New Living Translation

King James Bible

1Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us.

1Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,

2They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples.

2Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;

3Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus,

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,

4so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught. The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

4That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

5When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron.

5There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

6Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations.

6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

7They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.

7And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

8One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week.

8And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,

9As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.

9According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

10While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying.

10And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

11While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar.

11And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

12Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him.

12And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

13But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.

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.

14You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,

14And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

15for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before 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 he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God.

16And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

17He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”

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.

18Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”

18And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

19Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news!

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.

20But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”

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.

21Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long.

21And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.

22When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary.

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.

23When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home.

23And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.

24Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months.

24And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

25“How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.” The Birth of Jesus Foretold

25Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

26In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee,

26And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

27to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.

27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

28Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you! ”

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.

29Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.

29And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

30“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!

30And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.

31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

32He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.

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 will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

34Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

34Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

35The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.

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.

36What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month.

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 the word of God will never fail. ”

37For with God nothing shall be impossible.

38Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. Mary Visits Elizabeth

38And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

39A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town

39And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;

40where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth.

40And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

41At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

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:

42Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed.

42And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

43Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me?

43And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

44When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy.

44For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

45You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” The Magnificat: Mary’s Song of Praise

45And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

46Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.

46And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

47How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

47And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

48For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed.

48For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

49For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.

49For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

50He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him.

50And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

51His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.

51He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

52He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble.

52He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

53He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands.

53He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

54He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful.

54He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;

55For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.”

55As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

56Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home. The Birth of John the Baptist

56And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

57When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son.

57Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.

58And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her.

58And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

59When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father.

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.

60But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!”

60And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.

61“What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.”

61And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.

62So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him.

62And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

63He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.”

63And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.

64Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.

64And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

65Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills.

65And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.

66Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way. Zechariah’s Prophecy

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.

67Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:

67And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

68“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people.

68Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

69He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David,

69And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

70just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.

70As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

71Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us.

71That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

72He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant—

72To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

73the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham.

73The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

74We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear,

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 for as long as we live.

75In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

76“And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord.

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;

77You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins.

77To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

78Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,

78Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

79to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”

79To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

80John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.

80And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.