Anabaptists, this peace is not simply an interior disposition, but the literal, nonviolent ethic of the cross. Historically, the chapter also generated a highly distinctive Christological reading among early Dutch Anabaptists. In works like his 'Brief and Clear Confession,' Menno Simons interpreted Gabriel’s explanation of the virgin conception (v. 35) to mean that Jesus did not take his human flesh from Mary. To protect Christ from the transmission of original sin, Simons argued that Jesus' flesh was entirely of heavenly origin, conceived by the Holy Spirit and merely passing through Mary. While this 'celestial flesh' Christology was a defining feature of early Anabaptist reception, it has been largely abandoned by modern Mennonites.

Classical Trinitarian Pentecostal

Luke 1 is a narrative of miraculous visitations and the breaking of centuries of divine silence, marking the dawn of the Messianic era. It details the angelic announcements to Zechariah and Mary concerning the births of John the Baptist and Jesus. The chapter places a strong, explicit emphasis on the Holy Spirit's agency: John is to be filled with the Spirit from the womb (v. 15), Mary conceives by the overshadowing of the Spirit (v. 35), and both Elizabeth (v. 41) and Zechariah (v. 67) are filled with the Holy Spirit, resulting immediately in inspired, prophetic speech and praise. Reception: Classical Trinitarian Pentecostalism reads Luke 1 as the foundational programmatic text for Lukan pneumatology, which is understood as distinctively charismatic and prophetic. Scholars within this tradition emphasize that 'being filled with the Holy Spirit' in Luke's writings consistently results in inspired vocalization. When Elizabeth (v. 41) and Zechariah (v. 67) are filled, they immediately prophesy and magnify God, establishing a pattern of prophetic inspiration that anticipates the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. The Spirit here is not primarily read through the Pauline lens of internal regeneration, but as the Spirit of prophetic empowerment. Furthermore, the tradition firmly anchors classical Nicene Christology in Mary's conception (v. 35), viewing the Spirit's overshadowing and the power of the Most High as a unique, miraculous, Trinitarian act that brings the divine Son into human history. The Magnificat (vv. 46-55) is historically embraced by global Pentecostalism as a declaration of God's dynamic, present action to upend human status and pour out His Spirit upon the marginalized.

Seventh-day Adventist

Luke 1 establishes the historical and theological dawn of the Messianic era. It begins with Luke's prologue outlining his historical method, followed by the parallel narratives of two miraculous conceptions: John the Baptist to the elderly, righteous Zacharias and Elizabeth, and Jesus to the virgin Mary. The narrative is deeply rooted in Jewish piety and temple worship, opening with Zacharias serving at the altar of incense. Angelic visitations by Gabriel announce that John will serve as the prophesied forerunner in the spirit of Elijah, while Jesus will be the Son of the Most High, inheriting the eternal Davidic throne. The chapter concludes with profound prophetic hymns—Mary's Magnificat and Zacharias's Benedictus—praising God for fulfilling His covenant promises to Abraham and Israel. Reception: In Seventh-day Adventist reception, Luke 1 provides foundational typology for the church's eschatological mission and health message. The mandate that John the Baptist would go forth 'in the spirit and power of Elijah' to 'make ready a people prepared for the Lord' (Luke 1:17) is viewed as the prototype for the Adventist movement itself, which understands its calling as delivering the final Elijah message to prepare the world for the Second Advent. Concurrently, the angel's strict injunction that John must 'drink neither wine nor strong drink' (Luke 1:15) is a cornerstone of the Adventist health message. The tradition argues that just as John required physical temperance and total abstinence from alcohol to possess the spiritual clarity needed for his preparatory work, those preparing the world for Christ's return must practice similar physical restraint. Additionally, the description of Zacharias and Elizabeth walking 'blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord' (Luke 1:6) is frequently cited to affirm the perpetuity of God's law, including the seventh-day Sabbath, in the New Testament era. The temple imagery of Zacharias burning incense (Luke 1:8-10) is also read through the tradition's sanctuary theology as a representation of the 'daily' ministration, typifying Christ's intercessory presentation of His merits alongside the prayers of believers.

Restorationist / Churches of Christ

Luke begins his Gospel with a formal prologue, stating his intention to compile a careful, well-researched historical account of the events fulfilled among the believers, based on eyewitness testimony. The narrative then details the angelic announcements of two miraculous births: John the Baptist to the elderly priest Zacharias and his barren wife Elizabeth, and Jesus to the virgin Mary. The chapter captures the reactions of these individuals, the meeting between the pregnant Mary and Elizabeth, and the prophetic songs of both Mary (the Magnificat) and Zacharias (the Benedictus) praising God for His covenant faithfulness, mercy, and the impending salvation of Israel. Reception: Within the Restoration Movement (Churches of Christ and Christian Churches), Luke 1 is foundational for both apologetics and dispensational hermeneutics. The prologue (verses 1-4) is heavily emphasized as proof of the New Testament's objective, historical reliability. Because the tradition seeks to restore New Testament Christianity through a strict adherence to the apostolic pattern, Luke's claim of having 'traced the course of all things accurately' is viewed as guaranteeing the factual certainty required to derive commands, examples, and necessary inferences. J.W. McGarvey prominently utilized this prologue to defend the absolute trustworthiness of the biblical record against nineteenth-century higher criticism. Furthermore, the tradition emphasizes 'rightly dividing' the word of truth by distinguishing between the Old and New Covenants. Events in Luke 1 are classified as occurring under the Law of Moses (noted in verse 6, where Zacharias and Elizabeth walk in the ordinances of the Lord). The kingdom promised to Jesus (verse 33) is understood prophetically, pointing forward to the establishment of the Church on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), a hallmark of Alexander Campbell's covenantal theology. Additionally, John's preparatory role to give knowledge of salvation by the 'remission of their sins' (verse 77) is read as anticipating the full gospel plan of salvation, which the tradition insists culminates in baptism for the remission of sins under the New Covenant.

Every translation, compared

WEB · World English Bible

¹Since many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us, ²even as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word delivered them to us, ³it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus; ⁴that you might know the certainty concerning the things in which you were instructed. ⁵There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. ⁷But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years. ⁸Now while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his division ⁹according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰The whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. ¹¹An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹²Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. ¹³But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zacharias, because your request has been heard. Your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. ¹⁴You 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 drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. ¹⁶He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷He will 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 prepare a people prepared for the Lord.” ¹⁸Zacharias said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” ¹⁹The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. ²⁰Behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day that these things will happen, because you didn’t believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.” ²¹The people were waiting for Zacharias, and they marveled that he delayed in the temple. ²²When he came out, he could not speak to them. They perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. He continued making signs to them, and remained mute. ²³When the days of his service were fulfilled, he departed to his house. ²⁴After these days Elizabeth his wife conceived, and she hid herself five months, saying, ²⁵“Thus has the Lord done to me in the days in which he looked at me, to take away my reproach among men.” ²⁶Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!” ²⁹But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be. ³⁰The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹Behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and shall name him ‘Jesus.’ ³²He 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, ³³and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom.” ³⁴Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?” ³⁵The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God. ³⁶Behold, Elizabeth your relative also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. ³⁷For nothing spoken by God is impossible.” ³⁸Mary said, “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. ³⁹Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah, ⁴⁰and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴²She called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy! ⁴⁵Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!” ⁴⁶Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord. ⁴⁷My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, ⁴⁸for he has looked at the humble state of his servant. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed. ⁴⁹For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name. ⁵⁰His mercy is for generations and generations on those who fear him. ⁵¹He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. ⁵²He has put down princes from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly. ⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things. He has sent the rich away empty. ⁵⁴He has given help to Israel, his servant, that he might remember mercy, ⁵⁵as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his offspring forever.” ⁵⁶Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house. ⁵⁷Now the time that Elizabeth should give birth was fulfilled, and she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. ⁵⁹On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. ⁶⁰His mother answered, “Not so; but he will be called John.” ⁶¹They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” ⁶²They made signs to his father, what he would have him called. ⁶³He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.” They all marveled. ⁶⁴His mouth was opened immediately and his tongue freed, and he spoke, blessing God. ⁶⁵Fear came on all who lived around them, and all these sayings were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea. ⁶⁶All who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, “What then will this child be?” The hand of the Lord was with him. ⁶⁷His father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, ⁶⁸“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people; ⁶⁹and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David ⁷⁰(as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets who have been from of old), ⁷¹salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; ⁷²to show mercy toward our fathers, to remember his holy covenant, ⁷³the oath which he swore to Abraham our father, ⁷⁴to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear, ⁷⁵in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. ⁷⁶And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, ⁷⁷to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins, ⁷⁸because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the dawn from on high will visit us, ⁷⁹to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace.” ⁸⁰The child was growing and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

KJV · King James Version

¹Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, ²Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; ³It 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, ⁴That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed. ⁵There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. ⁶And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. ⁷And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. ⁸And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, ⁹According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. ¹⁰And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. ¹¹And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹²And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. ¹³But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. ¹⁴And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵For 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 mother’s womb. ¹⁶And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. ¹⁷And 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. ¹⁸And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. ¹⁹And 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. ²⁰And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. ²¹And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. ²²And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. ²³And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. ²⁴And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, ²⁵Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men. ²⁶And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, ²⁷To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. ²⁹And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. ³⁰And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. ³¹And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. ³²He 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: ³³And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. ³⁴Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? ³⁵And 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. ³⁶And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. ³⁷For with God nothing shall be impossible. ³⁸And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. ³⁹And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; ⁴⁰And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. ⁴¹And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: ⁴²And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. ⁴³And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. ⁴⁵And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. ⁴⁶And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, ⁴⁷And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. ⁴⁸For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. ⁴⁹For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. ⁵⁰And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. ⁵¹He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. ⁵²He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. ⁵³He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. ⁵⁴He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; ⁵⁵As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. ⁵⁶And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house. ⁵⁷Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. ⁵⁸And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. ⁵⁹And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. ⁶⁰And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. ⁶¹And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. ⁶²And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. ⁶³And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. ⁶⁴And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. ⁶⁵And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea. ⁶⁶And 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. ⁶⁷And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, ⁶⁸Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, ⁶⁹And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; ⁷⁰As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: ⁷¹That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; ⁷²To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; ⁷³The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, ⁷⁴That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, ⁷⁵In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. ⁷⁶And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; ⁷⁷To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, ⁷⁸Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, ⁷⁹To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. ⁸⁰And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

ASV · American Standard Version

¹Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to draw up a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us, ²even as they delivered them unto us, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, ³it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus; ⁴that thou mightest know the certainty concerning the things wherein thou wast instructed. ⁵There was in the days of Herod, king of Judæa, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah: and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. ⁶And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. ⁷And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. ⁸Now it came to pass, while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, ⁹according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the hour of incense. ¹¹And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹²And Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. ¹³But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: because thy supplication is heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. ¹⁴And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. ¹⁶And many of the children of Israel shall he turn unto the Lord their God. ¹⁷And he shall go before his face in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to walk in the wisdom of the just; to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him. ¹⁸And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. ¹⁹And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak unto thee, and to bring thee these good tidings. ²⁰And behold, thou shalt be silent and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall come to pass, because thou believedst not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. ²¹And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and they marvelled while he tarried in the temple. ²²And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: and he continued making signs unto them, and remained dumb. ²³And it came to pass, when the days of his ministration were fulfilled, he departed unto his house. ²⁴And after these days Elisabeth his wife conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, ²⁵Thus hath the Lord done unto me in the days wherein he looked upon me, to take away my reproach among men. ²⁶Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸And he came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee. ²⁹But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this might be. ³⁰And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. ³¹And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. ³²He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: ³³and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. ³⁴And Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? ³⁵And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God. ³⁶And behold, Elisabeth thy kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that was called barren. ³⁷For no word from God shall be void of power. ³⁸And Mary said, Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. ³⁹And Mary arose in these days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah; ⁴⁰and entered into the house of Zacharias and saluted Elisabeth. ⁴¹And it came to pass, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit; ⁴²and she lifted up her voice with a loud cry, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. ⁴³And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come unto me? ⁴⁴For behold, when the voice of thy salutation came into mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. ⁴⁵And blessed is she that believed; for there shall be a fulfilment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord. ⁴⁶And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, ⁴⁷And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. ⁴⁸For he hath looked upon the low estate of his handmaid: For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. ⁴⁹For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; And holy is his name. ⁵⁰And his mercy is unto generations and generations On them that fear him. ⁵¹He hath showed strength with his arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart. ⁵²He hath put down princes from their thrones, And hath exalted them of low degree. ⁵³The hungry he hath filled with good things; And the rich he hath sent empty away. ⁵⁴He hath given help to Israel his servant, That he might remember mercy ⁵⁵(As he spake unto our fathers) Toward Abraham and his seed for ever. ⁵⁶And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned unto her house. ⁵⁷Now Elisabeth’s time was fulfilled that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. ⁵⁸And her neighbors and her kinsfolk heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her; and they rejoiced with her. ⁵⁹And it came to pass on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. ⁶⁰And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. ⁶¹And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. ⁶²And they made signs to his father, what he would have him called. ⁶³And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. ⁶⁴And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, blessing God. ⁶⁵And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judæa. ⁶⁶And all that heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then shall this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him. ⁶⁷And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, ⁶⁸Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; For he hath visited and wrought redemption for his people, ⁶⁹And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of his servant David ⁷⁰(As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that have been from of old), ⁷¹Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; ⁷²To show mercy towards our fathers, And to remember his holy covenant; ⁷³The oath which he sware unto Abraham our father, ⁷⁴To grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies Should serve him without fear, ⁷⁵In holiness and righteousness before him all our days. ⁷⁶Yea and thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Most High: For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to make ready his ways; ⁷⁷To give knowledge of salvation unto his people In the remission of their sins, ⁷⁸Because of the tender mercy of our God, Whereby the dayspring from on high shall visit us, ⁷⁹To shine upon them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death; To guide our feet into the way of peace. ⁸⁰And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel.

YLT · Young's Literal Translation

¹Seeing that many did take in hand to set in order a narration of the matters that have been fully assured among us, ²as they did deliver to us, who from the beginning became eye-witnesses, and officers of the Word, -- ³it seemed good also to me, having followed from the first after all things exactly, to write to thee in order, most noble Theophilus, ⁴that thou mayest know the certainty of the things wherein thou wast instructed. ⁵There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest, by name Zacharias, of the course of Abijah, and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elisabeth; ⁶and they were both righteous before God, going on in all the commands and righteousnesses of the Lord blameless, ⁷and they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and both were advanced in their days. ⁸And it came to pass, in his acting as priest, in the order of his course before God, ⁹according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot was to make perfume, having gone into the sanctuary of the Lord, ¹⁰and all the multitude of the people were praying without, at the hour of the perfume. ¹¹And there appeared to him a messenger of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of the perfume, ¹²and Zacharias, having seen, was troubled, and fear fell on him; ¹³and the messenger said unto him, `Fear not, Zacharias, for thy supplication was heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear a son to thee, and thou shalt call his name John, ¹⁴and there shall be joy to thee, and gladness, and many at his birth shall joy, ¹⁵for he shall be great before the Lord, and wine and strong drink he may not drink, and of the Holy Spirit he shall be full, even from his mother's womb; ¹⁶and many of the sons of Israel he shall turn to the Lord their God, ¹⁷and he shall go before Him, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn hearts of fathers unto children, and disobedient ones to the wisdom of righteous ones, to make ready for the Lord, a people prepared.' ¹⁸And Zacharias said unto the messenger, `Whereby shall I know this? for I am aged, and my wife is advanced in her days?' ¹⁹And the messenger answering said to him, `I am Gabriel, who have been standing near before God, and I was sent to speak unto thee, and to proclaim these good news to thee, ²⁰and lo, thou shalt be silent, and not able to speak, till the day that these things shall come to pass, because thou didst not believe my words, that shall be fulfilled in their season.' ²¹And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and wondering at his tarrying in the sanctuary, ²²and having come out, he was not able to speak to them, and they perceived that a vision he had seen in the sanctuary, and he was beckoning to them, and did remain dumb. ²³And it came to pass, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he went away to his house, ²⁴and after those days, his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying-- ²⁵`Thus hath the Lord done to me, in days in which He looked upon <FI>me<Fi> , to take away my reproach among men.' ²⁶And in the sixth month was the messenger Gabriel sent by God, to a city of Galilee, the name of which <FI>is<Fi> Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin, betrothed to a man, whose name <FI>is<Fi> Joseph, of the house of David, and the name of the virgin <FI>is<Fi> Mary. ²⁸And the messenger having come in unto her, said, `Hail, favoured one, the Lord <FI>is<Fi> with thee; blessed <FI>art<Fi> thou among women;' ²⁹and she, having seen, was troubled at his word, and was reasoning of what kind this salutation may be. ³⁰And the messenger said to her, `Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God; ³¹and lo, thou shalt conceive in the womb, and shalt bring forth a son, and call his name Jesus; ³²he shall be great, and Son of the Highest he shall be called, and the Lord God shall give him the throne of David his father, ³³and he shall reign over the house of Jacob to the ages; and of his reign there shall be no end.' ³⁴And Mary said unto the messenger, `How shall this be, seeing a husband I do not know?' ³⁵And the messenger answering said to her, `The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, therefore also the holy-begotten thing shall be called Son of God; ³⁶and lo, Elisabeth, thy kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month to her who was called barren; ³⁷because nothing shall be impossible with God.' ³⁸And Mary said, `Lo, the maid-servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to thy saying,' and the messenger went away from her. ³⁹And Mary having arisen in those days, went to the hill-country, with haste, to a city of Judea, ⁴⁰and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. ⁴¹And it came to pass, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe did leap in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, ⁴²and spake out with a loud voice, and said, `Blessed <FI>art<Fi> thou among women, and blessed <FI>is<Fi> the fruit of thy womb; ⁴³and whence <FI>is<Fi> this to me, that the mother of my Lord might come unto me? ⁴⁴for, lo, when the voice of thy salutation came to my ears, leap in gladness did the babe in my womb; ⁴⁵and happy <FI>is<Fi> she who did believe, for there shall be a completion to the things spoken to her from the Lord.' ⁴⁶And Mary said, `My soul doth magnify the Lord, ⁴⁷And my spirit was glad on God my Saviour, ⁴⁸Because He looked on the lowliness of His maid-servant, For, lo, henceforth call me happy shall all the generations, ⁴⁹For He who is mighty did to me great things, And holy <FI>is<Fi> His name, ⁵⁰And His kindness <FI>is<Fi> to generations of generations, To those fearing Him, ⁵¹He did powerfully with His arm, He scattered abroad the proud in the thought of their heart, ⁵²He brought down the mighty from thrones, And He exalted the lowly, ⁵³The hungry He did fill with good, And the rich He sent away empty, ⁵⁴He received again Israel His servant, To remember kindness, ⁵⁵As He spake unto our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed--to the age.' ⁵⁶And Mary remained with her about three months, and turned back to her house. ⁵⁷And to Elisabeth was the time fulfilled for her bringing forth, and she bare a son, ⁵⁸and the neighbours and her kindred heard that the Lord was making His kindness great with her, and they were rejoicing with her. ⁵⁹And it came to pass, on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, and they were calling him by the name of his father, Zacharias, ⁶⁰and his mother answering said, `No, but he shall be called John.' ⁶¹And they said unto her--`There is none among thy kindred who is called by this name,' ⁶²and they were making signs to his father, what he would wish him to be called, ⁶³and having asked for a tablet, he wrote, saying, `John is his name;' and they did all wonder; ⁶⁴and his mouth was opened presently, and his tongue, and he was speaking, praising God. ⁶⁵And fear came upon all those dwelling around them, and in all the hill-country of Judea were all these sayings spoken of, ⁶⁶and all who heard did lay them up in their hearts, saying, `What then shall this child be?' and the hand of the Lord was with him. ⁶⁷And Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and did prophesy, saying, ⁶⁸`Blessed <FI>is<Fi> the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people, ⁶⁹And did raise an horn of salvation to us, In the house of David His servant, ⁷⁰As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, Which have been from the age; ⁷¹Salvation from our enemies, And out of the hand of all hating us, ⁷²To do kindness with our fathers, And to be mindful of His holy covenant, ⁷³An oath that He sware to Abraham our father, ⁷⁴To give to us, without fear, Out of the hand of our enemies having been delivered, ⁷⁵To serve Him, in holiness and righteousness Before Him, all the days of our life. ⁷⁶And thou, child, Prophet of the Highest Shalt thou be called; For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, To prepare His ways. ⁷⁷To give knowledge of salvation to His people In remission of their sins, ⁷⁸Through the tender mercies of our God, In which the rising from on high did look upon us, ⁷⁹To give light to those sitting in darkness and death-shade, To guide our feet to a way of peace.' ⁸⁰And the child grew, and was strengthened in spirit, and he was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

Darby · Darby Translation

¹Forasmuch as many have undertaken to draw up a relation concerning the matters fully believed among us, ²as those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses of and attendants on the Word have delivered them to us, ³it has seemed good to me also, accurately acquainted from the origin with all things, to write to thee with method, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴that thou mightest know the certainty of those things in which thou hast been instructed. ⁵There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest, by name Zacharias, of the course of Abia, and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth. ⁶And they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. ⁷And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. ⁸And it came to pass, as he fulfilled his priestly service before God in the order of his course, ⁹it fell to him by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense. ¹⁰And all the multitude of the people were praying without at the hour of incense. ¹¹And an angel of [the] Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the altar of incense. ¹²And Zacharias was troubled, seeing [him], and fear fell upon him. ¹³But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias, because thy supplication has been heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. ¹⁴And he shall be to thee joy and rejoicing, and many shall rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵For he shall be great before [the] Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with [the] Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. ¹⁶And many of the sons of Israel shall he turn to [the] Lord their God. ¹⁷And he shall go before him in [the] spirit and power of Elias, to turn hearts of fathers to children, and disobedient ones to [the] thoughts of just [men], to make ready for [the] Lord a prepared people. ¹⁸And Zacharias said to the angel, How shall I know this, for I am an old man, and my wife advanced in years? ¹⁹And the angel answering, said to him, I am Gabriel, who stand before God, and I have been sent to speak to thee, and to bring these glad tidings to thee; ²⁰and behold, thou shalt be silent and not able to speak, till the day in which these things shall take place, because thou hast not believed my words, the which shall be fulfilled in their time. ²¹And the people were awaiting Zacharias, and they wondered at his delaying in the temple. ²²But when he came out he could not speak to them, and they recognised that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was making signs to them, and continued dumb. ²³And it came to pass, when the days of his service were completed, he departed to his house. ²⁴Now after these days, Elizabeth his wife conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, ²⁵Thus has [the] Lord done to me in [these] days in which he looked upon [me] to take away my reproach among men. ²⁶But in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent of God to a city of Galilee, of which [the] name [was] Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name [was] Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name [was] Mary. ²⁸And the angel came in to her, and said, Hail, [thou] favoured one! the Lord [is] with thee: [blessed art thou amongst women]. ²⁹But she, [seeing] [the angel], was troubled at his word, and reasoned in her mind what this salutation might be. ³⁰And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God; ³¹and behold, thou shalt conceive in the womb and bear a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. ³²He shall be great, and shall be called Son of [the] Highest; and [the] Lord God shall give him the throne of David his father; ³³and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for the ages, and of his kingdom there shall not be an end. ³⁴But Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I know not a man? ³⁵And the angel answering said to her, [The] Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and power of [the] Highest overshadow thee, wherefore the holy thing also which shall be born shall be called Son of God. ³⁶And behold, Elizabeth, thy kinswoman, she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month to her that was called barren: ³⁷for nothing shall be impossible with God. ³⁸And Mary said, Behold the bondmaid of [the] Lord; be it to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. ³⁹And Mary, rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, ⁴⁰and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elizabeth. ⁴¹And it came to pass, as Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with [the] Holy Spirit, ⁴²and cried out with a loud voice and said, Blessed [art] thou amongst women, and blessed the fruit of thy womb. ⁴³And whence [is] this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴For behold, as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped with joy in my womb. ⁴⁵And blessed [is] she that has believed, for there shall be a fulfilment of the things spoken to her from [the] Lord. ⁴⁶And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, ⁴⁷and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour. ⁴⁸For he has looked upon the low estate of his bondmaid; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. ⁴⁹For the Mighty One has done to me great things, and holy [is] his name; ⁵⁰and his mercy [is] to generations and generations to them that fear him. ⁵¹He has wrought strength with his arm; he has scattered haughty [ones] in the thought of their heart. ⁵²He has put down rulers from thrones, and exalted the lowly. ⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent away the rich empty. ⁵⁴He has helped Israel his servant, in order to remember mercy, ⁵⁵(as he spoke to our fathers,) to Abraham and to his seed for ever. ⁵⁶And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her house. ⁵⁷But the time was fulfilled for Elizabeth that she should bring forth, and she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸And her neighbours and kinsfolk heard that [the] Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her. ⁵⁹And it came to pass on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they called it after the name of his father, Zacharias. ⁶⁰And his mother answering said, No; but he shall be called John. ⁶¹And they said to her, There is no one among thy kinsfolk who is called by this name. ⁶²And they made signs to his father as to what he might wish it to be called. ⁶³And having asked for a writing-table, he wrote saying, John is his name. And they all wondered. ⁶⁴And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue, and he spake, blessing God. ⁶⁵And fear came upon all who dwelt round about them; and in the whole hill-country of Judaea all these things were the subject of conversation. ⁶⁶And all who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then will this child be? And [the] Lord's hand was with him. ⁶⁷And Zacharias his father was filled with [the] Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, ⁶⁸Blessed be [the] Lord the God of Israel, because he has visited and wrought redemption for his people, ⁶⁹and raised up a horn of deliverance for us in the house of David his servant; ⁷⁰as he spoke by [the] mouth of his holy prophets, who have been since the world began; ⁷¹deliverance from our enemies and out of the hand of all who hate us; ⁷²to fulfil mercy with our fathers and remember his holy covenant, ⁷³[the] oath which he swore to Abraham our father, ⁷⁴to give us, that, saved out of the hand of our enemies, we should serve him without fear ⁷⁵in piety and righteousness before him all our days. ⁷⁶And thou, child, shalt be called [the] prophet of [the] Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of [the] Lord to make ready his ways; ⁷⁷to give knowledge of deliverance to his people by [the] remission of their sins ⁷⁸on account of [the] bowels of mercy of our God; wherein [the] dayspring from on high has visited us, ⁷⁹to shine upon them who were sitting in darkness and in [the] shadow of death, to guide our feet into [the] way of peace. ⁸⁰— And the child grew and was strengthened in spirit; and he was in the deserts until the day of his shewing to Israel.

Webster · Webster Bible

¹Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, ²Even as they delivered them to us, who from the beginning were eye-witnesses, and ministers of the word; ³It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴That thou mayest know the certainty of those things in which thou hast been instructed. ⁵There was in the days of Herod the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife [was] of the daughters of Aaron, and her name [was] Elisabeth. ⁶And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. ⁷And they had no child, because Elisabeth was barren, and they both were far advanced in years. ⁸And it came to pass, that, while he executed the priests' office before God in the order of his course, ⁹According to the custom of the priests' office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. ¹⁰And the whole multitude of the people were praying without, at the time of incense. ¹¹And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹²And when Zacharias saw [him], he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. ¹³But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. ¹⁴And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵For 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. ¹⁶And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. ¹⁷And 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. ¹⁸And Zacharias said to the angel, By what shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife far advanced in years. ¹⁹And the angel answering, said to him, I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak to thee, and to show thee these glad tidings. ²⁰And behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words which shall be fulfilled in their season. ²¹And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple. ²²And when he came out, he could not speak to them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple; for he beckoned to them, and remained speechless. ²³And it came to pass, that as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. ²⁴And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and secluded herself five months, saying, ²⁵Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days in which he looked on [me], to take away my reproach among men. ²⁶And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, ²⁷To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name [was] Mary. ²⁸And the angel came to her, and said, Hail, [thou that art] highly favored, the Lord [is] with thee: blessed [art] thou among women. ²⁹And when she saw [him], she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. ³⁰And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. ³¹And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. ³²He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David. ³³And he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. ³⁴Then said Mary to the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? ³⁵And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon thee, and the power of the Highest will overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. ³⁶And behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren: ³⁷For with God nothing will be impossible. ³⁸And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. ³⁹And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill-country with haste, into a city of Judah, ⁴⁰And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. ⁴¹And it came to pass, that when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb: and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴²And she spoke with a loud voice, and said, Blessed [art] thou among women, and blessed [is] the fruit of thy womb. ⁴³And whence [is] this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴For lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. ⁴⁵And blessed [is] she that believed that there will be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. ⁴⁶And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, ⁴⁷And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. ⁴⁸For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for behold, from henceforth all generations will call me blessed. ⁴⁹For he that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy [is] his name. ⁵⁰And his mercy [is] on them that fear him, from generation to generation. ⁵¹He hath shown strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. ⁵²He hath put down the mighty from [their] seats, and exalted them of low degree. ⁵³He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent away empty. ⁵⁴He hath sustained his servant Israel, in remembrance of [his] mercy; ⁵⁵As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. ⁵⁶And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house. ⁵⁷Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. ⁵⁸And her neighbors and her cousins heard that the Lord had shown great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. ⁵⁹And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. ⁶⁰And his mother answered and said, Not [so]; but he shall be called John. ⁶¹And they said to her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. ⁶²And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. ⁶³And he asked for a writing-table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they all wondered. ⁶⁴And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue [loosed], and he spoke, and praised God. ⁶⁵And fear came on all that dwelt around them; and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill-country of Judea. ⁶⁶And all they that had heard [them], laid [them] up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child will this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him. ⁶⁷And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, ⁶⁸Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people. ⁶⁹And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us, in the house of his servant David: ⁷⁰As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who have been since the world began: ⁷¹That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; ⁷²To perform the mercy [promised] to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant: ⁷³The oath which he swore to our father Abraham, ⁷⁴That he would grant to us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, ⁷⁵In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. ⁷⁶And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; ⁷⁷To give knowledge of salvation to his people, by the remission of their sins, ⁷⁸Through the tender mercy of our God; by which the day-spring from on high hath visited us, ⁷⁹To give light to them that sit in darkness and [in] the shades of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. ⁸⁰And the child grew, and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing to Israel.

DRC · Douay-Rheims (Challoner)

¹Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a narration of the things that have been accomplished among us; ²According as they have delivered them unto us, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word: ³It seemed good to me also, having diligently attained to all things from the beginning, to write to thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴That thou mayest know the verity of those words in which thou hast been instructed. ⁵There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zachary, of the course of Abia; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth. ⁶And they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and justifications of the Lord without blame. ⁷And they had no son, for that Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years. ⁸And it came to pass, when he executed the priestly function in the order of his course before God, ⁹According to the custom of the priestly office, it was his lot to offer incense, going into the temple of the Lord. ¹⁰And all the multitude of the people was praying without, at the hour of incense. ¹¹And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the alter of incense. ¹²And Zachary seeing him, was troubled, and fear fell upon him. ¹³But the angel said to him: Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John: ¹⁴And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice in his nativity. ¹⁵For he shall be great before the Lord; and shall drink no wine nor strong drink: and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. ¹⁶And he shall convert many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias; that he may turn the hearts of the fathers unto the children, and the incredulous to the wisdom of the just, to prepare unto the Lord a perfect people. ¹⁸And Zachary said to the angel: Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years. ¹⁹And the angel answering, said to him: I am Gabriel, who stand before God: and am sent to speak to thee, and to bring thee these good tidings. ²⁰And behold, thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be able to speak until the day wherein these things shall come to pass, because thou hast not believed my words, which shall be fulfilled in their time. ²¹And the people were waiting for Zachary; and they wondered that he tarried so long in the temple. ²²And when he came out, he could not speak to them: and they understood that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he made signs to them, and remained dumb. ²³And it came to pass, after the days of his office were accomplished, he departed to his own house. ²⁴And after those days, Elizabeth his wife conceived, and hid herself five months, saying: ²⁵Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he hath had regard to take away my reproach among men. ²⁶And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, ²⁷To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. ²⁹Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. ³⁰And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. ³¹Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. ³²He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. ³³And of his kingdom there shall be no end. ³⁴And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man? ³⁵And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. ³⁶And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren: ³⁷Because no word shall be impossible with God. ³⁸And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. ³⁹And Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda. ⁴⁰And she entered into the house of Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth. ⁴¹And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: ⁴²And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. ⁴³And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord. ⁴⁶And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord. ⁴⁷And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. ⁴⁸Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. ⁴⁹Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name. ⁵⁰And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him. ⁵¹He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. ⁵²He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. ⁵³He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. ⁵⁴He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy: ⁵⁵As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever. ⁵⁶And Mary abode with her about three months; and she returned to her own house. ⁵⁷Now Elizabeth’s full time of being delivered was come, and she brought forth a son. ⁵⁸And her neighbours and kinsfolks heard that the Lord had shewed his great mercy towards her, and they congratulated with her. ⁵⁹And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they called him by his father’s name Zachary. ⁶⁰And his mother answering, said: Not so; but he shall be called John. ⁶¹And they said to her: There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. ⁶²And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. ⁶³And demanding a writing table, he wrote, saying: John is his name. And they all wondered. ⁶⁴And immediately his mouth was opened, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. ⁶⁵And fear came upon all their neighbours; and all these things were noised abroad over all the hill country of Judea. ⁶⁶And all they that had heard them laid them up in their heart, saying: What an one, think ye, shall this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him. ⁶⁷And Zachary his father was filled with the Holy Ghost; and he prophesied, saying: ⁶⁸Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; because he hath visited and wrought the redemption of his people: ⁶⁹And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us, in the house of David his servant: ⁷⁰As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who are from the beginning: ⁷¹Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us: ⁷²To perform mercy to our fathers, and to remember his holy testament, ⁷³The oath, which he swore to Abraham our father, that he would grant to us, ⁷⁴That being delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him without fear, ⁷⁵In holiness and justice before him, all our days. ⁷⁶And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways: ⁷⁷To give knowledge of salvation to his people, unto the remission of their sins: ⁷⁸Through the bowels of the mercy of our God, in which the Orient from on high hath visited us: ⁷⁹To enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death: to direct our feet into the way of peace. ⁸⁰And the child grew, and was strengthened in spirit; and was in the deserts until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

Differences that change the meaning (138)

v1 [lexical]: choice of causal conjunction — “Forasmuch as” (KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “Since” (WEB) vs “Seeing that” (YLT)
v1 [lexical]: phrasing for taking up a task — “have taken in hand” (KJV, ASV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “undertaken” (WEB, DARBY) vs “did take” (YLT)
v3 [grammatical]: phrasing of direction and manner — “to” (YLT, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “unto thee in order” (KJV, ASV) vs “to you” (WEB) vs “to with method” (DARBY)
v4 [grammatical]: modal verb form — “thou mightest” (KJV, ASV, DARBY) vs “mayest” (YLT, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “you might” (WEB)
v5 [grammatical]: phrasing of a name — “named Zacharias” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “by name” (YLT, DARBY) vs “Zachary” (DRC)
v5 [lexical]: translation of priestly division — “course” (KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “priestly division” (WEB)
v5 [grammatical]: sentence boundaries and conjunctions — “Abia and his” (KJV, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “Abijah He had a” (WEB, ASV) vs “Abijah” (YLT)
v6 [lexical]: translation of righteous or just — “righteous” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, WEBSTER) vs “just” (DARBY, DRC)
v6 [lexical]: translation of walking or blamelessly — “walking” (KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “blamelessly” (WEB) vs “going on” (YLT)
v6 [lexical]: translation of ordinances or righteousnesses — “ordinances” (WEB, KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “righteousnesses” (YLT) vs “justifications” (DRC)
v7 [lexical]: choice of conjunction — “And” (KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “But” (WEB)
v7 [lexical]: (vv 7, 18) phrasing for old age — “advanced” (WEB, YLT, DRC) vs “now well stricken” (KJV, ASV) vs “both advanced” (DARBY) vs “far advanced” (WEBSTER)
v8 [lexical]: phrasing for priestly course or division — “course” (KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “before God” (YLT, DRC) vs “division” (WEB)
v10 [lexical]: without versus outside — “without” (KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “outside” (WEB)
v10 [lexical]: hour versus time — “hour” (WEB, ASV, YLT, DARBY, DRC) vs “time” (KJV, WEBSTER)
v13 [stylistic]: (vv 13, 18, 19, 22, 30, 43, 61) to versus unto — “to” (WEB, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “unto” (KJV, ASV, YLT)
v13 [grammatical]: pronoun form — “and thy” (KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “Your” (WEB)
v13 [grammatical]: auxiliary verb choice — “Elisabeth shall” (KJV, ASV, YLT, WEBSTER) vs “Elizabeth” (DARBY, DRC) vs “Elizabeth will” (WEB)
v13 [grammatical]: (vv 13, 30, 31, 42, 76) archaic versus modern pronoun — “thou shalt” (KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “you shall” (WEB)
v14 [lexical]: gladness versus rejoicing — “gladness” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “rejoicing” (DARBY)
v14 [lexical]: phrasing for birth or nativity — “birth” (WEB, KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “shall joy” (YLT) vs “nativity” (DRC)
v15 [grammatical]: (vv 15, 17, 32, 33, 60) shall versus will — “shall” (KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “will” (WEB)
v15 [lexical]: in the sight of versus before — “in the sight of” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “before” (YLT, DARBY, DRC)
v16 [grammatical]: phrasing for turning the children — “And” (KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “He will turn” (WEB) vs “he shall convert” (DRC)
v16 [lexical]: children versus sons — “children” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “sons” (YLT, DARBY)
v17 [lexical]: him versus his face — “him” (WEB, KJV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “his face” (ASV)
v17 [grammatical]: phrasing involving Elijah and conjunction — “Elijah” (WEB, ASV, YLT, WEBSTER) vs “Elias to” (KJV, DARBY) vs “that he may” (DRC)
v17 [lexical]: disobedient versus incredulous — “the disobedient” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “ones” (YLT, DARBY) vs “incredulous” (DRC)
v17 [lexical]: wisdom versus thoughts — “wisdom” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “thoughts” (DARBY)
v17 [lexical]: the just versus righteous ones — “the just” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “righteous ones” (YLT) vs “men” (DARBY)
v18 [grammatical]: phrasing for a question — “angel Whereby shall” (KJV, ASV, DRC) vs “How can” (WEB) vs “messenger” (YLT) vs “How” (DARBY) vs “By what” (WEBSTER)
v18 [lexical]: know versus be sure of — “know” (KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “be sure of” (WEB)
v19 [grammatical]: phrasing of the angel's answer — “to” (DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “angel answering said unto” (KJV, ASV) vs “answered” (WEB) vs “messenger to” (YLT)
v19 [grammatical]: verb tense for being sent — “I was” (WEB, ASV, YLT) vs “and am” (KJV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “I have been” (DARBY)
v20 [grammatical]: interjection and pronoun phrasing — “And behold thou shalt” (KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “you will” (WEB) vs “lo” (YLT)
v20 [lexical]: silent versus dumb — “silent” (WEB, ASV, YLT, DARBY) vs “dumb” (KJV, WEBSTER, DRC)
v20 [stylistic]: until versus till — “until” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “till” (YLT, DARBY)
v20 [grammatical]: (vv 20, 36) relative pronoun phrase — “that” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, WEBSTER) vs “in which” (DARBY) vs “wherein” (DRC)
v20 [lexical]: phrasing for coming to pass — “come to pass” (ASV, YLT, DRC) vs “shall be performed” (KJV, WEBSTER) vs “will happen” (WEB) vs “take place” (DARBY)
v20 [grammatical]: tense and phrasing of believing — “thou believest not” (KJV, WEBSTER) vs “hast believed” (DARBY, DRC) vs “you didn’t believe” (WEB) vs “believedst” (ASV) vs “didst believe” (YLT)
v20 [grammatical]: relative pronoun and auxiliary — “which shall” (KJV, ASV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “will” (WEB) vs “that” (YLT) vs “the” (DARBY)
v20 [lexical]: season versus time — “season” (KJV, ASV, YLT, WEBSTER) vs “time” (DARBY, DRC) vs “proper time” (WEB)
v21 [grammatical]: continuous aspect and object phrasing — “were waiting” (WEB, ASV, YLT) vs “waited for Zacharias” (KJV, WEBSTER) vs “were awaiting” (DARBY) vs “were waiting Zachary” (DRC)
v22 [lexical]: perceived versus recognized — “perceived” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, WEBSTER) vs “recognised” (DARBY) vs “understood” (DRC)
v22 [grammatical]: phrasing for making signs — “continued making signs to” (WEB) vs “beckoned unto” (KJV) vs “continued making signs” (ASV) vs “was beckoning to” (YLT) vs “was making signs to” (DARBY) vs “to” (WEBSTER) vs “made signs to” (DRC)
v22 [lexical]: speechless versus dumb or mute — “remained speechless” (KJV, WEBSTER) vs “dumb” (ASV, DRC) vs “mute” (WEB) vs “did remain dumb” (YLT) vs “continued dumb” (DARBY)
v23 [lexical]: service versus ministration — “service” (WEB, YLT, DARBY) vs “ministration” (KJV, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “office” (DRC)
v23 [lexical]: fulfilled versus accomplished — “fulfilled” (WEB, ASV, YLT) vs “accomplished” (KJV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “completed” (DARBY)
v23 [lexical]: departed versus went away — “departed to” (WEB, KJV, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “unto” (ASV) vs “went away” (YLT)
v24 [grammatical]: (vv 24, 39) demonstrative pronoun choice — “those” (KJV, YLT, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “these” (WEB, ASV, DARBY)
v24 [grammatical]: phrasing of hiding or seclusion — “hid” (KJV, YLT, DARBY, DRC) vs “she” (WEB, ASV) vs “secluded” (WEBSTER)
v25 [lexical]: done to versus dealt with — “done to” (WEB, YLT, DARBY) vs “dealt with” (KJV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “done unto” (ASV)
v25 [grammatical]: in which versus wherein — “in which” (WEB, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “wherein” (KJV, ASV, DRC)
v25 [lexical]: phrasing for looking upon — “upon” (ASV, YLT, DARBY) vs “looked on me” (KJV, WEBSTER) vs “at” (WEB) vs “hath had regard” (DRC)
v26 [lexical]: conjunction choice — “And” (KJV, YLT, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “Now” (WEB, ASV) vs “But” (DARBY)
v26 [grammatical]: (vv 26, 36, 39, 55, 71, 77) preposition choice — “from” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “by” (YLT) vs “of” (DARBY)
v27 [lexical]: espoused versus betrothed — “espoused” (KJV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “betrothed” (ASV, YLT, DARBY) vs “pledged” (WEB)
v27 [grammatical]: genitive phrasing — “the” (KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “David’s” (WEB)
v29 [lexical]: saying versus word — “his saying” (KJV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “the” (WEB, ASV) vs “word” (YLT, DARBY)
v29 [grammatical]: modal verb choice — “should” (KJV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “might” (WEB, ASV) vs “salutation may” (YLT) vs “salutation might” (DARBY)
v30 [grammatical]: phrasing of fear not — “Fear not” (KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “Don’t be afraid” (WEB)
v30 [lexical]: favor versus grace — “favor” (WEB, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “favour” (KJV, YLT, DARBY) vs “grace” (DRC)
v31 [lexical]: phrasing for giving birth — “bring forth” (KJV, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “shalt” (YLT, DRC) vs “give birth to” (WEB) vs “bear” (DARBY)
v32 [lexical]: Highest versus Most High — “Most High” (WEB, ASV, DRC) vs “Highest and” (KJV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “he shall be called” (YLT)
v33 [grammatical]: phrasing of negation — “no” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “an” (DARBY)
v34 [grammatical]: phrasing for saying to someone — “said to” (WEB, DARBY, DRC) vs “said” (ASV, YLT) vs “unto” (KJV) vs “to” (WEBSTER)
v34 [grammatical]: shall versus can — “shall” (KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “can” (WEB)
v34 [lexical]: phrasing for knowing a man — “seeing” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “a husband” (YLT) vs “since” (DARBY) vs “done because” (DRC)
v35 [lexical]: (vv 35, 41, 67) Spirit versus Ghost — “Spirit” (ASV, YLT, DARBY) vs “Spirit will” (WEB, WEBSTER) vs “Ghost shall” (KJV, DRC)
v35 [grammatical]: preposition and pronoun choice — “upon thee” (KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “on you” (WEB)
v38 [lexical]: handmaid versus servant — “handmaid” (KJV, ASV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “servant” (WEB) vs “maid-servant” (YLT) vs “bondmaid” (DARBY)
v38 [grammatical]: be versus let — “be” (KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “let” (WEB, YLT)
v38 [grammatical]: phrasing of application to oneself — “unto” (KJV, ASV) vs “to” (DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “be done to” (WEB) vs “be to” (YLT) vs “done to” (DRC)
v38 [grammatical]: phrasing for according to your word — “thy word And” (KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “your Then” (WEB) vs “saying” (YLT)
v39 [grammatical]: participle versus finite verb — “arose” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “rising up” (DARBY, DRC) vs “having arisen” (YLT)
v39 [lexical]: variation of place name — “Judah” (WEB, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “Juda” (KJV, DRC) vs “Judea” (YLT)
v40 [lexical]: greeted versus saluted — “saluted Elisabeth” (KJV, ASV, YLT, WEBSTER) vs “Elizabeth” (DARBY, DRC) vs “greeted Elizabeth” (WEB)
v41 [grammatical]: genitive construction — “the salutation of Mary” (KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “Mary’s greeting” (WEB)
v41 [lexical]: babe versus baby and verb phrasing — “babe leaped” (KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “baby” (WEB) vs “did leap” (YLT) vs “infant” (DRC)
v42 [lexical]: voice versus cry — “voice” (WEB, KJV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “cry” (ASV)
v42 [grammatical]: word order and preposition — “art thou among” (KJV, ASV, YLT, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “are you” (WEB) vs “amongst” (DARBY)
v44 [grammatical]: phrasing of when or as soon as — “behold when” (WEB, ASV) vs “lo as soon as” (KJV, WEBSTER) vs “behold” (DARBY, DRC) vs “when” (YLT)
v46 [grammatical]: auxiliary verb doth versus verb suffix — “doth magnify” (KJV, ASV, YLT, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “magnifies” (WEB, DARBY)
v47 [grammatical]: tense and preposition for rejoiced — “hath rejoiced in” (KJV, ASV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “has” (WEB, DARBY) vs “was glad on” (YLT)
v48 [lexical]: (vv 48, 68) For versus Because — “For” (WEB, KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “Because” (YLT, DRC)
v48 [lexical]: regarded versus looked at — “hath regarded” (KJV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “has looked at” (WEB) vs “looked upon” (ASV) vs “looked on” (YLT) vs “has looked upon” (DARBY)
v48 [lexical]: low estate versus humble state — “low estate” (KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “humble state” (WEB) vs “lowliness” (YLT) vs “humility” (DRC)
v48 [lexical]: handmaiden versus servant — “handmaiden” (KJV, WEBSTER) vs “handmaid” (ASV, DRC) vs “servant” (WEB) vs “maid-servant” (YLT) vs “bondmaid” (DARBY)
v49 [grammatical]: phrasing of he that is — “For he that is” (KJV, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “who” (WEB, YLT) vs “the” (DARBY) vs “Because” (DRC)
v49 [grammatical]: phrasing of for me or to me — “and” (KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “for me” (WEB) vs “to me” (DRC)
v51 [lexical]: phrasing for showing strength — “has shown” (WEB) vs “hath shewed strength with” (KJV) vs “showed” (ASV) vs “did powerfully” (YLT) vs “has wrought” (DARBY) vs “shown” (WEBSTER) vs “might in” (DRC)
v51 [lexical]: the proud versus haughty ones — “the proud” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “abroad” (YLT) vs “haughty ones” (DARBY)
v51 [lexical]: imagination versus thought — “imagination” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “thought” (YLT, DARBY) vs “conceit” (DRC)
v51 [grammatical]: (vv 51, 66) singular versus plural for heart — “heart” (ASV, YLT, DARBY, DRC) vs “hearts” (WEB, KJV, WEBSTER)
v52 [grammatical]: hath put versus has — “hath put” (KJV, ASV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “has” (WEB, DARBY) vs “brought” (YLT)
v52 [lexical]: mighty versus princes — “the mighty” (KJV, YLT, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “princes” (WEB, ASV) vs “rulers” (DARBY)
v52 [lexical]: thrones versus seats — “thrones” (WEB, ASV, YLT, DARBY) vs “their seats” (KJV, WEBSTER) vs “seat” (DRC)
v52 [lexical]: lowly versus humble — “the lowly” (WEB, YLT, DARBY) vs “them of low degree” (KJV, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “the humble” (DRC)
v55 [grammatical]: verb choice and preposition — “spoke” (WEB, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “unto” (ASV, YLT) vs “spake to” (KJV)
v55 [lexical]: seed versus offspring — “seed for ever” (KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “offspring forever” (WEB) vs “to the age” (YLT)
v56 [lexical]: abode versus stayed — “abode” (KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “stayed” (WEB) vs “remained” (YLT)
v56 [grammatical]: phrasing for returned — “returned to” (KJV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “then” (WEB) vs “unto” (ASV) vs “turned back” (YLT) vs “she” (DRC)
v57 [lexical]: brought forth versus gave birth — “brought forth” (KJV, ASV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “gave birth to” (WEB, DARBY) vs “bare” (YLT)
v58 [grammatical]: inclusion of conjunction and pronoun — “neighbors” (WEB, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “And her neighbours” (KJV, DARBY, DRC) vs “the” (YLT)
v58 [lexical]: cousins versus kinsfolk — “her cousins” (KJV, WEBSTER) vs “kinsfolk” (ASV, DARBY) vs “relatives” (WEB) vs “kindred” (YLT) vs “kinsfolks” (DRC)
v58 [grammatical]: that versus how — “that” (WEB, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “how” (KJV)
v58 [grammatical]: rejoiced versus congratulated — “rejoiced” (WEB, KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “were rejoicing” (YLT) vs “congratulated” (DRC)
v59 [grammatical]: phrasing for naming after the father — “father” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “Zacharias” (YLT, DARBY) vs “father’s name Zachary” (DRC)
v62 [grammatical]: what versus how — “what” (WEB, ASV, YLT) vs “how” (KJV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “as to what” (DARBY)
v63 [lexical]: tablet versus writing table — “tablet” (WEB, ASV) vs “writing table and” (KJV) vs “tablet he” (YLT) vs “writing-table he” (DARBY) vs “writing-table” (WEBSTER) vs “he” (DRC)
v64 [grammatical]: phrasing of speaking and blessing — “spoke blessing” (WEB, DRC) vs “blessing” (ASV, DARBY) vs “spake and praised” (KJV) vs “was speaking praising” (YLT) vs “spoke” (WEBSTER)
v65 [stylistic]: on versus upon — “on” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “upon” (YLT, DARBY, DRC)
v65 [grammatical]: sentence restructuring — “hill country” (WEB, KJV, ASV, DRC) vs “hill-country” (YLT, WEBSTER) vs “subject” (DARBY)
v66 [grammatical]: phrasing of the rhetorical question — “then will” (WEB, DARBY) vs “then” (ASV, YLT) vs “manner of child shall” (KJV) vs “will” (WEBSTER) vs “an one think ye” (DRC)
v67 [grammatical]: auxiliary did versus suffix — “prophesied” (WEB, KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “did prophesy” (YLT) vs “he” (DRC)
v68 [lexical]: phrasing for visited — “hath visited” (KJV, ASV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “has” (WEB, DARBY) vs “did look upon” (YLT)
v68 [grammatical]: phrasing for redeemed — “redeemed” (WEB, KJV, WEBSTER) vs “wrought redemption for” (ASV, YLT, DARBY) vs “wrought the redemption of” (DRC)
v69 [grammatical]: phrasing for raised up a horn — “a” (ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “hath raised up an” (KJV, DRC) vs “has a” (WEB) vs “did raise” (YLT)
v69 [lexical]: salvation versus deliverance — “salvation for” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “to” (YLT, DRC) vs “deliverance” (DARBY)
v71 [grammatical]: relative clause versus participle — “that hate” (KJV, ASV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “who” (WEB, DARBY) vs “hating” (YLT)
v72 [lexical]: covenant versus testament — “covenant” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “testament” (DRC)
v73 [grammatical]: phrasing for swearing an oath — “swore Abraham” (WEB, DARBY, DRC) vs “sware to” (KJV) vs “unto Abraham” (ASV) vs “Abraham” (YLT) vs “swore” (WEBSTER)
v75 [lexical]: holiness versus piety — “holiness” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “piety” (DARBY)
v75 [lexical]: righteousness versus justice — “righteousness” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “justice” (DRC)
v75 [lexical]: life versus days — “life” (WEB, KJV, YLT, WEBSTER) vs “days” (ASV, DARBY, DRC)
v76 [grammatical]: word order of Highest and verb — “Highest” (KJV, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “Most High” (WEB, ASV) vs “Shalt thou be called” (YLT)
v76 [lexical]: prepare versus make ready — “prepare” (WEB, KJV, YLT, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “make ready” (ASV, DARBY)
v77 [grammatical]: phrasing for giving salvation — “to” (WEB, YLT, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “salvation unto” (KJV, ASV) vs “deliverance to” (DARBY)
v78 [lexical]: through versus because of — “Through” (KJV, YLT, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “because of” (WEB, ASV) vs “on account of” (DARBY)
v78 [lexical]: tender mercy versus bowels of mercy — “tender mercy” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “mercies” (YLT) vs “bowels of” (DARBY) vs “bowels of the” (DRC)
v78 [grammatical]: by which versus whereby — “by which” (WEB, WEBSTER) vs “whereby” (KJV, ASV) vs “In which” (YLT, DRC) vs “wherein” (DARBY)
v78 [lexical]: dayspring versus dawn — “dayspring” (KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “dawn” (WEB) vs “rising” (YLT) vs “Orient” (DRC)
v78 [grammatical]: verb tense and phrasing for visited — “hath visited” (KJV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “will visit” (WEB) vs “shall visit” (ASV) vs “did look upon” (YLT) vs “has” (DARBY)
v79 [lexical]: guide versus direct — “guide” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “direct” (DRC)
v80 [grammatical]: verb aspect — “grew” (KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “was growing” (WEB)
v80 [lexical]: phrasing for becoming strong — “was strengthened” (YLT, DARBY, DRC) vs “waxed strong” (KJV, ASV) vs “becoming” (WEB) vs “became” (WEBSTER)
v80 [grammatical]: until versus till and pluralization — “deserts till” (KJV, ASV, YLT, WEBSTER) vs “until” (DARBY, DRC) vs “desert until” (WEB)
v80 [lexical]: showing versus manifestation — “shewing unto” (KJV, YLT) vs “public appearance to” (WEB) vs “showing” (ASV) vs “to” (DARBY) vs “showing to” (WEBSTER) vs “manifestation to” (DRC)

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.

Luke 1 in your tradition

Teaching published by Non-denominational Evangelical itself — the tradition in its own voice, not our summary of it.

Links to other people’s work, not ours. Each one was checked and loaded before it was listed here; ManyBibles doesn’t endorse them, and they don’t endorse ManyBibles.

Behind this page

Source text. Greek (TAGNT, public-domain critical text). Greek text provided (resembling NA28/UBS5 critical edition).

Divine names: Theos (God), Kyrios (Lord).

Also consulted, but not counted in the consensus

Academic textual-historical analysis

The chapter opens with a formal methodological prologue (verses 1-4) in which the author declares the intent to compile an orderly narrative, acknowledging reliance on prior traditions and eyewitnesses. The text then transitions into a narrative set in Herod's Judea, detailing two parallel angelic annunciations of miraculous conceptions: first, to the elderly priest Zacharias regarding John (verses 5-25), and second, to the virgin Mary regarding Jesus (verses 26-38). The chapter proceeds to describe Mary's visit to Elizabeth (verses 39-56) and the subsequent birth, naming, and circumcision of John (verses 57-80). The narrative is interspersed with poetic declarations and canticles that interpret these events as the fulfillment of ancestral covenants and divine promises to Abraham and David.

Jewish interpretation

The narrative opens in late Second Temple Judea during the reign of Herod, detailing the priestly duties of Zechariah from the division of Abijah. It describes the offering of incense in the sanctuary while the congregation prays outside. The text constructs a birth narrative deeply rooted in Hebrew Bible archetypes: a righteous but barren older couple receives divine assurance of a child, and a younger woman receives a parallel prophecy. The anticipated child, John, is explicitly framed as a prophetic forerunner in the spirit of Elijah. The chapter emphasizes Jewish observances, including the eighth-day circumcision and naming of the child, and culminates in poetic declarations that echo the covenantal promises made to Abraham and the house of David.

Latter-day Saint

Luke 1 establishes the historical and theological foundation for the New Testament by recounting the miraculous conceptions of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Set within the context of Second Temple Judaism and Aaronic priesthood duties, the narrative details the angel Gabriel's appearances to Zacharias and Mary, culminating in prophetic declarations (the Magnificat and the Benedictus) that celebrate God's faithfulness to His covenant with Israel and the imminent arrival of the Davidic Messiah.

Jehovah's Witnesses

Luke 1 details the orderly narrative of the angelic announcements to Zechariah and Mary, promising the births of John the Baptist and Jesus. It includes the visit between the two expectant mothers, their expressions of praise to God, the birth of John, and Zechariah's prophetic blessing.

Translation choices the NCB made (23)

v1: "Since indeed" — Accurately reflects the complex Greek particle compound Ἐπειδήπερ introducing the formal period.
v3: "to you an orderly account" — Renders the adverbial alliteration and maintains the grammatical object clearly in contemporary syntax.
v4: "the certainty" — Preserves ambiguity regarding whether the prologue implies verifiable empirical proof or narrative assurance, a disputed claim among traditions.
v5: "priestly division" — Clarifies the archaic 'course' into an understandable modern description of the temple service rotation.
v6: "God / the Lord" — Systematically distinguishes the divine titles Theos and Kyrios according to the mapping instructions.
v6: "requirements" — Avoids anachronistic systematic theological terms and remains neutral on whether Zechariah's obedience strictly belonged to the Old Covenant economy, a disputed claim.
v7: "advanced in their days" — Preserves the specific Greek plural idiom strictly without flattening to the standard English 'years'.
v10: "hour of the incense burning" — Reflects the cognate relationship between the noun here and the verb in verse 9.
v13: "your petition" — Conveys the Greek term for a personal entreaty or specific need without relying on archaic vocabulary.
v18: "By what will I know this?" — Accurately translates the prepositional interrogative phrase without smoothing it into a simple 'How'.
v28: "favored one" — Maintains the cognate connection to grace while refusing to settle the disputed claim that the title implies a permanent state of preservation from original sin.
v32: "Most High" — Applies standard capitalization and title recognition for the divine name across the rendering.
v33: "for eternity" — Conveys the plural definite article construction designating endless ages accurately in modern English.
v35: "overshadow" — Maintains the traditional rendering that remains entirely neutral on the exact mechanism of the hypostatic union, keeping the disputed theology open.
v38: "let it be done to me" — Maintains a posture of receptive permission that does not force a resolution between absolute passive submission and active human cooperation, both of which are disputed.
v46: "Mary" — Rejects the Old Latin variant in favor of the overwhelming manuscript evidence attributing the Magnificat to Mary.
v47: "Savior" — Capitalized as a divine title, leaving unresolved the disputed claim that this necessitates Mary was personally a sinner in need of redemption.
v51: "intention of their heart" — Preserves the Greek's specific pairing of singular mind/intention and singular heart against the plural direct object.
v52: "rulers" — Uses a broad term that refuses to exclusively resolve if the reversal is a programmatic socio-political manifesto or primarily a spiritual metaphor.
v55: "to Abraham and to his offspring" — Literally tracks the paired definite articles defining the historical continuity of the covenant promises.
v77: "forgiveness of their sins" — Employs a standard modern equivalent that leaves open whether the overarching theme strictly limits itself to spiritual remission against earthly liberation, a disputed claim.
v78: "deep compassion" — Accurately conveys the intense visceral metaphor for mercy without using literalistic anatomy that is archaic in modern English idiom.
v80: "spirit" — Renders with lowercase to indicate the maturation of the human spirit of John, interpreting the phrase chronologically rather than as pneumatological title.

Limits worth knowing

This is AI-generated and source-grounded, and it is approved by no community that holds these traditions.
The readings were produced in isolated calls that do not see one another. Isolation prevents anchoring; it does not make them independent witnesses.
The Nicene-Trinitarian boundary, and the decision not to seat non-denominational Evangelicalism separately (it is a cross-traditional movement already present within several voting profiles), are editorial choices.
The roster, the grouping into three families, and the rule that families (not seat counts) carry consensus all shape the result. A different roster would produce a different synthesis.
One profile cannot exhaust a tradition; the synthesis reflects what the profiles said, not everything the traditions hold.
The non-voting panels (Academic, Jewish) never vote; LDS and Jehovah's Witness readings are a comparative appendix only.
Any profiles excluded for this chapter after failing the audit are named on the page and removed from the eligible roster for it.
The rendering is unreviewed by any tradition, and every contested wording it settled is listed in Choices Made — where the text forced a decision, the decision is documented rather than hidden behind a claim of preserved ambiguity.

See the full step-by-step working → · AI-generated Jul 16, 2026, gemini-3.1-pro-preview (high thinking) — every stage, v4 spec + Addendum B (claim-audited, cross-stage-checked)