Since many have undertaken to arrange a complete digest of the things fully believed among us, as they delivered them to us who, from the beginning, were eye witnesses and ministers of the word, it seemed good to me also, having traced all things accurately from the first, to write in order to you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of the words concerning which you have been taught.

In the days of Herod the king of Judea, there was a certain priest by the name of Zachariah, of the class of Abijah; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no son, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

And when he was performing the priest's office in the order of his class before God, it fell to his lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord to burn incense; and all the multitude of the people were praying without, at the hour of incense. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense; and Zachariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.

And the angel said to him, Fear not, Zachariah, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son; and you shall call his name John. And he shall be to you a joy and rejoicing; and many shall rejoice at his birth; for he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall not drink wine and strong

drink, but shall be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his birth; and many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zachariah said to the angel, By what shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife advanced in years. And the angel answered and said to him, I am Gabriel, who stand before God; and I was sent to speak to you, and to tell you this good news. And behold you shall be silent, and not able to speak, till the day these things are accomplished; because you have not believed my words, which shall be fulfilled in their time.

And the people waited for Zachariah, and wondered that he staid so long in the temple. And when he came out he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he made signs to them, and continued dumb. And when the days of his service were completed he departed to his house. And after these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and hid herself five months, saying, Thus has the Lord dealt with me, in the days in which he looked upon me to take away my reproach among men.

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee, by the name of Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the name of the virgin was Mary. And coming in to her, he said, Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you! And she was troubled at his word, and doubted what this salutation meant. And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold you shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God shall give him the throne of David his father, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

And Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I know not a man? And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you; and on that account the holy child shall be called the Son of God. And behold Elizabeth, your relative, even she is pregnant with a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month

to her called barren; for nothing is impossible with God. And Mary said, Behold, I am the servant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her.

Next section