Luke 1 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

A Doctor Charts the Facts

1 Now many have undertaken to organize an account of the events fulfilled among us, ² just as they were handed down to us from the start by the eyewitnesses and reporters of the word. ³ Therefore it seemed best to me also, because I have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, to write for you an orderly record, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴ so you may know for sure the truth of the words you have been taught.

Prophecy of Birth to the Barren

⁵ In the days of Herod, King of Judah, there was a kohen named Zechariah from the priestly division of Abijah.^[a] Elizabeth, his wife, was from the daughters of Aaron. ⁶ Together they were righteous before Adonai, walking without fault in all His commandments and instructions. ⁷ But they were childless, because Elizabeth was barren and both of them were elderly.

⁸ Now it happened to be Zechariah’s time to serve as kohen before Adonai in the order of his division. ⁹ According to the custom of the priestly office, it became his lot to enter the Holy Place of Adonai to burn incense. ^{[b] 10} And the whole crowd of people was praying outside at the hour of incense burning. ¹¹ An angel of Adonai appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² Zechariah was in turmoil when he saw the angel, and fear fell upon him. ¹³ But the angel said, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give birth to your son, and you will name him John. ¹⁴ And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵ He will be great before Adonai; and he should not drink wine and intoxicating beverage,^[c] but he will be filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh just out of his mother’s womb. ¹⁶ Many of Bnei-Yisrael will turn to Adonai their God. ¹⁷ And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to the children^[d] and the disobedient ones to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready for Adonai a prepared people.

¹⁸ Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? I’m an old man, and my wife is well-advanced in age.”

¹⁹ And speaking to him, the angel declared, “I am Gabriel, the one standing in God’s presence. I was commissioned to tell you and proclaim to you this good news. ²⁰ So look, you will be silent and powerless to speak until the day these things happen, since you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their time.”

²¹ The people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering about his long delay in the Holy Place. ²² But when he came out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the Holy Place. He was making signs to them but remained mute. ²³ When the days of his priestly service had been completed, he went home. ²⁴ After these days, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and hid herself for five months, saying, ²⁵ “Adonai has done this for me! In these days He looked upon me, to take away my disgrace among the people.”^[e]

Prophecy of Birth to the Virgin

²⁶ Then in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by Adonai into a town in the Galilee named Natzeret ²⁷ and to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Miriam. ²⁸ And coming to her, the angel said, “Shalom, favored one! Adonai is with you.^[f]” ²⁹ But at the message, she was perplexed and kept wondering what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ The angel spoke to her, “Do not be afraid, Miriam, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ Behold, you will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you shall call His name Yeshua. ^{[g] 32} He will be great and will be called Ben-Elyon. Adonai Elohim will give Him the throne of David,^[h] His father. ³³ He shall reign over the house of Jacob for all eternity, and His kingdom will be without end.”^[i]

³⁴ Miriam said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am not intimate with a man?”^[j]

³⁵ And responding, the angel said to her, “The Ruach ha-Kodesh will come upon you, and the power of Elyon will overshadow you. Therefore, the Holy One being born will be called Ben-Elohim. ³⁶ Behold, even your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son in her old age; and the one who was called barren is six months pregnant. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God.”^[k]

³⁸ So Miriam said, “Behold, the servant of Adonai. Let it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel left her.

Elizabeth Greets Miriam with Joy

³⁹ Now in those days, Miriam got up and quickly traveled into the hill country, to a town in Judah. ⁴⁰ She entered Zechariah’s home and happily greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Miriam’s greeting, the unborn child leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was completely filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh. ⁴² She then cried out with a great shout, saying, “You are blessed among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. ⁴³ Who am I, that the mother of my Master should come to me? ⁴⁴ For even when I just heard the sound of your greeting in my ear, the unborn child leaped with joy in my womb. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who trusted that there would be a fulfillment of those things spoken to her by Adonai.”

⁴⁶ Then Miriam said,

“My soul magnifies Adonai,^[l]
47 and my spirit greatly rejoices in God, my Savior.
⁴⁸ For He has looked with care upon the humble state of His maidservant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.
⁴⁹ For the Mighty One has done a great thing for me,
and holy is His name.
⁵⁰ And His mercy is from generation to generation
to the ones who fear Him.
⁵¹ He has displayed power with His arm
He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
⁵² He has brought down rulers from thrones
and exalted humble ones.
⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent away the rich empty-handed.
⁵⁴ He has helped His servant Israel,^[m]
remembering His mercy,
⁵⁵ just as He spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his seed forever.”

Zechariah Breaks His Silence

⁵⁶ Miriam stayed with her for three months and then returned to her home. ⁵⁷ Upon Elizabeth’s full term to deliver, she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸ Her neighbors and relatives heard how Adonai had shown her His great mercy, and they began to rejoice with her.

⁵⁹ Now on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child,^[n] and they kept trying to call him by his father’s name, Zechariah. ⁶⁰ But his mother declared, “No, he will be called John.”

⁶¹ But they said to her, “No one among your relatives is called by this name.” ⁶² So they began making signs to his father, as to what he wanted him named.

⁶³ Asking for a small tablet, he wrote, “John is his name.” They were all astonished! ⁶⁴ And his mouth was immediately unlocked as well as his tongue, and he began to speak, praising God. ⁶⁵ Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these matters were talked about throughout the hill country of Judah. ⁶⁶ Everyone who heard pondered these things in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child become?” For the hand of Adonai was on him.

The Kohen’s Song of Prophecy

⁶⁷ His father Zechariah was filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh and prophesied, saying,

⁶⁸ “Blessed be Adonai,
God of Israel,
for He has looked after His people
and brought them redemption.
⁶⁹ He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of His servant David,^[o]
70 just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ages past,
⁷¹ salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us!
⁷² So He shows mercy to our fathers
and remembers His holy covenant,^[p]
73 the vow which He swore to Abraham
our father, to grant us—
⁷⁴ rescued fearlessly from the hand of
our enemies^[q]—to serve Him,
⁷⁵ in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
⁷⁶ And you, child, will be called a prophet of Elyon.
For you will go before Adonai to prepare His ways,^[r]
77 to give knowledge of salvation to His people
through removal of their sins.^[s]
78 Through our God’s heart of mercy,
the Sunrise from on high will come upon us,
⁷⁹ to give light to those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death,^[t]
to guide our feet in the way of shalom.”

⁸⁰ And the child kept growing and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Footnotes

1. Luke 1:5 cf. 1 Chr. 24:10.
2. Luke 1:10 cf. Exod. 30:6-8; 1 Chron. 24:10, 19.
3. Luke 1:15 cf. Num. 6:3.
4. Luke 1:17 cf. Mal. 3:23-24(4:5-6).
5. Luke 1:25 cf. Isa. 54:1-10.
6. Luke 1:28 Some mss. add and blessed are you among women.
7. Luke 1:32 cf. Isa. 7:14.
8. Luke 1:32 cf. 2 Sam. 7:12-16; Isa. 9:6(7); 11:1; Ps. 132:11-12.
9. Luke 1:33 cf. Ps. 45:6; 89:35-37; Dan. 2:44; 7:14.
10. Luke 1:34 cf. Isa. 7:14.
11. Luke 1:37 cf. Gen. 18:14.
12. Luke 1:46 cf. 1 Sam. 2:1-10.
13. Luke 1:54 cf. Isa. 41:8(41:8 LXX).
14. Luke 1:59 cf. Gen. 17:12; Lev. 12:3.
15. Luke 1:69 cf. 2 Sam. 7; 22:3; Isa. 37:35(37:35 LXX).
16. Luke 1:72 cf. Mic. 7:20.
17. Luke 1:74 cf. Gen. 22:16-17.
18. Luke 1:76 cf. Mal. 3:1; Isa. 40:3; Mic. 1:2.
19. Luke 1:77 cf. Jer. 31:34(38:34 LXX).
20. Luke 1:79 cf. Isa. 9:1(2).