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Luke Chapter 1|#11 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,#22 Even as they delivered them to us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;#23 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus,#24 That you might know the certainty of those things, wherein you have been instructed.|+#25 There 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.#26 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.#27 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.|*28 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,#29 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.#210 And the whole crowd of the people were praying outside the time of incense.#211 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.#212 And when Zacharias saw him, he was disturbed, and fear fell upon him.#213 But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias: For your prayer is heard; and your wife Elisabeth shall carry a son, and you shall call his name John.#214 And you shall have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.#215 For 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.#216 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.#217 And 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.|*218 And Zacharias said to the angel, Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.|*219 And the angel answering said to him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak to you, and to shew you these glad tidings.#220 And, behold, you shall be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because you do not believe my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.|*221 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he stayed so long in the temple.#222 And 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.|*223 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.#224 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,#225 Thus has the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.|*226 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,#227 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.#228 And the angel came in to her, and said, Hail, you that are highly favoured, the Lord is with you: Blessed are you among women.#229 And when she saw him, she was disturbed at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.#230 And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary: For you have found favour with God.#231 And, behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS.#232 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: And the Lord God shall give to him the throne of his father David:#233 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.#234 Then said Mary to the angel, How shall this be, seeing I do not know a man?#235 And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God.#236 And, behold, your cousin Elisabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age: And this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.#237 For with God nothing shall be impossible.#238 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her.|*239 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;#240 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.#241 And 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:#242 And she spoke out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.#243 And where is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?#244 For, lo, as soon as the voice of your salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.#245 And blessed is she that believed: For there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.|*246 And Mary said, My soul does magnify the Lord,#247 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.#248 For he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: For, behold, from this time forward all generations shall call me blessed.#249 For he that is mighty has done to me great things; and holy is his name.#250 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.#251 He has showed strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.#252 He has put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.#253 He has filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he has sent empty away.#254 He has holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;#255 As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.|+#256 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.|+#257 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.#258 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had showed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.#259 And 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.#260 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.#261 And they said to her, There is none of your kindred that is called by this name.#262 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.#263 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.#264 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, and praised God.#265 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: And all these sayings were heard abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea.#266 And 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.|*267 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,#268 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he has visited and redeemed his people,#269 And has raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;#270 As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:#271 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;#272 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;#273 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,#274 That he would grant to us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,#275 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.#276 And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Highest: For you shall go before the presence of the Lord to prepare his ways;#277 To give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins,#278 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high has visited us,#279 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.|+#280 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts until the day of his shewing to Israel.