¹

To Theophilus

Seeing that many attempted to arrange a narrative concerning the [²having a full assurance ³among ⁴us ¹things],

²as was delivered up to us by the ones from the beginning [²eyewitnesses ³and ⁴assistants ¹having been] of the word,

³it seemed good that I also, having followed closely from the beginning in all things exactly, [²in order ¹write to you], most excellent Theophilus,

⁴that you should realize concerning [³of which ⁵you were instructed ⁴matters ¹the ²certainty].

⁵

Zacharias and Elizabeth

It came to pass in the days of Herod the king of Judea, with a certain priest, by name Zacharias, of the daily rotations of Abia; and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

⁶And they were [²righteous ¹both] before God, going in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

⁷And there was no child to them, in so far as Elizabeth was sterile, and both [²advancing ³in ⁴their days ¹were].

⁸And it came to pass in his officiating as priest in the order of his daily rotations before God,

⁹according to the custom of the priesthood, he obtained by lot to burn incense when entering into the temple of the Lord.

¹⁰And all the multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.

¹¹And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing at the right of the altar of incense.

¹²And Zacharias was disturbed seeing him, and fear fell upon him.

¹³[⁴said ¹And ⁵to ⁶him ²the ³angel], Fear not, Zacharias! because [²was heard ¹your supplication], and your wife Elizabeth shall bear a son to you, and you shall call his name John.

¹⁴And he will be a joy to you and exultation; and many [²at ³his nativity ¹shall rejoice].

¹⁵For he will be great before the Lord, and wine and liquor in no way shall he drink; and [³spirit ²of holy ¹he shall be filled] still from [²belly ¹his mother's].

¹⁶And [²many ³of the ⁴sons ⁵of Israel ¹he will turn] to the Lord their God.

¹⁷And he shall go forth before him in spirit and power of Elijah, to turn hearts of fathers unto children, and ones resisting persuasion to the intelligence of the righteous; to prepare for the Lord a people being carefully prepared.

¹⁸And Zacharias said to the angel, By what thing shall I know this, for I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her days?

¹⁹And answering the angel said to him, I am Gabriel, the one standing in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you, and to announce good news to you of these things.

²⁰And behold, you will be kept silent, and not being able to speak till of which day these things take place, because you believed not my words, the ones which shall be fulfilled in their time.

²¹And [³were ¹the ²people] expecting Zacharias, and they wondered at his passing time in the temple.

²²And having come forth, he was not able to speak to them. And they realized that [²an apparition ¹he has seen] in the temple. And he was signifying with his head to them, and he remained mute.

²³And it came to pass as [³were filled ¹the ²days] of his ministration, he went forth unto his house.

²⁴And after these days [³conceived ¹Elizabeth ²his wife], and she covered round about and concealed herself [²months ¹five], saying that,

²⁵Thus [³has done to me ¹the ²Lord] in the days in which he looked upon to remove my scorn among men.

²⁶

An Angel Appears unto Mary

And in the [²month ¹sixth ⁶was sent ³the ⁴angel ⁵Gabriel] by God unto a city of Galilee, with the name Nazareth,

²⁷to a virgin being espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, from the house of David; and the name of the virgin was Mary.

²⁸And [³entering ¹the ²angel] to her, said, Hail! one being shown favor. The Lord is with you, O you being blessed among women.

²⁹ And she, seeing, was disturbed over his word, and reasoned what [²may be ¹this greeting].

³⁰And [³said ¹the ²angel] to her, Fear not Mary! for you found favor with God.

³¹And behold, you shall conceive in the womb, and you shall give birth to a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

³²This one will be great, and [²son ³of highest ¹he will be called]; and [³shall give ⁴to him ¹the Lord ²God] the throne of David his father.

³³And he shall reign over the house of Jacob into the eons, and of his kingdom there shall not be an end.

³⁴[³said ¹And ²Mary] to the angel, How will this be, since [²a husband ¹I know not]?

³⁵And answering the angel said to her, [²spirit ¹Holy] shall come upon you, and power of the highest shall overshadow you; therefore also the one being born of you holy, shall be called Son of God.

³⁶And behold, Elizabeth your relative, even she is having conceived a son in her old age, and this one [⁶month ⁵sixth ³is ⁴in her ¹being called ²sterile].

³⁷For not shall [³be impossible ⁴with ⁵God ¹any ²thing].

³⁸[³said ¹And ²Mary], Behold, the maidservant of the Lord; may it be to me according to your word. And [³went forth ⁴from ⁵her ¹the ²angel].

³⁹

Mary Visits Elizabeth

[³rising up ¹And ²Mary] in these days, went into the mountainous area with haste, unto a city of Judah.

⁴⁰And she entered into the house of Zacharias, and she greeted Elizabeth.

⁴¹And it came to pass as Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, [³leaped ¹the ²babe] in her belly. And [²was filled ⁴spirit ³of holy ¹Elizabeth].

⁴²And she sounded out loud [²voice ¹with a great] and said, O you being blessed among women, and being blessed is the fruit of your belly.

⁴³And from where is this to me, that [⁴should come ¹the ²mother ³of my Lord] to me?

⁴⁴For behold, as [⁴took place ¹the ²sound ³of your greeting] in my ears, [³leaped ⁴in ⁵exultation ¹the ²babe] in my belly.

⁴⁵And blessed is the one believing, for there will be a perfection to the things spoken to her by the Lord.

⁴⁶

Mary Magnifies the Lord

And Mary said, [³magnifies ²soul ¹My] the Lord,

⁴⁷and [²exults ¹my spirit] over God my deliverer.

⁴⁸For he looked upon the low estate of his maidservant. For behold, from the present [³shall declare me blessed ¹all ²generations].

⁴⁹For [³did ⁴a magnificent thing to me ¹the ²mighty one], and holy is his name.

⁵⁰And his mercy is for generations of generations to the ones fearing him.

⁵¹He executed might with his arm; he dispersed proud ones -- the thought of their hearts.

⁵²He demolished mighty ones from thrones, and raised up high humble ones.

⁵³[²ones being hungry ¹He filled up] of good things, and ones being rich he sent out empty.

⁵⁴He took hold of Israel his servant, [²to be remembered ¹for mercy],

⁵⁵(as he said to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed), into the eon.

⁵⁶[³abided ¹And ²Mary] with her about [²months ¹three]; and she returned unto her house.

⁵⁷

The Birth of John the Baptist

And Elizabeth fulfilled the time of her giving birth; and she bore a son.

⁵⁸And [³heard ¹the ones ²adjacent], and her relatives, that the Lord magnified his mercy with her; and they rejoiced along with her.

⁵⁹And it came to pass in the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child; and they called it after the name of his father Zacharias.

⁶⁰And answering his mother said, No, but he shall be called John.

⁶¹And they said to her that, No one is among your kin who is called by this name.

⁶²And they beckoned to his father, for the name that he might want to call him.

⁶³And asking for a writing tablet, he wrote, saying, John is his name. And they all marveled.

⁶⁴[³was opened ¹And ²his mouth] immediately, and his tongue, and he spoke blessing God.

⁶⁵And [²came ³upon ⁴all ¹fear] the ones living about them. And in the entire mountainous area of Judea [³were discussed ¹all ²these matters].

⁶⁶And [⁴placed them ¹all ²the ones ³having heard] in their heart, saying, What then [²this child ¹will] be? And the hand of the Lord was with him.

⁶⁷

The Prophecy of Zacharias

And Zacharias his father was filled [²spirit ¹of holy], and prophesied, saying,

⁶⁸Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for he visited and made a ransoming to his people;

⁶⁹and he raised a horn of deliverance to us by the house of David his servant;

⁷⁰as he spoke by the mouth of the holy ones, of the ones from the eon, his prophets --

⁷¹deliverance from our enemies, and from the hand of all of the ones detesting us;

⁷²to do mercy with our fathers, and to remember [³covenant ²holy ¹his];

⁷³the oath which he swore to Abraham our father to grant to us;

⁷⁴[⁷fearlessly ²from out of ³the hand ⁴of our enemies ¹being rescued ⁵to serve ⁶him];

⁷⁵in sacredness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.

⁷⁶And you, child, [²prophet ³of highest ¹shall be called]; for you shall go forth before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

⁷⁷ to give knowledge of deliverance to his people in a release of their sins;

⁷⁸through feelings of compassion of mercy of our God, in which [⁴visited ⁵us ¹the rising ²of ³the height];

⁷⁹to shine unto the ones in darkness and [²in the shadow ³of death ¹sitting]; to straighten out our feet unto the way of peace.

⁸⁰And the child grew, and was fortified in spirit, and was in the wildernesses until the day of his appointment with Israel.