In view of the fact that so many have made an effort to put together accounts concerning the events that are believed with such strong conviction among us,2 in a manner similar to how those who became, from the very outset, eyewitnesses and trusted servants of the Word,+ have handed such accounts on to us— 3 I for my part thought it important, since I have for a long time followed all things carefully, to write for ˢyou, most honorable Theophilus, the entire story, 4 so that ˢyou may know for certain the reliability of the matters concerning which you were instructed.

5 In the time of Herod king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah. His wife was a descendent of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Now both of them were righteous in the sight of God, living their lives in accordance with all the commandments and precepts of the Lord blamelessly. 7 Yet they didn’t have any children, because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and both of them were very old.

8 One day when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest in the presence of God, 9 according to the custom of the priests he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and present the incense offering. 10 The whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the time of the incense offering. 11 Then there appeared to Zechariah an angel of the Lord, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 Zechariah was startled when he saw the angel, and became very afraid.

13 “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah,” the angel said to him. “ˢYour prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and ˢyou are to name him John, the LORD is gracious. 14 Your heart will be full of joy and gladness, and many, many people will rejoice because of his birth. 15 He will be great in the sight of the Lord, you see. He must not drink wine or beer, and he will be filled, while still in his mother’s womb, with the Holy Spirit, 16 and will turn back to the Lord their God many of the people of Israel. 17 He, in fact, will carry out his ministry ahead of the Lord under the power of the Spirit like Elijah, to cause the hearts of the fathers and the children to return+ and cause the disobedient to turn to the ways of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a people thoroughly prepared.”

18 “How can I be sure of this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “I am an old man, and my wife, too, is old.”

19 “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God,” the angel answered, “and I was sent to speak to ˢyou and bring you this good news. 20 Now listen! ˢYou will remain silent and unable to speak until the day these things begin to take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their appointed time.”

21 Meanwhile, the people kept waiting for Zechariah and were wondering why he was taking so long in the sanctuary. 22 When he finally did come out, he was unable to speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary, for he himself was using gestures to communicate to them and remained unable to talk. 23 When the time of his priestly service was completed, he returned home. 24 Some time later, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months. 25 “How kind and merciful the Lord has been to me!” she said. “For he has now shown his concern and healed this barren womb that has brought me such disgrace in people’s eyes.”

26 When Elizabeth was in her sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin legally bound in betrothal to a man named Joseph, who descended from the royal family line of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel came to her and said, “Shalom, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!”

29 Mary, at his words, felt very confused and frightened, wondering what in the world this greeting could possibly mean.

30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel said to her. “ˢYou have found favor with God. 31 Listen very carefully. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and ˢyou are to name him Jesus, the LORD saves. 32 This child will be great and will be called the very 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 into the ages, and his Kingdom will never end.”

34 “How can this happen,” Mary asked the angel, “since I have with a man not been intimate?”

35 “It is the Holy Spirit who will accomplish this in ˢyou,” the angel replied to her, “and the power of the Most High that will overshadow you. That is why the child to be born will be called holy, the ‘Son of God.’ 36 Consider ˢyour relative Elizabeth. She, too, has conceived a son, despite her old age. She is now in her sixth month—she who was once said to be childless! 37 For absolutely no word from God will ever fail.”

38 “Here I am, the Lord’s slave,” Mary said. “May it happen to me just as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

39 Mary got ready shortly afterwards and hurried off to the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth herself was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are ˢyou among women, and blessed is the child in your womb! 43 Yet why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord would visit me? 44 For as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who had faith that the Lord really would do what he promised her!”

46 Then Mary said,

56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then returned home.

57 As for Elizabeth, the time came for her to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard how merciful the Lord had been to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name him after his father Zechariah.

60 “No!” his mother replied. “He is to be named John.”

61 “But none of your relatives has this name!” they said to her.

62 Then they began using gestures to ask his father what he wanted to name the boy. 63 Requesting a writing tablet, Zechariah wrote, “John is his name,” to the surprise of everyone. 64 At that, Zechariah’s mouth was suddenly opened and his tongue set free, and he praised and praised God. 65 Fear came over all their neighbors, and the news of all these things continued to spread throughout the whole entire hill country of Judea. 66 Everyone who heard about it took the matter to heart. “What in the world is this child going to be?” they wondered. It was obvious that the Lord was doing, you see, in the case of this child, something very powerful and special.

67 Zechariah, then, the boy’s father, was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

80 The child, then, continued growing and became stronger and stronger in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until the time when he appeared publicly to Israel.