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The Gospel According to St. Luke

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- Chapter 1 -

(Acts 1:1–3)
1
Since, indeed, many have attempted to set in order a narrative of the things that have been completed among us,
2
just as they have been handed on to those of us who from the beginning saw the same and were ministers of the word,
3
so it seemed good to me also, having diligently followed everything from the beginning, to write to you, in an orderly manner, most excellent Theophilus,
4
so that you might know the truthfulness of those words by which you have been instructed.

Gabriel Foretells John’s Birth

5
There was, in the days of Herod, king of Judea, a certain priest named Zechariah, of the section of Abijah, and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.(a)
6
Now they were both just before God, progressing in all of the commandments and the justifications of the Lord without blame.
7
And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both had become advanced in years.
8
Then it happened that, when he was exercising the priesthood before God, in the order of his section,
9
according to the custom of the priesthood, the lot fell so that he would offer incense, entering into the temple of the Lord.
10
And the entire multitude of the people was praying outside, at the hour of incense.
11
Then there appeared to him an Angel of the Lord, standing at the right of the altar of incense.
12
And upon seeing him, Zechariah was disturbed, and fear fell over him.
13
But the Angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear a son to you. And you shall call his name John.
14
And there will be joy and exultation for you, and many will rejoice in his nativity.
15
For 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.
16
And he will convert many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.
17
And he will go before him with the spirit and power of Elijah, so that he may turn the hearts of the fathers to the sons, and the incredulous to the prudence of the just, so as to prepare for the Lord a completed people.”
18
And Zechariah said to the Angel: “How may I know this? For I am elderly, and my wife is advanced in years.”
19
And in response, the Angel said to him: “I am Gabriel, who stands before God, and I have been sent to speak to you, and to proclaim these things to you.
20
And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak, until the day on which these things shall be, because you have not believed my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”
21
And the people were waiting for Zechariah. And they wondered why he was being delayed in the temple.
22
Then, when he came out, he was unable to speak to them. And they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was making signs to them, but he remained mute.
23
And it happened that, after the days of his office were completed, he went away to his house.
24
Then, after those days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she hid herself for five months, saying:
25
“For the Lord did this for me, at the time when he decided to take away my reproach among men.”

Gabriel Foretells Jesus’ Birth

26
Then, in the sixth month, the Angel Gabriel was sent by God, to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27
to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the name of the virgin was Mary.
28
And upon entering, the Angel said to her: “Hail, full of grace. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.”
29
And when she had heard this, she was disturbed by his words, and she considered what kind of greeting this might be.
30
And the Angel said to her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace with God.
31
Behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and you shall bear a son, and you shall call his name: JESUS.
32
He will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. And he will reign in the house of Jacob for eternity.
33
And his kingdom shall have no end.”
34
Then Mary said to the Angel, “How shall this be done, since I do not know man?”
35
And in response, the Angel said to her: “The Holy Spirit will pass over you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. And because of this also, the Holy One who will be born of you shall be called the Son of God.
36
And behold, your cousin Elizabeth has herself also conceived a son, in her old age. And this is the sixth month for her who is called barren.(b)
37
For no word will be impossible with God.”
38
Then Mary said: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.” And the Angel departed from her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39
And in those days, Mary, rising up, traveled quickly into the hill country, to a city of Judah.
40
And she entered into the house of Zechariah, and she greeted Elizabeth.
41
And it happened that, as Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42
And she cried out with a loud voice and said: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
43
And how does this concern me, so that the mother of my Lord would come to me?
44
For behold, as the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
45
And blessed are you who believed, for the things that were spoken to you by the Lord shall be accomplished.”(c)

Mary’s Song

(1 Samuel 2:1–11)
46
And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord.
47
And my spirit leaps for joy in God my Savior.
48
For he has looked with favor on the humility of his handmaid. For behold, from this time, all generations shall call me blessed.(d)
49
For he who is great has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
50
And his mercy is from generation to generations for those who fear him.
51
He has accomplished powerful deeds with his arm. He has scattered the arrogant in the intentions of their heart.
52
He has deposed the powerful from their seat, and he has exalted the humble.
53
He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
54
He has taken up his servant Israel, mindful of his mercy,
55
just as he spoke to our fathers: to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
56
Then Mary stayed with her for about three months. And she returned to her own house.

The Birth of John the Baptist

57
Now the time for Elizabeth to give birth arrived, and she brought forth a son.
58
And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and so they congratulated her.
59
And it happened that, on the eighth day, they arrived to circumcise the boy, and they called him by his father’s name, Zechariah.
60
And in response, his mother said: “Not so. Instead, he shall be called John.”
61
And they said to her, “But there is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.”
62
Then they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him to be called.(e)
63
And requesting a writing tablet, he wrote, saying: “His name is John.” And they all wondered.
64
Then, at once, his mouth was opened, and his tongue loosened, and he spoke, blessing God.
65
And fear fell upon all of their neighbors. And all these words were made known throughout all the hill country of Judea.
66
And all those who heard it stored it up in their heart, saying: “What do you think this boy will be?” And indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.

Zechariah’s Song

67
And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit. And he prophesied, saying:
68
“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel. For he has visited and has wrought the redemption of his people.
69
And he has raised up a horn of salvation for us, in the house of David his servant,(f)
70
just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy Prophets, who are from ages past:
71
salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all those who hate us,
72
to accomplish mercy with our fathers, and to call to mind his holy testament,
73
the oath, which he swore to Abraham, our father, that he would grant to us,
74
so that, having been freed from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him without fear,
75
in holiness and in justice before him, throughout all our days.
76
And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High. For you will go before the face of the Lord: to prepare his ways,
77
to give knowledge of salvation to his people for the remission of their sins,
78
through the heart of the mercy of our God, by which, descending from on high, he has visited us,(g)
79
to illuminate those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to direct our feet in the way of peace.”
80
And the child grew, and he was strengthened in spirit. And he was in the wilderness, until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

Footnotes

(a)1:5 Of the course of Abia:that is, of the rank of Abia, which word in the Greek is commonly put for the employment of one day: but here for the functions of a whole week. For, by the appointment of David, 1 Par. 24., the descendants from Aaron were divided into twenty-four families, of which the eighth was Abia, from whom descended this Zachary, who at this time was in the week of his priestly functions.(Challoner)
(b)1:36 The word ‘cognata’ is a fairly broad term, even broader than the English word ‘cousins.’(Conte)
(c)1:45 Here Elizabeth prophecies that the things said to Mary by the Angel were truly from God and will certainly be fulfilled. The text does not say that Mary is blessed for believing that these things will come true. Instead, it says that Mary is blessed because these things will come true.(Conte)
(d)1:48 Shall call me blessed:These words are a prediction of that honour which the church in all ages should pay to the Blessed Virgin. Let Protestants examine whether they are any way concerned in this prophecy.(Challoner)
(e)1:62 But the father could hear, if they had spoken to him. So the relatives were not wise.(Conte)
(f)1:69 Horn of salvation:That is, A powerful salvation, as Dr. Witham translates it. For in the Scripture, by horn is generally understood strength and power.(Challoner)
(g)1:78 The Orient:It is one of the titles of the Messias, the true light of the world, and the sun of justice.(Challoner)
(Acts 1:1–3)
1
Since many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us,
2
even as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word delivered them to us,
3
it 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;
4
that you might know the certainty concerning the things in which you were instructed.

Gabriel Foretells John’s Birth

5
There 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.
6
They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
7
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years.
8
Now while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his division
9
according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10
The whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
11
An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12
Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
13
But 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.
14
You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
15
For 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.
16
He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.
17
He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’(a) and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to prepare a people prepared for the Lord.”
18
Zacharias 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.”
19
The 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.
20
Behold,(b) 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.”
21
The people were waiting for Zacharias, and they marveled that he delayed in the temple.
22
When 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.
23
When the days of his service were fulfilled, he departed to his house.
24
After 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.”

Gabriel Foretells Jesus’ Birth

26
Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27
to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary.
28
Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!”
29
But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be.
30
The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and shall name him ‘Jesus.’
32
He 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,
33
and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom.”
34
Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?”
35
The 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.
36
Behold, Elizabeth your relative also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
37
For nothing spoken by God is impossible.”(c)
38
Mary said, “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39
Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah,
40
and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42
She called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43
Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44
For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy!
45
Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!”

Mary’s Song

(1 Samuel 2:1–11)
46
Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.
47
My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,
48
for he has looked at the humble state of his servant. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.
49
For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name.
50
His mercy is for generations and generations on those who fear him.
51
He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52
He has put down princes from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly.
53
He has filled the hungry with good things. He has sent the rich away empty.
54
He has given help to Israel, his servant, that he might remember mercy,
55
as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his offspring(d) forever.”
56
Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house.

The Birth of John the Baptist

57
Now the time that Elizabeth should give birth was fulfilled, and she gave birth to a son.
58
Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her.
59
On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
60
His mother answered, “Not so; but he will be called John.”
61
They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”
62
They made signs to his father, what he would have him called.
63
He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.” They all marveled.
64
His mouth was opened immediately and his tongue freed, and he spoke, blessing God.
65
Fear came on all who lived around them, and all these sayings were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea.
66
All who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, “What then will this child be?” The hand of the Lord was with him.

Zechariah’s Song

67
His 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;
69
and 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),
71
salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us;
72
to show mercy toward our fathers, to remember his holy covenant,
73
the oath which he swore to Abraham our father,
74
to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear,
75
in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
76
And 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,
77
to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins,
78
because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the dawn from on high will visit us,
79
to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80
The child was growing and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Footnotes

(a)1:17 ℘ Malachi 4:6
(b)1:20 “Behold”, from “ἰδοὺ”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
(c)1:37 or, “For everything spoken by God is possible.”
(d)1:55 or, seed
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