* The two F.O.G. Bibles and Commentary below are currently a work in progress.
Dedication to Theophilus
(Acts 1:1-3)
1Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, 2Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; 3It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, 4That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
(Matthew 11:7-19; Luke 7:24-35; Luke 16:14-17)
5There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
8And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, 9According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. 11And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 14And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 15For 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. 16And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 17And 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.
18And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. 19And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. 20And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
21And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. 22And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. 23And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
24And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, 25Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 36And, 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. 37For with God nothing shall be impossible. 38And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; 40And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. 41And 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: 42And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 43And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
Mary's Song of Praise
(1 Samuel 2:1-11)
46And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
56And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. 58And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
59And 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. 60And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. 61And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. 62And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. 63And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. 64And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. 65And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea. 66And 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.
Zechariah's Song
67And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
68Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
69And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
70As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
71That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
72To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
73The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
74That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
75In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
76And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
Dedication to Theophilus
(Acts 1:1–3)
1 Since many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us, 2 even as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus; 4 that you might know the certainty concerning the things in which you were instructed.
Gabriel Foretells John’s Birth
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years.
8 Now it happened, while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 The whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zacharias, because your request has been heard, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name 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 he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord, their God. 17 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 prepare a people prepared for the Lord.”
18 Zacharias said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” 19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news. 20 Behold, you will be silent and not able to speak, until the day that these things will happen, because you didn’t believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”
21 The people were waiting for Zacharias, and they marveled that he delayed in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. He continued making signs to them, and remained mute. 23 It happened, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he departed to his house.
24 After these days Elizabeth, his wife, conceived, and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 “Thus has the Lord done to me in the days in which he looked at me, to take away my reproach among men.”
Gabriel Foretells Jesus’ Birth
26 Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and will call his name ‘Jesus.’ 32 He will be great, and will be called the 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. There will be no end to his Kingdom.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God. 36 Behold, Elizabeth, your relative, also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For everything spoken by God is possible.” 38 Mary said, “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to your word.” The angel departed from her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah, 40 and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 It happened, when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, that the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 She called out with a loud voice, and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy! 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!”
Mary’s Song
(1 Samuel 2:1–11)
46 Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.
47 My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked at the humble state of his handmaid. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.
49 For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for generations of generations on those who fear him.
51 He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has put down princes from their thrones. And has exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things. He has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has given help to Israel, his servant, that he might remember mercy,
55 As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his seed forever.”
56 Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 Now the time that Elizabeth should give birth was fulfilled, and she brought forth a son. 58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 It happened on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of the father. 60 His mother answered, “Not so; but he will be called John.” 61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 They made signs to his father, what he would have him called. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.” They all marveled. 64 His mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue freed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 Fear came on all who lived around them, and all these sayings were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, “What then will this child be?” The hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah’s Song
67 His father, Zacharias, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
68 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and worked redemption for 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 who have been from of old),
71 salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 to show mercy towards our fathers, to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath which he spoke to Abraham, our father,
74 to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, 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 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dawn from on high will visit us,
79 to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 The child was growing, and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Dedication to Theophilus
(Acts 1:1–3)
1 Many have undertaken to compose an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by the initial eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 Therefore, having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
Gabriel Foretells John’s Birth
5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and whose wife Elizabeth was a daughter of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well along in years.
8 One day while Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And at the hour of the incense offering, the whole congregation was praying outside.
11 Just then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear.
13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb. 16 Many of the sons of Israel he will turn back to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children a and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
18 “How can I be sure of this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.”
19 “I am Gabriel,” replied the angel. “I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and unable to speak until the day this comes to pass, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he took so long in the temple. 22 When he came out and was unable to speak to them, they realized he had seen a vision in the temple. He kept making signs to them but remained speechless. 23 And when the days of his service were complete, he returned home.
24 After these days, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. She declared, 25 “The Lord has done this for me. In these days He has shown me favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
Gabriel Foretells Jesus’ Birth
26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, b you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. c”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the 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. His kingdom will never end!”
34 “How can this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born d will be called the Son of God. 36 Look, even Elizabeth your relative has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail. e”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 In those days Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah, 40 where she entered the home of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should come to 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 has believed that the Lord’s word to her will be fulfilled.”
Mary’s Song
(1 Samuel 2:1–11)
46 Then Mary said:
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
48 For He has looked with favor on the humble state of His servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed.
49 For the Mighty One has done great things for me.
Holy is His name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear Him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who are proud
in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
but has exalted the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped His servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful,
55 as He promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his descendants forever.”
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they rejoiced with her.
59 On the eighth day, when they came to circumcise the child, they were going to name him after his father Zechariah. 60 But his mother replied, “No! He shall be called John.”
61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who bears this name.” 62 So they made signs to his father to find out what he wanted to name the child.
63 Zechariah asked for a tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 64 Immediately Zechariah’s mouth was opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak, praising God.
65 All their neighbors were filled with awe, and people throughout the hill country of Judea were talking about these events. 66 And all who heard this wondered in their hearts and asked, “What then will this child become?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.
Zechariah’s Song
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
because He has visited and redeemed His people.
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of His servant David,
70 as He spoke through His holy prophets,
those of ages past,
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us,
72 to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember His holy covenant,
73 the oath He swore to our father Abraham,
to grant us 74 deliverance from hostile hands,
that we may serve Him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before Him
all the days of our lives.
76 And you, child, will be called
a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord
to prepare the way for Him,
77 to give to His people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the Dawn f will visit us from on high,
79 to shine on those who live in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet
into the path of peace.”
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; g and he lived in the wilderness until the time of his public appearance to Israel.
Footnotes:
17 a Malachi 4:5–6
28 b Or Rejoice
28 c BYZ and TR include Blessed are you among women!
35 d TR born of you
37 e Or For nothing will be impossible with God.
78 f Or the Morning Light or the Sunrise
80 g Or in the Spirit
Dedication to Theophilus
(Acts 1:1-3)
1Seeing that many did take in hand to set in order a narration of the matters that have been fully assured among us, 2as they did deliver to us, who from the beginning became eye-witnesses, and officers of the Word, -- 3it seemed good also to me, having followed from the first after all things exactly, to write to thee in order, most noble Theophilus, 4that thou mayest know the certainty of the things wherein thou wast instructed.
The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
(Matthew 11:7-19; Luke 7:24-35; Luke 16:14-17)
5There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest, by name Zacharias, of the course of Abijah, and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elisabeth; 6and they were both righteous before God, going on in all the commands and righteousnesses of the Lord blameless, 7and they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and both were advanced in their days.
8And it came to pass, in his acting as priest, in the order of his course before God, 9according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot was to make perfume, having gone into the sanctuary of the Lord, 10and all the multitude of the people were praying without, at the hour of the perfume. 11And there appeared to him a messenger of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of the perfume, 12and Zacharias, having seen, was troubled, and fear fell on him; 13and the messenger said unto him, 'Fear not, Zacharias, for thy supplication was heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear a son to thee, and thou shalt call his name John, 14and there shall be joy to thee, and gladness, and many at his birth shall joy, 15for he shall be great before the Lord, and wine and strong drink he may not drink, and of the Holy Spirit he shall be full, even from his mother's womb; 16and many of the sons of Israel he shall turn to the Lord their God, 17and he shall go before Him, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn hearts of fathers unto children, and disobedient ones to the wisdom of righteous ones, to make ready for the Lord, a people prepared.'
18And Zacharias said unto the messenger, 'Whereby shall I know this? for I am aged, and my wife is advanced in her days?' 19And the messenger answering said to him, 'I am Gabriel, who have been standing near before God, and I was sent to speak unto thee, and to proclaim these good news to thee, 20and lo, thou shalt be silent, and not able to speak, till the day that these things shall come to pass, because thou didst not believe my words, that shall be fulfilled in their season.'
21And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and wondering at his tarrying in the sanctuary, 22and having come out, he was not able to speak to them, and they perceived that a vision he had seen in the sanctuary, and he was beckoning to them, and did remain dumb. 23And it came to pass, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he went away to his house,
24and after those days, his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying -- 25Thus hath the Lord done to me, in days in which He looked upon me, to take away my reproach among men.'
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26And in the sixth month was the messenger Gabriel sent by God, to a city of Galilee, the name of which is Nazareth, 27to a virgin, betrothed to a man, whose name is Joseph, of the house of David, and the name of the virgin is Mary. 28And the messenger having come in unto her, said, 'Hail, favoured one, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women;' 29and she, having seen, was troubled at his word, and was reasoning of what kind this salutation may be. 30And the messenger said to her, 'Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God; 31and lo, thou shalt conceive in the womb, and shalt bring forth a son, and call his name Jesus; 32he shall be great, and Son of the Highest he shall be called, and the Lord God shall give him the throne of David his father, 33and he shall reign over the house of Jacob to the ages; and of his reign there shall be no end.' 34And Mary said unto the messenger, 'How shall this be, seeing a husband I do not know?' 35And the messenger answering said to her, 'The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, therefore also the holy-begotten thing shall be called Son of God; 36and lo, Elisabeth, thy kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month to her who was called barren; 37because nothing shall be impossible with God.' 38And Mary said, 'Lo, the maid-servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to thy saying,' and the messenger went away from her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39And Mary having arisen in those days, went to the hill-country, with haste, to a city of Judea, 40and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. 41And it came to pass, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe did leap in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42and spake out with a loud voice, and said, 'Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb; 43and whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord might come unto me? 44for, lo, when the voice of thy salutation came to my ears, leap in gladness did the babe in my womb; 45and happy is she who did believe, for there shall be a completion to the things spoken to her from the Lord.'
Mary's Song of Praise
(1 Samuel 2:1-11)
46And Mary said, 'My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47And my spirit was glad on God my Saviour,
48Because He looked on the lowliness of His maid-servant, For, lo, henceforth call me happy shall all the generations,
49For He who is mighty did to me great things, And holy is His name,
50And His kindness is to generations of generations, To those fearing Him,
51He did powerfully with His arm, He scattered abroad the proud in the thought of their heart,
52He brought down the mighty from thrones, And He exalted the lowly,
53The hungry He did fill with good, And the rich He sent away empty,
54He received again Israel His servant, To remember kindness,
55As He spake unto our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed -- to the age.'
56And Mary remained with her about three months, and turned back to her house.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57And to Elisabeth was the time fulfilled for her bringing forth, and she bare a son, 58and the neighbours and her kindred heard that the Lord was making His kindness great with her, and they were rejoicing with her.
59And it came to pass, on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, and they were calling him by the name of his father, Zacharias, 60and his mother answering said, 'No, but he shall be called John.' 61And they said unto her -- 'There is none among thy kindred who is called by this name,' 62and they were making signs to his father, what he would wish him to be called, 63and having asked for a tablet, he wrote, saying, 'John is his name;' and they did all wonder; 64and his mouth was opened presently, and his tongue, and he was speaking, praising God. 65And fear came upon all those dwelling around them, and in all the hill-country of Judea were all these sayings spoken of, 66and all who heard did lay them up in their hearts, saying, 'What then shall this child be?' and the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah's Song
67And Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and did prophesy, saying,
68Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people,
69And did raise an horn of salvation to us, In the house of David His servant,
70As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, Which have been from the age;
71Salvation from our enemies, And out of the hand of all hating us,
72To do kindness with our fathers, And to be mindful of His holy covenant,
73An oath that He sware to Abraham our father,
74To give to us, without fear, Out of the hand of our enemies having been delivered,
75To serve Him, in holiness and righteousness Before Him, all the days of our life.
76And thou, child, Prophet of the Highest Shalt thou be called; For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, To prepare His ways.
77To give knowledge of salvation to His people In remission of their sins,
78Through the tender mercies of our God, In which the rising from on high did look upon us,
79To give light to those sitting in darkness and death-shade, To guide our feet to a way of peace.'
80And the child grew, and was strengthened in spirit, and he was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.
The Favor of God Message paraphrase
Introduction to Luke’s Gospel
¹ Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us.
² They used eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples.
³ Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I have also decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus,
⁴ so that you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.
The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
⁵ In the time of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.
⁶ Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.
⁷ But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
⁸ Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,
⁹ he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
¹⁰ And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
¹¹ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
¹² When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.
¹³ But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.
¹⁴ He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,
¹⁵ for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.*
¹⁶ He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.
¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
¹⁸ Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
¹⁹ The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.
²⁰ And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
²¹ Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple.
²² When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
²³ When his time of service was completed, he returned home.
²⁴ After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.
²⁵ “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days He has shown His favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.
³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call Him Jesus.
³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David,
³³ and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; His kingdom will never end.”
³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
³⁶ Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.
³⁷ For no word from God will ever fail.”
³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
³⁹ At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,
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 was filled with the Holy Spirit.
⁴² In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!
⁴³ But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
⁴⁴ As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her!”
Mary’s Song (The Magnificat)
⁴⁶ And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
⁴⁷ and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸ for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
⁴⁹ for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is His name.
⁵⁰ His mercy extends to those who fear Him,
from generation to generation.
⁵¹ He has performed mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
⁵² He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴ He has helped His servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
⁵⁵ to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as He promised our ancestors.”
⁵⁶ Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
The Birth of John the Baptist
⁵⁷ When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son.
⁵⁸ Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
⁵⁹ On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah,
⁶⁰ but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”
⁶¹ They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”
⁶² Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.
⁶³ He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”
⁶⁴ Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.
⁶⁵ All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.
⁶⁶ Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.
Zechariah’s Song (The Benedictus)
⁶⁷ His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
⁶⁸ “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because He has come to His people and redeemed them.
⁶⁹ He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of His servant David
⁷⁰ (as He said through His holy prophets of long ago),
⁷¹ salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
⁷² to show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember His holy covenant,
⁷³ the oath He swore to our father Abraham:
⁷⁴ to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve Him without fear
⁷⁵ in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
⁷⁶ And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him,
⁷⁷ to give His people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
⁷⁸ because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
⁷⁹ to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
⁸⁰ And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.
Footnotes:
1:15: The filling of the Holy Spirit before birth highlights John’s unique calling to prepare the way for Jesus even before his public ministry began.
1:17: The reference to Elijah connects John with the prophetic role of calling people to repentance and preparing them for the Messiah’s coming.
1:25: Elizabeth’s words reflect the cultural significance of barrenness in the ancient world, where childlessness was often viewed as a disgrace or a curse.
1:31: Jesus’ name, meaning “God saves,” underscores His mission to bring salvation to humanity.
1:37: The angel emphasizes the power of God’s word, affirming that nothing is impossible for Him, a key theme in the birth narratives.
1:41: The baby John leaping in Elizabeth’s womb is a sign of joy and recognition of the divine presence in Mary’s womb.
1:46: Mary’s song, known as the Magnificat, echoes Old Testament themes of God’s faithfulness, mercy, and justice, and is a profound expression of praise for His intervention.
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