1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to write down in order, a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
2 Just as they delivered them to us, who
from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the Word;
3 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 Friend of God (Theophilus),
4 That you may know the certainty of those
things, wherein you have been instructed.
5 There were in the days of Heroic (Herod),
the king of Land of Praise (Judaea), a certain priest named Remembered by I AM
(Zacharias), of the course of My Father is I AM (Abia): and his wife was of the
daughters of Light Bringer (Aaron), and her name was Oath of God (Elisabeth).
6 And they were both righteous before God,
walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless.
7 But they had no child, because Oath of God
(Elisabeth) was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
8 It came to pass that while he executed the
priest's office before God in the order of his course,
9 According to the custom of the priest's
office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10 And a whole multitude of the people were
praying outside at the time of incense.
11 There appeared to him an angel of the Lord
standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 When Remembered by I AM (Zacharias) saw
him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, “Fear not, Remembered
by I AM (Zacharias): for Your prayer is heard; and your wife Oath of God
(Elisabeth) will bear you a son, and you are to call his name I AM is a
Gracious Giver (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 will drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he will be filled with the
Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.
16 And many of the children of God Prevails
(Israel), will turn to the Lord their God because of him.
17 He will go before him in the spirit and
power of My God is I Am (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.”
18 But Remembered by I AM (Zacharias) said to
the angel, “How will I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife is well
stricken in years.”
19 The angel answered him, “I am Man of God
(Gabriel). I stand in the presence of God, and am sent to speak to You, and to show
you these glad tidings.
20 Now look, you will be dumb, and not able
to speak, until the day that these things come to pass, because you did not
believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their season.”
21 The people waiting for Remembered by I AM
(Zacharias) marveled that he took so long in the temple.
22 When he finally came out, he could not
speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple
because he beckoned to them and remained speechless.
23 As soon as the days of his ministration
were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
24 After those days, his wife, Oath of God
(Elisabeth), conceived, and hid herself for five months, saying,
25 “This is how the Lord has dealt with me in
the days wherein He looked at me, to take away my reproach among men!”
26 Then, in the sixth month, the angel Man of
God (Gabriel) was sent from God to a city of Circuit-District (Galilee), named Branch
(Nazareth),
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name
was I AM Will Add (Joseph), of the house of Beloved (David); and the virgin's
name was Rebellion (Mary).
28 The angel came to her, and said, “Hail, you
that are highly favored, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women.”
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at
his saying, and pondered in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 The angel said to her, “Fear not, Rebellion
(Mary), for you have found favor with God.
31 And, behold, you will conceive in your
womb, and bring forth a son, and will call His name I AM is Our Salvation (Yeshua).
32 He 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 Beloved
(David):
33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever;
and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
34 Then
Rebellion (Mary) said to the angel, “How will this be, seeing I know not
a man?”
35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The
Holy Ghost will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you:
therefore the holy one who will be born of you will be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold, your cousin Oath of God
(Elisabeth), she has also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth
month with her, who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”
38 Rebellion (Mary) answered, “Behold the
handmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to your word.” And the angel
departed from her.
39 So Rebellion (Mary) arose in those days,
and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Praised (Judah);
40 She entered the house of Remembered by I
AM (Zacharias), and saluted Oath of God (Elisabeth).
41 And it came to pass, that, when Oath of
God (Elisabeth) heard the salutation of Rebellion (Mary), the baby leapt in her
womb; and Oath of God (Elisabeth) was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 She spoke with a loud voice, saying, “Blessed
are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
43 And why am I so privileged that the mother
of my Lord should come to me?
44 As soon as the voice of your greeting
sounded in my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.
45 Blessed is she that believed: for there will
be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
46 And Rebellion (Mary) said, “My soul magnifies
the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the low estate of His
handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He that is mighty has done great things
to me; and holy is His name.
50 His mercy is on them that fear Him from
generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has
scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has put down the mighty from their seats
and exalted those of low degree.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
54 He has helped His servant God Prevails
(Israel), in remembrance of His mercy;
55 As he spoke to our fathers, to Father of a
Multitude (Abraham), and his seed forever.”
56 Then Rebellion (Mary) stayed with her
about three months and returned to her own house.
57 Now, Oath of God’s (Elisabeth's) full time
came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
58 Her neighbors and her cousins heard how
the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth
day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Remembered by I AM
(Zacharias), after the name of his father.
60 But
his mother answered and said, “Not so; but he will be called I AM is a Gracious
Giver (John).”
61 They said to her, “None of your relatives
are called by this name.”
62 And they made signs to his father, how he
would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing table, and
wrote, saying, “His name is I AM is a Gracious Giver (John).” And they all marveled!
64 Immediately, his mouth was opened, and his
tongue loosed, and he spoke and praised God.
65 Fear came on all that dwelt round about
them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country
of Land of Praise (Judaea).
66 And all those that 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.
67 And his father, Remembered by I AM
(Zacharias), was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of God Prevails
(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 Beloved (David);
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy
prophets, who have been since the world began:
71 That we should be saved from our enemies,
and from the hand of all that hate us;
72 To perform the mercy promised to our
fathers, and to remember His holy covenant;
73 The oath which He swore to our father, Father
of a Multitude (Abraham),
74 That He would grant to us deliverance out
of the hand of our enemies that might serve Him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before Him,
all the days of our life.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet
of the Highest: 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 Through the tender mercy of our God;
whereby the dayspring from on high has visited us,
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 And the child grew, and became strong in
spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his revealing to God Prevails
(Israel).
