Luke 1:1
Ἐπειδήπερ πολλοὶ ἐπεχείρησαν ἀνατάξασθαι διήγησιν περὶ τῶν πεπληροφορημένων ἐν ἡμῖν πραγμάτων.
Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us.
Luke 1:2
καθὼς παρέδοσαν ἡμῖν οἱ ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς αὐτόπται καὶ ὑπηρέται γενόμενοι τοῦ λόγου.
They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples.
Luke 1:3
ἔδοξε κἀμοὶ παρηκολουθηκότι ἄνωθεν πᾶσιν ἀκριβῶς, καθεξῆς σοι γράψαι, κράτιστε Θεόφιλε,
Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus,
Luke 1:4
ἵνα ἐπιγνῷς περὶ ὧν κατηχήθης λόγων τὴν ἀσφάλειαν.
so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.
Luke 1:5
ἐγένετο ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἡρῴδου βασιλέως τῆς Ἰουδαίας, ἱερεύς τις ὀνόματι Ζαχαρίας· ἐξ ἐφημερίας Ἀβιά, καὶ γυνὴ αὐτῷ, ἐκ τῶν θυγατέρων Ἀαρών, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς Ἐλεισάβετ.
When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron.
Luke 1:6
ἦσαν δὲ δίκαιοι ἀμφότεροι ἐναντίον τοῦ θεοῦ, πορευόμενοι ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἐντολαῖς καὶ δικαιώμασιν τοῦ κυρίου ἄμεμπτοι.
Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations.
Luke 1:7
καὶ οὐκ ἦν αὐτοῖς τέκνον καθότι ἦν ἡ Ἐλεισάβετ στεῖρα, καὶ ἀμφότεροι προβεβηκότες ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτῶν ἦσαν.
They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.
Luke 1:8
ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ ἱερατεύειν αὐτόν, ἐν τῇ τάξει τῆς ἐφημερίας αὐτοῦ, ἔναντι τοῦ θεοῦ,
One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week.
Luke 1:9
κατὰ τὸ ἔθος τῆς ἱερατείας, ἔλαχε τοῦ θυμιᾶσαι εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ κυρίου.
As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.
Luke 1:10
καὶ πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος ἦν τοῦ λαοῦ, προσευχόμενον ἔξω, τῇ ὥρᾳ τοῦ θυμιάματος.
While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying.
Luke 1:11
ὤφθη δὲ αὐτῷ ἄγγελος κυρίου, ἑστὼς ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τοῦ θυμιάματος.
While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar.
Luke 1:12
καὶ ἐταράχθη Ζαχαρίας ἰδὼν καὶ φόβος ἐπέπεσεν ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν.
Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him.
Luke 1:13
εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος, Μὴ φοβοῦ, Ζαχαρία. διότι εἰσηκούσθη ἡ δέησίς σου, καὶ ἡ γυνή σου, Ἐλεισάβετ, γεννήσει υἱόν σοι. καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰωάνην.
But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.
Luke 1:14
καὶ ἔσται χαρά σοι καὶ ἀγαλλίασις, καὶ πολλοὶ ἐπὶ τῇ γενέσει αὐτοῦ χαρήσονται,
You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,
Luke 1:15
ἔσται γὰρ μέγας ἐνώπιον τοῦ κυρίου. καὶ οἶνον καὶ σίκερα οὐ μὴ πίῃ. καὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου πλησθήσεται, ἔτι ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς αὐτοῦ.
for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.
Luke 1:17
καὶ αὐτὸς προελεύσεται ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ἐν πνεύματι καὶ δυνάμει Ἠλίου· ἐπιστρέψαι καρδίας πατέρων ἐπὶ τέκνα, καὶ ἀπειθεῖς ἐν φρονήσει δικαίων· ἑτοιμάσαι κυρίῳ λαὸν κατεσκευασμένον.
He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”
Luke 1:18
καὶ εἶπεν Ζαχαρίας πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον, Κατὰ τί γνώσομαι τοῦτο; ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι πρεσβύτης, καὶ ἡ γυνή μου προβεβηκυῖα ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτῆς.
Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”
Luke 1:19
καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ ἄγγελος εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Ἐγώ εἰμι Γαβριήλ· ὁ παρεστηκὼς ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ. καὶ ἀπεστάλην λαλῆσαι πρὸς σὲ καὶ εὐαγγελίσασθαί σοι ταῦτα.
Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news!
Luke 1:20
καὶ ἰδού, ἔσῃ σιωπῶν καὶ μὴ δυνάμενος λαλῆσαι ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας γένηται ταῦτα, ἀνθ᾽ ὧν οὐκ ἐπίστευσας τοῖς λόγοις μου· οἵτινες πληρωθήσονται εἰς τὸν καιρὸν αὐτῶν.
But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”
Luke 1:21
καί, ἦν ὁ λαὸς προσδοκῶν τὸν Ζαχαρίαν, καὶ ἐθαύμαζον ἐν τῷ χρονίζειν ἐν τῷ ναῷ αὐτόν.
Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long.
Luke 1:22
ἐξελθὼν δέ, οὐκ ἐδύνατο λαλῆσαι αὐτοῖς. καὶ ἐπέγνωσαν ὅτι ὀπτασίαν ἑώρακεν ἐν τῷ ναῷ καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν διανεύων αὐτοῖς καὶ διέμενεν κωφός.
When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary.
Luke 1:23
καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἐπλήσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τῆς λειτουργίας αὐτοῦ, ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ.
When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home.
Luke 1:24
μετὰ δὲ ταύτας τὰς ἡμέρας, συνέλαβεν Ἐλεισάβετ, ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ περιέκρυβεν ἑαυτὴν μῆνας πέντε λέγουσα
Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months.
Luke 1:25
ὅτι, Οὕτως μοι πεποίηκεν κύριος ἐν ἡμέραις αἷς ἐπεῖδεν· ἀφελεῖν ὄνειδός μου ἐν ἀνθρώποις.
“How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”
Luke 1:26
ἐν δὲ τῷ μηνὶ τῷ ἕκτῳ, ἀπεστάλη ὁ ἄγγελος Γαβριὴλ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς πόλιν τῆς Γαλιλαίας, ᾗ ὄνομα Ναζαρέτ,
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee,
Luke 1:27
πρὸς παρθένον ἐμνηστευμένην ἀνδρὶ ᾧ ὄνομα Ἰωσήφ, ἐξ οἴκου Δαυείδ, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τῆς παρθένου Μαριάμ.
to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.
Luke 1:28
καὶ εἰσελθὼν πρὸς αὐτὴν εἶπεν, Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη. ὁ κύριος μετὰ σοῦ.
Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
Luke 1:29
ἡ δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ λόγῳ διεταράχθη καὶ διελογίζετο, ποταπὸς εἴη ὁ ἀσπασμὸς οὗτος.
Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.
Luke 1:30
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ἄγγελος αὐτῇ, Μὴ φοβοῦ, Μαριάμ, εὗρες γὰρ χάριν παρὰ τῷ θεῷ.
“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!
Luke 1:31
καὶ ἰδοὺ συλλήμψῃ ἐν γαστρὶ καὶ τέξῃ υἱόν, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν.
You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.
Luke 1:32
οὗτος ἔσται μέγας καὶ υἱὸς ὑψίστου κληθήσεται. καὶ δώσει αὐτῷ κύριος ὁ θεὸς τὸν θρόνον Δαυεὶδ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ.
He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.
Luke 1:33
καὶ βασιλεύσει ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰακὼβ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας· καὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔσται τέλος.
And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
Luke 1:34
εἶπεν δὲ Μαριὰμ πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον, Πῶς ἔσται τοῦτο; ἐπεὶ ἄνδρα οὐ γινώσκω.
Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
Luke 1:35
καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ ἄγγελος εἶπεν αὐτῇ, Πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐπελεύσεται ἐπὶ σέ, καὶ δύναμις ὑψίστου ἐπισκιάσει σοι. διὸ καὶ τὸ γεννώμενον ἅγιον, κληθήσεται υἱὸς θεοῦ.
The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.
Luke 1:36
καὶ ἰδού, Ἐλεισάβετ ἡ συγγενίς σου καὶ αὐτὴ συνείληφεν υἱὸν ἐν γήρει αὐτῆς. καὶ οὗτος μὴν ἕκτος ἐστίν, αὐτῇ τῇ καλουμένῃ στείρᾳ·
What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month.
Luke 1:38
εἶπεν δὲ Μαριάμ, Ἰδοὺ ἡ δούλη κυρίου. γένοιτό μοι κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου. καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἀπ᾽ αὐτῆς ὁ ἄγγελος.
Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Luke 1:39
ἀναστᾶσα δὲ Μαριὰμ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ταύταις ἐπορεύθη εἰς τὴν ὀρεινὴν μετὰ σπουδῆς, εἰς πόλιν Ἰούδα
A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town
Luke 1:40
καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον Ζαχαρίου. καὶ ἠσπάσατο τὴν Ἐλεισάβετ.
where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth.
Luke 1:41
καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἤκουσεν τὸν ἀσπασμὸν τῆς Μαρίας ἡ Ἐλεισάβετ, ἐσκίρτησεν τὸ βρέφος ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐπλήσθη πνεύματος ἁγίου ἡ Ἐλεισάβετ.
At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:42
καὶ ἀνεφώνησεν κραυγῇ μεγάλῃ καὶ εἶπεν, Εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν γυναιξίν, καὶ εὐλογημένος ὁ καρπὸς τῆς κοιλίας σου.
Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed.
Luke 1:43
καὶ πόθεν μοι τοῦτο, ἵνα ἔλθῃ ἡ μήτηρ τοῦ κυρίου μου πρὸς ἐμέ;
Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me?
Luke 1:44
ἰδοὺ γὰρ ὡς ἐγένετο ἡ φωνὴ τοῦ ἀσπασμοῦ σου εἰς τὰ ὦτά μου, ἐσκίρτησεν ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει τὸ βρέφος ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ μου.
When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy.
Luke 1:45
καὶ μακαρία, ἡ πιστεύσασα ὅτι ἔσται τελείωσις τοῖς λελαλημένοις αὐτῇ παρὰ κυρίου.
You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”
Luke 1:48
ὅτι ἐπέβλεψεν ἐπὶ τὴν ταπείνωσιν τῆς δούλης αὐτοῦ, ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν μακαριοῦσίν με πᾶσαι αἱ γενεαί.
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
Luke 1:49
ὅτι ἐποίησέν μοι μεγάλα ὁ δυνατός, καὶ ἅγιον τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ.
For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.
Luke 1:50
καὶ τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ εἰς γενεὰς καὶ γενεὰς τοῖς φοβουμένοις αὐτόν.
He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him.
Luke 1:51
ἐποίησεν κράτος ἐν βραχίονι αὐτοῦ. διεσκόρπισεν ὑπερηφάνους διανοίᾳ καρδίας αὐτῶν.
His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
Luke 1:52
καθεῖλεν δυνάστας ἀπὸ θρόνων καὶ ὕψωσεν ταπεινούς.
He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble.
Luke 1:53
πεινῶντας ἐνέπλησεν ἀγαθῶν καὶ πλουτοῦντας ἐξαπέστειλεν κενούς.
He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands.
Luke 1:54
ἀντελάβετο Ἰσραὴλ παιδὸς αὐτοῦ μνησθῆναι ἐλέους.
He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful.
Luke 1:55
καθὼς ἐλάλησεν πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν, τῷ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.
For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.”
Luke 1:56
ἔμεινεν δὲ Μαριὰμ σὺν αὐτῇ ὡς μῆνας τρεῖς καὶ ὑπέστρεψεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτῆς.
Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.
Luke 1:57
τῇ δὲ Ἐλεισάβετ ἐπλήσθη ὁ χρόνος τοῦ τεκεῖν αὐτήν, καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱόν.
When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son.
Luke 1:58
καὶ ἤκουσαν οἱ περίοικοι καὶ οἱ συγγενεῖς αὐτῆς ὅτι ἐμεγάλυνεν κύριος τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ μετ᾽ αὐτῆς, καὶ συνέχαιρον αὐτῇ.
And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her.
Luke 1:59
καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ὀγδόῃ, ἦλθαν περιτεμεῖν τὸ παιδίον· καὶ ἐκάλουν αὐτὸ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, Ζαχαρίαν.
When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father.
Luke 1:60
καὶ ἀποκριθεῖσα ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ εἶπεν, Οὐχί. ἀλλὰ κληθήσεται Ἰωάνης.
Luke 1:61
καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς αὐτὴν ὅτι, Οὐδεὶς ἔστιν ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας σου ὃς καλεῖται τῷ ὀνόματι τούτῳ.
“What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.”
Luke 1:62
ἐνένευον δὲ τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ τὸ τί ἂν θέλοι καλεῖσθαι αὐτό.
So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him.
Luke 1:63
καὶ αἰτήσας πινακίδιον ἔγραψεν λέγων, Ἰωάνης ἐστὶν ὄνομα αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐθαύμασαν πάντες.
He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.”
Luke 1:64
ἀνεῴχθη δὲ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ παραχρῆμα καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐλάλει εὐλογῶν τὸν θεόν.
Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.
Luke 1:65
καὶ ἐγένετο ἐπὶ πάντας φόβος τοὺς περιοικοῦντας αὐτούς, καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ὀρεινῇ τῆς Ἰουδαίας διελαλεῖτο πάντα τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα.
Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills.
Luke 1:66
καὶ ἔθεντο πάντες οἱ ἀκούσαντες ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν λέγοντες, Τί ἄρα τὸ παιδίον τοῦτο ἔσται; καὶ γὰρ χεὶρ κυρίου ἦν μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ.
Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way.
Luke 1:67
καὶ Ζαχαρίας, ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ, ἐπλήσθη πνεύματος ἁγίου καὶ ἐπροφήτευσεν λέγων·
Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:
Luke 1:68
Εὐλογητὸς κύριος, ὁ θεὸς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, ὅτι ἐπεσκέψατο καὶ ἐποίησεν λύτρωσιν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ.
“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people.
Luke 1:69
καὶ ἤγειρεν κέρας σωτηρίας ἡμῖν ἐν οἴκῳ Δαυεὶδ παιδὸς αὐτοῦ,
He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David,
Luke 1:71
σωτηρίαν ἐξ ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς πάντων τῶν μισούντων ἡμᾶς.
Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us.
Luke 1:72
ποιῆσαι ἔλεος μετὰ τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν καὶ μνησθῆναι διαθήκης ἁγίας αὐτοῦ—
He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant —
Luke 1:74
τοῦ δοῦναι ἡμῖν ἀφόβως, ἐκ χειρὸς ἐχθρῶν ῥυσθέντας, λατρεύειν αὐτῷ,
We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear,
Luke 1:76
καὶ σὺ δέ, παιδίον, προφήτης ὑψίστου κληθήσῃ, προπορεύσῃ γὰρ ἐνώπιον κυρίου ἑτοιμάσαι ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ.
“And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
Luke 1:77
τοῦ δοῦναι γνῶσιν σωτηρίας τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀφέσει ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν.
You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins.
Luke 1:78
διὰ σπλάγχνα ἐλέους θεοῦ ἡμῶν, ἐν οἷς ἐπισκέψεται ἡμᾶς ἀνατολὴ ἐξ ὕψους,
Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,