1   Becavse many haue gone about to compile a narration of the things that haue been accomplished among vs:

2   according as they haue deliuered vnto vs, vvho from the beginning them selues savv and vvere ministers of the vvord:

3   it seemed good also vnto me09Q0663 hauing diligently atteined to al things from the beginning, to vvrite to thee in order, good ^note Theophilus,

4   that thou maist knovv the veritie of those vvordes vvhereof thou hast been instructed.

5    ^noteThere vvas in the daies of Herod the king of Ievvrie, a certaine Priest named Zacharie, of the ^note course of Abia: and his vvife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth.

6   And they vvere both09Q0664 iust before God, vvalking09Q0665 in al the commaundements09Q0666 and iustifications of our Lord vvithout blame,

7   and they had no sonne: for that Elizabeth vvas barren, and both vvere vvel striken in their daies.

8   And it came to passe: vvhen he executed the priestly function in the order of his course before God,

9   according to the custome of the Priestly function, he vvent forth by lot ^note to offer incense, entring into the temple of our Lord:

10   and ^note al the multitude of the people vvas ^note praying vvithout at the houre of the incense.

11   And there appeared to him an Angel of our

Lord, standing on the right hand of the altar of incense.

12   And Zacharie vvas troubled, seeing him: and feare fel vpon him.

13   But the Angel said to him, Feare not Zacharie, for thy praier is heard: and thy vvife Elizabeth shal beare thee a sonne, and thou shalt cal his name Iohn:

14   and thou shalt haue09Q0667 ioy and exultation, and many shal reioyce in his natiuitie.

15   for he shal be great before our Lord: ^note and vvine and sicer he shal not drinke: and he shal be replenished vvith the Holy Ghost euen from his mothers vvombe.

16   and he shal ^note conuert many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.

17   and he shal goe before him ^note in the spirit and vertue of Elias: that he may conuert the hartes of the fathers vnto the children, and the incredulous to the vvisedom of the iust, to prepare vnto the Lord a perfect people. &cross4;

18   And Zacharie said to the Angel, Vvhereby shal I knovv this? for I am old: and my vvife is vvel striken in her daies.

19   And the Angel ansvvering said to him, I am Gabriel that assist before God: and am sent to speake to thee, and to euangelize these things to thee.

20   And behold, ^note thou shalt be dumme, and shalt not be able to speake vntil the day vvherein these things shal be done: for-because thou hast not beleeued my vvordes, vvhich shal be fulfilled in their time.

21   And the people vvas expecting Zacharie: and they marueled that he made tariance in the temple.

22   And comming forth he could not speake to them, and they knevv that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he made signes to them, and remained dumme.

23   And it came to passe, after the daies of his office vvere expired,09Q0668 he departed into his house.

24   And after these daies Elizabeth his vvife conceiued: and hid her self fiue moneths, saying,

25   For thus hath our Lord done to me in the daies vvherein he had respect to take avvay my reproche among men.

26    ^noteAnd in the sixt moneth, the Angel Gabriel vvas sent of God into a citie of Galilee, called Nazareth,

27    ^noteto a virgin despoused to a man vvhose name vvas Ioseph, of the house of Dauid: and the virgins name vvas Marie.

28   And the Angel being entred in, said vnto her,09Q0669 Haile09Q0670 ful of grace, our Lord is vvith thee: blessed art thou among vvomen. ^note

29   Vvho hauing heard, vvas troubled at his saying, and thought vvhat maner of salutation this should be.

30   And the Angel said to her, Feare not Marie, for thou hast found grace vvith God.

31    ^noteBehold

thou shalt conceiue in thy vvombe, and shalt beare a sonne: and thou shalt call his name Iesvs.

32   he shal be great, and shal be called the sonne of the most High, and our Lord God shal giue him the seate of Dauid his father:

33    ^noteand he shal reigne in the house of Iacob for euer, and of his kingdom there shal be no end.

34   And Marie said to the Angel, ^note Hovv shal this be done?09Q0671 because I knovv not man?

35   And the Angel ansvvering, said to her, The Holy Ghost shal come vpon thee, and the povver of the most High shal ouershadovv thee. And therfore also that vvhich of thee shal be borne Holy, shal be called the sonne of God.

36   And behold 09Q0672 Elisabeth thy cosin, she also hath conceiued a sonne in her old age: and this moneth, is the sixt to her that is called barren:

37   because there shal not be impossible vvith God any vvord.

38   And Marie said, ^note Behold the handmaid of our Lord, be it done to me according to thy word. &cross4; And the Angel departed from her.

39    ^noteAnd Marie rising vp in those daies, vvent vnto the hil countrie vvith speede, into a citie of Iuda.

40   and she entred into the house of Zacharie, and saluted Elisabeth.

41   And it came to passe: as Elisabeth heard the salutation of Marie, the ^note infant did leape in her vvombe. and Elisabeth vvas replenished vvith the Holy Ghost:

42   and she cried out vvith a loude voice, and said,09Q0673 Blessed art thou among vvomen, and blessed is the fruite of thy vvombe.

43   And vvhence is this to me, that the09Q0674 mother of my Lord doth come to me?

44   For behold as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine eares, the infant in my vvombe did leape for ioy.

45   And blessed is she that beleeued, because those things shal be accomplished that vvere spok&ebar; to her by our Lord.

46   And Marie said,

46    ^noteMY SOVLE doth magnifie our Lord.

47   And my spirit hath reioyced in God my Sauiour. &cross4;

48   Because he hath regarded the humilitie of his handmaid: for behold from hence forth ^note al generations09Q0675 shal call me blessed.

49   Because he that is mightie hath done great things to me, and holy is his name.

50   And his mercie from generation vnto generations, to them that feare him.

51   He hath shevved might in his arme: he hath dispersed the proude in the conceit of their hart.

52   He hath deposed the mightie from their seate, and hath exalted the humble.

53   The hungrie he hath filled vvith good things: and the riche he hath sent avvay emptie.

54   He hath receiued Israel his childe, being mindeful of his mercie,

55   As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham and his seede for euer.

56   And Marie taried vvith her about three moneths: and she returned into her house.

57    ^noteAnd Elisabeths ful time vvas come to be deliuered: and she bare a sonne.

58   And her neighbours and kinsfolke heard that our Lord did magnifie his mercie vvith her, and they did congratulate her.

59   And it came to passe: on the eight day they came to circuncise the childe, and they called him by his fathers name, Zacharie.

60   And his mother ansvvering, said, Not so, but he shal be called Iohn.

61   And they said to her, That there is none in thy kinred that is called by this name.

62   And they made signes to his father, vvhat he vvould haue him called.

63   And demaunding a vvriting table, he vvrote, saying,09Q0676 ^note Iohn is his name. And they al marueled.

64   And forthvvith his mouth vvas opened, and his tonge, and he spake blessing God.

65   And feare came vpon al their neighbours: and al these things vvere bruited ouer al the hil-countrie of Ievvrie:

66   and all that had heard, laid them vp in their hart, saying, What an one, trovv ye, shal this childe be? For the hand of our Lord vvas vvith him.

67   And Zacharie his father vvas replenished vvith the Holy Ghost: and he prophecied, saying,

68    ^noteBlessed be ovr lord God of Israel: because he hath visited and vvrought the redemption of his people: &cross4;

69   And hath erected the horne of saluation to vs, in the house of Dauid his seruant.

70   As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, that are from the beginning.

71   Saluation from our enemies, and from the hand of al that hate vs:

72   To vvorke mercie vvith our fathers: and to remember his holy testament,

73    ^noteThe othe vvhich he svvare to Abraham our father,

74   that he vvould giue to vs,

74   That vvithout feare being deliuered from the hand of our enemies, vve may serue him.

75   In holines and09Q0677 iustice before him, al our daies.

76   And thou childe, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: for ^note thou shalt goe before the face of our Lord to prepare his vvaies.

77   To giue knovvledge of saluation to his people, vnto remi&esset;ion of their sinnes,

78   Through the bovvels of the mercie of our God, in vvhich09Q0678 the ^note Orient, from on high, hath visited vs,

79   To illuminate them that sit in darkenes, and in the shadovv of death: to direct our feete into the vvay of peace.

80   And the childe grew, and vvas strengthened in spirit, and vvas ^note in the deserts vntil the day of his manifestati&obar; to Israel.

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