<h3>Dedication to Theophilus</h3>1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. <h3>Birth of John the Baptist Foretold</h3> 5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. 8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must 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 turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” 18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And 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 kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. 24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” <h3>Birth of Jesus Foretold</h3> 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from 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 virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy— the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. <h3>Mary Visits Elizabeth</h3> 39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” <h3>Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat</h3> 46 And Mary said,<poetry> “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 <poetry>     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,</indent> </poetry> 48 <poetry>for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. <indent>For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;</indent> </poetry> 49 <poetry>for he who is mighty has done great things for me, <indent>and holy is his name.</indent> </poetry> 50 <poetry>And his mercy is for those who fear him <indent>from generation to generation.</indent> </poetry> 51 <poetry> He has shown strength with his arm; <indent> he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;</indent> </poetry> 52 <poetry> he has brought down the mighty from their thrones <indent> and exalted those of humble estate;</indent> </poetry> 53 <poetry>he has filled the hungry with good things, <indent>and the rich he has sent away empty.</indent> </poetry> 54 <poetry>He has helped his servant Israel, <indent> in remembrance of his mercy,</indent> </poetry> 55 <poetry> as he spoke to our fathers, <indent> to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”</indent></poetry></poetry> 56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home. <h3>The Birth of John the Baptist</h3> 57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him. <h3>Zechariah's Prophecy</h3> 67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,<poetry> 68 <poetry> “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, <indent>for he has visited and redeemed his people</indent> </poetry> 69 <poetry>and has raised up a horn of salvation for us <indent> in the house of his servant David,</indent> </poetry> 70 <poetry> as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, </poetry> 71 <poetry> that we should be saved from our enemies <indent>and from the hand of all who hate us;</indent> </poetry> 72 <poetry> to show the mercy promised to our fathers <indent>and to remember his holy covenant,</indent> </poetry> 73 <poetry> the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us </poetry> 74 <poetry>    that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,</indent> might serve him without fear, </poetry> 75 <poetry>     in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.</indent> </poetry> 76 <poetry>And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; <indent>for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,</indent> </poetry> 77 <poetry>to give knowledge of salvation to his people <indent> in the forgiveness of their sins,</indent> </poetry> 78 <poetry>because of the tender mercy of our God, <indent>whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high</indent> </poetry> 79 <poetry>to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, <indent>to guide our feet into the way of peace.”</indent></poetry></poetry> 80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Luke 1:1

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that <cr>1</cr>have been accomplished among us,

<cr>1</cr>just as those who <cr>2</cr>from the beginning were <cr>3</cr>eyewitnesses and <cr>4</cr>ministers of <cr>5</cr>the word <cr>6</cr>have delivered them to us,

Luke 1:2

it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write <cr>1</cr>an orderly account for you, <cr>2</cr>most excellent <cr>3</cr>Theophilus,

Luke 1:3

that you may have <cr>1</cr>certainty concerning the things <cr>2</cr>you have been taught.

Luke 1:4

Luke 1:5

<cr>1</cr>In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,<ft>1</ft><cr>2</cr>of <cr>3</cr>the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

And they were both <cr>1</cr>righteous before God, walking <cr>2</cr>blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.

Luke 1:6

But they had no child, because <cr>1</cr>Elizabeth was barren, and <cr>2</cr>both were advanced in years.

Luke 1:7

Now <cr>1</cr>while he was serving as priest before God when <cr>2</cr>his division was on duty,

Luke 1:8

according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot <cr>1</cr>to enter <cr>2</cr>the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

Luke 1:9

And the whole multitude of the people <cr>1</cr>were praying <cr>2</cr>outside at the hour of incense.

Luke 1:10

And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of <cr>1</cr>the altar of incense.

Luke 1:11

And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and <cr>1</cr>fear fell upon him.

Luke 1:12

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for <cr>1</cr>your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and <cr>2</cr>you shall call his name John.

Luke 1:13

And you will have joy and gladness, and many will <cr>1</cr>rejoice at his birth,

Luke 1:14

for he will be <cr>1</cr>great before the Lord. And <cr>2</cr>he must not drink wine or strong <cr>3</cr>drink, and <cr>4</cr>he will be <cr>5</cr>filled with the Holy Spirit, <cr>6</cr>even from his mother's womb.

Luke 1:15

And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God,

Luke 1:16

and <cr>1</cr>he will go before him <cr>2</cr>in the spirit and power of Elijah, <cr>3</cr>to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and <cr>4</cr>the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, <cr>5</cr>to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

Luke 1:17

And Zechariah said to the angel, <cr>1</cr>“How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”

Luke 1:18

And the angel answered him, “I am <cr>1</cr>Gabriel. <cr>2</cr>I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.

Luke 1:19

And behold, <cr>1</cr>you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”

Luke 1:20

And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in <cr>1</cr>the temple.

Luke 1:21

And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in <cr>1</cr>the temple. And <cr>2</cr>he kept making signs to them and remained mute.

Luke 1:22

And <cr>1</cr>when his time of <cr>2</cr>service was ended, he went to his home.

Luke 1:23

After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying,

Luke 1:24

“Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, <cr>1</cr>to take away my reproach among people.”

Luke 1:25

Luke 1:26

In the sixth month the angel <cr>1</cr>Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named <cr>2</cr>Nazareth,

<cr>1</cr>to a virgin betrothed<ft>1</ft> to a man whose name was Joseph, <cr>2</cr>of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.

Luke 1:27

And he came to her and said, “Greetings, <cr>1</cr>O favored one, <cr>2</cr>the Lord is with you!”<ft>1</ft>

Luke 1:28

But <cr>1</cr>she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.

Luke 1:29

And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for <cr>1</cr>you have found favor with God.

Luke 1:30

And behold, <cr>1</cr>you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and <cr>2</cr>you shall call his name Jesus.

Luke 1:31

He will be great and will be called the Son of <cr>1</cr>the Most High. And the Lord God <cr>2</cr>will give to him the throne of <cr>3</cr>his father David,

Luke 1:32

and he will reign over the house of Jacob <cr>1</cr>forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Luke 1:33

And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”<ft>1</ft>

Luke 1:34

And the angel answered her, <cr>1</cr>“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of <cr>2</cr>the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born<ft>1</ft> will be called <cr>3</cr>holy—<cr>4</cr>the Son of God.

Luke 1:35

And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her <cr>1</cr>who was called barren.

Luke 1:36

For <cr>1</cr>nothing will be impossible with God.”

Luke 1:37

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant<ft>1</ft> of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And <cr>1</cr>the angel departed from her.

Luke 1:38

Luke 1:39

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into <cr>1</cr>the hill country, to a town in Judah,

and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

Luke 1:40

And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth <cr>1</cr>was filled with the Holy Spirit,

Luke 1:41

and she exclaimed with a loud cry, <cr>1</cr>“Blessed are you among women, and <cr>2</cr>blessed is <cr>3</cr>the fruit of your womb!

Luke 1:42

And why is this granted to me that the mother of <cr>1</cr>my Lord should come to me?

Luke 1:43

For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

Luke 1:44

And <cr>1</cr>blessed is she who believed that there would be<ft>1</ft> a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Luke 1:45

Luke 1:46

And Mary said,<pb/><poetry><cr>1</cr>“My <cr>2</cr>soul <cr>3</cr>magnifies the Lord,

<cr>1</cr>and my <cr>2</cr>spirit rejoices in <cr>3</cr>God my Savior,</indent>

Luke 1:47

for <cr>1</cr>he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. <indent>For behold, from now on all generations <cr>2</cr>will call me blessed;</indent>

Luke 1:48

for <cr>1</cr>he who is mighty <cr>2</cr>has done great things for me, <indent>and <cr>3</cr>holy is his name.</indent>

Luke 1:49

And <cr>1</cr>his mercy is for those who fear him <indent>from generation to generation.</indent>

Luke 1:50

<cr>1</cr>He has shown strength with his arm; <indent><cr>2</cr>he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;</indent>

Luke 1:51

<cr>1</cr>he has brought down the mighty from their thrones <indent><cr>2</cr>and exalted those of humble estate;</indent>

Luke 1:52

he has filled <cr>1</cr>the hungry with good things, <indent>and the rich <cr>2</cr>he has sent away empty.</indent>

Luke 1:53

He has <cr>1</cr>helped <cr>2</cr>his servant Israel, <indent><cr>3</cr>in remembrance of his mercy,</indent>

Luke 1:54

<cr>1</cr>as he spoke to our fathers, <indent><cr>2</cr>to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”</indent></poetry>

Luke 1:55

And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

Luke 1:56

Luke 1:57

Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.

And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord <cr>1</cr>had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

Luke 1:58

And <cr>1</cr>on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father,

Luke 1:59

but his mother answered, “No; <cr>1</cr>he shall be called John.”

Luke 1:60

And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.”

Luke 1:61

And <cr>1</cr>they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called.

Luke 1:62

And he asked for <cr>1</cr>a writing tablet and wrote, <cr>2</cr>“His name is John.” And they all wondered.

Luke 1:63

<cr>1</cr>And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue <cr>2</cr>loosed, and he spoke, <cr>3</cr>blessing God.

Luke 1:64

And <cr>1</cr>fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all <cr>2</cr>the hill country of Judea,

Luke 1:65

and all who heard them <cr>1</cr>laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For <cr>2</cr>the hand of the Lord was with him.

Luke 1:66

Luke 1:67

And his father Zechariah <cr>1</cr>was filled with the Holy Spirit and <cr>2</cr>prophesied, saying,<pb/><poetry>

<cr>1</cr>“Blessed be the Lord <cr>2</cr>God of Israel, <indent>for he has <cr>3</cr>visited and <cr>4</cr>redeemed his people</indent>

Luke 1:68

and <cr>1</cr>has raised up <cr>2</cr>a horn of salvation for us <indent><cr>3</cr>in the house of his servant David,</indent>

Luke 1:69

<cr>1</cr>as <cr>2</cr>he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

Luke 1:70

<cr>1</cr>that we should be saved from our enemies <indent>and from the hand of all who hate us;</indent>

Luke 1:71

<cr>1</cr>to show the mercy promised to our fathers <indent>and <cr>2</cr>to remember his holy <cr>3</cr>covenant,</indent>

Luke 1:72

<cr>1</cr>the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us

Luke 1:73

that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,</indent> might serve him <cr>1</cr>without fear,

Luke 1:74

<cr>1</cr>in holiness and righteousness before him <cr>2</cr>all our days.</indent>

Luke 1:75

And you, child, will be called <cr>1</cr>the prophet of <cr>2</cr>the Most High; <indent>for <cr>3</cr>you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,</indent>

Luke 1:76

to give knowledge of salvation to his people <indent><cr>1</cr>in the forgiveness of their sins,</indent>

Luke 1:77

because of the <cr>1</cr>tender mercy of our God, <indent>whereby <cr>2</cr>the sunrise shall <cr>3</cr>visit us<ft>1</ft><cr>4</cr>from on high</indent>

Luke 1:78

to <cr>1</cr>give light to <cr>2</cr>those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, <indent>to guide our feet into <cr>3</cr>the way of <cr>4</cr>peace.”</indent></poetry>

Luke 1:79

<cr>1</cr>And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was <cr>2</cr>in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Luke 1:80

 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that  have been accomplished among us, 2  just as those who  from the beginning were  eyewitnesses and  ministers of  the word  have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write  an orderly account for you,  most excellent  Theophilus, 4 that you may have  certainty concerning the things  you have been taught. 5  In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,  of  the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both  righteous before God, walking  blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because  Elizabeth was barren, and  both were advanced in years. 8 Now  while he was serving as priest before God when  his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot  to enter  the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people  were praying  outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of  the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and  fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for  your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and  you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will  rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be  great before the Lord. And  he must 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 turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and  he will go before him  in the spirit and power of Elijah,  to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and  the disobedient to the wisdom of the just,  to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” 18 And Zechariah said to the angel,  “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am  Gabriel.  I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold,  you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in  the temple. 22 And 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 kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And  when his time of  service was ended, he went to his home. 24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me,  to take away my reproach among people.” 26 In the sixth month the angel  Gabriel was sent from 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 virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings,  O favored one,  the Lord is with you!”  29 But  she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for  you have found favor with God. 31 And behold,  you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and  you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of  the Most High. And the Lord God  will give to him the throne of  his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob  forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”  35 And the angel answered her,  “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of  the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born  will be called  holy— the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her  who was called barren. 37 For  nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant  of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And  the angel departed from her. 39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into  the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth  was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry,  “Blessed are you among women, and  blessed is  the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of  my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And  blessed is she who believed that there would be  a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” 46 And Mary said,  “My  soul  magnifies the Lord,  47      and my  spirit rejoices in  God my Savior,  48 for  he has looked on the humble estate 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, and  holy is his name.  50 And  his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.  51  He has shown strength with his arm;  he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;  52  he has brought down the mighty from their thrones  and exalted those of humble estate;  53 he has filled  the hungry with good things, and the rich  he has sent away empty.  54 He has  helped  his servant Israel,  in remembrance of his mercy,  55  as he spoke to our fathers,  to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” 56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home. 57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord  had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And  on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No;  he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And  they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for  a writing tablet and wrote,  “His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64  And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue  loosed, and he spoke,  blessing God. 65 And  fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all  the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them  laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For  the hand of the Lord was with him. 67 And his father Zechariah  was filled with the Holy Spirit and  prophesied, saying,  68  “Blessed be the Lord  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 from of old,  71  that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us;  72  to show the mercy promised to our fathers and  to remember his holy  covenant,  73  the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us  74     that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him  without fear,  75      in holiness and righteousness before him  all our days.  76 And you, child, will be called  the prophet of  the Most High; for  you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,  77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people  in the forgiveness of their sins,  78 because of the  tender mercy of our God, whereby  the sunrise shall  visit us  from on high  79 to  give light to  those who 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 he was  in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

From Wikipedia: 

The English Standard Version (ESV) is an English translation of the Bible. The ESV was published in 2001 by Crossway, having been "created by a team of more than 100 leading evangelical scholars and pastors." The ESV relies on recently published critical editions of the original Hebrew and Greek texts. Crossway claim that the ESV continues a legacy begun by the Tyndale New Testament of precision and faithfulness in English translation of the original text, followed in the same standard by "the King James Version of 1611 (KJV), the English Revised Version of 1885 (RV), the American Standard Version of 1901 (ASV), and the Revised Standard Version of 1952 and 1971." Crossway describes the ESV as a translation that "emphasizes 'word-for-word' accuracy, literary excellence, and depth of meaning." Crossway also describes the ESV as a translation that adheres to an "essentially literal" translation philosophy, taking into account "differences in grammar, syntax, and idiom between current literary English and the original languages."

The ESV is derived from the 1971 text edition of the Revised Standard Version (RSV). ESV Translation Oversight Committee member Wayne Grudem claims that approximately eight percent (or about 60,000 words) of the 1971 RSV text being used for the ESV was revised as of first publication in 2001. Grudem states that the committee removed "every trace of liberal influence that had caused such criticism from evangelicals when the RSV was first published in 1952." Although, Grudem also states that much of the 1971 RSV text left unchanged by the committee "is simply 'the best of the best' of the KJV tradition."

With regard to gender language, the ESV Translation Oversight Committee state that "the goal of the ESV is to render literally what is in the original."[9] The committee expands on this position in claiming that, although the ESV avoids using gender-neutral language (for the purpose of preserving contextual meaning found in the original text), the translation does utilize gender-neutral language in specific cases. The committee further state that their objective was "transparency to the original text, allowing the reader to understand the original on its own terms rather than in the terms of our present-day Western culture."[9] The ESV Study Bible often details in its commentary why a complementarian interpretation of the original text may have been rendered in translation.

OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (5th ed., 1997); additional sources in difficult cases
NT: UBS Greek New Testament (5th corrected ed.); Novum Testamentum Graece (28th ed., 2012)

Luke 1 - ESV

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