Luke 1 - New International Version (NIV)

Introduction^(A)

1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled^[a] among us, ² just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first^(B) were eyewitnesses^(C) and servants of the word.^{(D) 3} With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account^(E) for you, most excellent^(F) Theophilus,^{(G) 4} so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.^(H)

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

⁵ In the time of Herod king of Judea^(I) there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah;^(J) 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.^{(K) 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,^{(L) 9} he was chosen by lot,^(M) according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.^{(N) 10} And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.^(O)

¹¹ Then an angel^(P) of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.^{(Q) 12} When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.^{(R) 13} But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid,^(S) Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.^{(T) 14} He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,^{(U) 15} for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink,^(V) and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit^(W) even before he is born.^{(X) 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,^(Y) in the spirit and power of Elijah,^(Z) to turn the hearts of the parents to their children^(AA) and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”^(AB)

¹⁸ Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this?^(AC) I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”^(AD)

¹⁹ The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel.^(AE) 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^(AF) 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^(AG) 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^(AH) among the people.”

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel^(AI) to Nazareth,^(AJ) a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph,^(AK) 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,^(AL) Mary; you have found favor with God.^{(AM) 31} You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.^{(AN) 32} He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.^(AO) The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,^{(AP) 33} and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom^(AQ) will never end.”^(AR)

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,^(AS) and the power of the Most High^(AT) will overshadow you. So the holy one^(AU) to be born will be called^[b] the Son of God.^{(AV) 36} Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child^(AW) 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.”^(AX)

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,^{(AY) 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.^{(AZ) 42} In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women,^(BA) and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³ But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord^(BB) 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^(BC)

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord^(BD)
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,^(BE)
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.^(BF)
From now on all generations will call me blessed,^(BG)
49 for the Mighty One has done great things^(BH) for me—
holy is his name.^(BI)
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.^(BJ)
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;^(BK)
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.^(BL)
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.^(BM)
53 He has filled the hungry with good things^(BN)
but has sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful^(BO)
55 to Abraham and his descendants^(BP) 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^(BQ) 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.”^(BR)

⁶¹ They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

⁶² Then they made signs^(BS) 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.”^{(BT) 64} Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak,^(BU) praising God. ⁶⁵ All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea^(BV) 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.^(BW)

Zechariah’s Song

⁶⁷ His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit^(BX) and prophesied:^(BY)

⁶⁸ “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,^(BZ)
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.^(CA)
69 He has raised up a horn^[c](CB) of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David^(CC)
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),^(CD)
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
⁷² to show mercy to our ancestors^(CE)
and to remember his holy covenant,^(CF)
73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:^(CG)
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him^(CH) without fear^(CI)
75 in holiness and righteousness^(CJ) before him all our days.

⁷⁶ And you, my child, will be called a prophet^(CK) of the Most High;^(CL)
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,^(CM)
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,^(CN)
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun^(CO) will come to us from heaven
⁷⁹ to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,^(CP)
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”^(CQ)

⁸⁰ And the child grew and became strong in spirit^[d];^(CR) and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

Footnotes

1. Luke 1:1 Or been surely believed
2. Luke 1:35 Or So the child to be born will be called holy,
3. Luke 1:69 Horn here symbolizes a strong king.
4. Luke 1:80 Or in the Spirit

Cross references

1. Luke 1:1 : 1:1-4Ref — Ac 1:1
2. Luke 1:2 : Mk 1:1; Jn 15:27; Ac 1:21, 22
3. Luke 1:2 : Heb 2:3; 1Pe 5:1; 2Pe 1:16; 1Jn 1:1
4. Luke 1:2 : S Mk 4:14
5. Luke 1:3 : Ac 11:4
6. Luke 1:3 : Ac 24:3; 26:25
7. Luke 1:3 : Ac 1:1
8. Luke 1:4 : Jn 20:31; Ac 2:42
9. Luke 1:5 : Mt 2:1
10. Luke 1:5 : 1Ch 24:10
11. Luke 1:6 : Ge 6:9; Dt 5:33; 1Ki 9:4; Lk 2:25
12. Luke 1:8 : 1Ch 24:19; 2Ch 8:14
13. Luke 1:9 : Ac 1:26
14. Luke 1:9 : Ex 30:7, 8; 1Ch 23:13; 2Ch 29:11; Ps 141:2
15. Luke 1:10 : Lev 16:17
16. Luke 1:11 : S Ac 5:19
17. Luke 1:11 : Ex 30:1-10
18. Luke 1:12 : Jdg 6:22, 23; 13:22
19. Luke 1:13 : ver 30; S Mt 14:27
20. Luke 1:13 : ver 60, 63; S Mt 3:1
21. Luke 1:14 : ver 58
22. Luke 1:15 : Nu 6:3; Lev 10:9; Jdg 13:4; Lk 7:33
23. Luke 1:15 : ver 41, 67; Ac 2:4; 4:8, 31; 6:3, 5; 9:17; 11:24; Eph 5:18; S Ac 10:44
24. Luke 1:15 : Jer 1:5; Gal 1:15
25. Luke 1:17 : ver 76
26. Luke 1:17 : S Mt 11:14
27. Luke 1:17 : Mal 4:5, 6
28. Luke 1:17 : S Mt 3:3
29. Luke 1:18 : Ge 15:8
30. Luke 1:18 : ver 34; Ge 17:17
31. Luke 1:19 : ver 26; Da 8:16; 9:21
32. Luke 1:20 : Ex 4:11; Eze 3:26
33. Luke 1:22 : ver 62
34. Luke 1:25 : Ge 30:23; Isa 4:1
35. Luke 1:26 : S ver 19
36. Luke 1:26 : S Mt 2:23
37. Luke 1:27 : Mt 1:16, 18, 20; Lk 2:4
38. Luke 1:30 : ver 13; S Mt 14:27
39. Luke 1:30 : Ge 6:8
40. Luke 1:31 : Isa 7:14; Mt 1:21, 25; Lk 2:21
41. Luke 1:32 : ver 35, 76; S Mk 5:7
42. Luke 1:32 : S Mt 1:1
43. Luke 1:33 : Mt 28:18
44. Luke 1:33 : 2Sa 7:16; Ps 89:3, 4; Isa 9:7; Jer 33:17; Da 2:44; 7:14, 27; Mic 4:7; Heb 1:8
45. Luke 1:35 : Mt 1:18
46. Luke 1:35 : ver 32, 76; S Mk 5:7
47. Luke 1:35 : S Mk 1:24
48. Luke 1:35 : S Mt 4:3
49. Luke 1:36 : ver 24
50. Luke 1:37 : S Mt 19:26
51. Luke 1:39 : ver 65
52. Luke 1:41 : S ver 15
53. Luke 1:42 : Jdg 5:24
54. Luke 1:43 : S Jn 13:13
55. Luke 1:46 : 1:46-53pp — 1Sa 2:1-10
56. Luke 1:46 : Ps 34:2, 3
57. Luke 1:47 : Ps 18:46; Isa 17:10; 61:10; Hab 3:18; 1Ti 1:1; 2:3; 4:10
58. Luke 1:48 : ver 38; Ps 138:6
59. Luke 1:48 : Lk 11:27
60. Luke 1:49 : Ps 71:19
61. Luke 1:49 : Ps 111:9
62. Luke 1:50 : Ex 20:6; Ps 103:17
63. Luke 1:51 : Ps 98:1; Isa 40:10
64. Luke 1:51 : Ge 11:8; Ex 18:11; 2Sa 22:28; Jer 13:9; 49:16
65. Luke 1:52 : S Mt 23:12
66. Luke 1:53 : Ps 107:9
67. Luke 1:54 : Ps 98:3
68. Luke 1:55 : S Gal 3:16
69. Luke 1:59 : Ge 17:12; Lev 12:3; Lk 2:21; Php 3:5
70. Luke 1:60 : ver 13, 63; S Mt 3:1
71. Luke 1:62 : ver 22
72. Luke 1:63 : ver 13, 60; S Mt 3:1
73. Luke 1:64 : ver 20; Eze 24:27
74. Luke 1:65 : ver 39
75. Luke 1:66 : Ge 39:2; Ac 11:21
76. Luke 1:67 : S ver 15
77. Luke 1:67 : Joel 2:28
78. Luke 1:68 : Ge 24:27; 1Ki 8:15; Ps 72:18
79. Luke 1:68 : Ps 111:9; Lk 7:16
80. Luke 1:69 : 1Sa 2:1, 10; 2Sa 22:3; Ps 18:2; 89:17; 132:17; Eze 29:21
81. Luke 1:69 : S Mt 1:1
82. Luke 1:70 : Jer 23:5; Ac 3:21; Ro 1:2
83. Luke 1:72 : Mic 7:20
84. Luke 1:72 : Ps 105:8, 9; 106:45; Eze 16:60
85. Luke 1:73 : Ge 22:16-18
86. Luke 1:74 : Heb 9:14
87. Luke 1:74 : 1Jn 4:18
88. Luke 1:75 : Eph 4:24
89. Luke 1:76 : S Mt 11:9
90. Luke 1:76 : ver 32, 35; S Mk 5:7
91. Luke 1:76 : ver 17; S Mt 3:3
92. Luke 1:77 : Jer 31:34; Mt 1:21; Mk 1:4
93. Luke 1:78 : Mal 4:2
94. Luke 1:79 : Ps 107:14; Isa 9:2; 59:9; Mt 4:16; S Ac 26:18
95. Luke 1:79 : S Lk 2:14
96. Luke 1:80 : Lk 2:40, 52