Luke Chapter 1 KJV

1Luke's preface. 5An angel appeareth to Zacharias, and promiseth him a son in his old age: 18Zacharias doubting is struck dumb for a sign: 24his wife Elisabeth conceiveth. 26The angel's visit to Mary. 39Elisabeth saluted by Mary prophesieth. 46Mary's song of thanksgiving. 57The birth and circumcision of John the Baptist: 64Zacharias' mouth is opened: 67his prophecy.
1 FORASMUCH as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of 1those things which are most surely believed among us,
2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were 1eyewitnesses, and 2ministers of the word;
3 1It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in 2order, 3most excellent Theophilus,
4 1That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
5 ¶ There was 1in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, 2of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
6 1And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7 1And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
8 And it came to pass, that while 1he executed the priest's office before God 2in the order of his course,
9 1According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was 2to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10 1And the whole multitude of the people were 2praying without at the time of incense.
11 1And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of 2the altar of incense.
12 And when Zacharias saw him, 1he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said unto him, 1Fear not, Zacharias: 2for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14 And 1thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be 1great 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.
16 1And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 1And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to 2turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient ato the 3wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for 4the Lord.
18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, 1Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
19 And the angel answering said unto him, 1I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
20 And, behold, 1thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, 2because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.
22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for 1he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.
23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the 1days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth 1conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein 1he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
26 And in the 1sixth month the angel 2Gabriel was sent from God unto 3a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 1To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, 2of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, 1Hail, thou that art ahighly favoured, 2the Lord is with thee: 3blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, 1she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, 1Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 1And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 1He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of 2the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him 3the throne of his father David:
33 1And he shall reign over the house of 2Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, 1How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, 1The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of 2the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called 3the Son of God.
36 1And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37 For 1with God nothing shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said, 1Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the 1hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the 1babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was 2filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, 1Blessed art thou among women, and 2blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43 1And whence is this to me, that the mother of 2my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 1And blessed is she athat believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
46 And Mary said, 1My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in 1God my Saviour.
48 1For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations 2shall call me blessed.
49 1For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 1And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51 1He hath shewed strength with his arm; 2he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 1He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53 1He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 1He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55 1As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
57 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and 1she brought forth a son.
58 And her neighbours and her 1cousins heard how the Lord had shewed 2great mercy upon her; and 3they rejoiced with her.
59 And it came to pass, that 1on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; 1but he shall be called John.
61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is 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 1is John. And they marvelled all.
64 1And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.
65 1And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these asayings were noised abroad throughout all 2the hill country of Judaea.
66 And all they that heard them 1laid them up in their hearts, saying, 2What manner of child shall this be! 3And the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 And his father Zacharias was 1filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
68 1Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath 2visited and 3redeemed his people,
69 1And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
70 1As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been 2since the world began:
71 1That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
72 1To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and 2to remember his holy covenant;
73 1The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
74 That he would grant unto us, 1that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
75 1In holiness and righteousness before him, 2all the days of our life.
76 And thou, child, shalt 1be called the prophet of 2the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77 1To give knowledge of salvation unto his people 2aby the remission of their sins,
78 Through the atender mercy of our God; whereby the bdayspring from on high hath visited us,
79 1To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of 2peace.
80 1And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was 2in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.