Day 428 of 730

¹Since many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us,

²even as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word delivered them to us,

³it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus;

⁴that you might know the certainty concerning the things in which you were instructed.

⁵There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zechariah, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

⁶They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.

⁷But they had no child, because Elisabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years.

⁸Now it happened, while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his division,

⁹according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

¹⁰The whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.

¹¹An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

¹²Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.

¹³But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your request has been heard, and your wife, Elisabeth, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

¹⁴You will have joy and gladness; and many will rejoice at his birth.

¹⁵For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.

¹⁶He will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord, their God.

¹⁷He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

¹⁸Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."

¹⁹The angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news.

²⁰Behold, you will be silent and not able to speak, until the day that these things will happen, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time."

²¹The people were waiting for Zechariah, and they marveled that he delayed in the temple.

²²When he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. He continued making signs to them, and remained mute.

²³It happened, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he departed to his house.

²⁴After these days Elisabeth, his wife, conceived, and she hid herself five months, saying,

²⁵"Thus has the Lord done to me in the days in which he looked at me, to take away my reproach among people."

²⁶Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

²⁷to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.

²⁸Having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you!"

²⁹But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be.

³⁰The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

³¹Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and will call his name 'Jesus.'

³²He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David,

³³and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom."

³⁴Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?"

³⁵The angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born will be called the Son of God.

³⁶Behold, Elisabeth, your relative, also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.

³⁷For everything spoken by God is possible."

³⁸Mary said, "Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to your word." The angel departed from her.

³⁹Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah,

⁴⁰and entered into the house of Zechariah and greeted Elisabeth.

⁴¹It happened, when Elisabeth heard Mary's greeting, that the baby leaped in her womb, and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

⁴²She called out with a loud voice, and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

⁴³Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

⁴⁴For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy!

⁴⁵Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!"

⁴⁶Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord.

⁴⁷My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,

⁴⁸for he has looked at the humble state of his handmaid. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.

⁴⁹For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name.

⁵⁰His mercy is for generations of generations on those who fear him.

⁵¹He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

⁵²He has put down princes from their thrones. And has exalted the lowly.

⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things. He has sent the rich away empty.

⁵⁴He has given help to Israel, his servant, that he might remember mercy,

⁵⁵As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his seed forever."

⁵⁶Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house.

⁵⁷Now the time that Elisabeth should give birth was fulfilled, and she brought forth a son.

⁵⁸Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her, and they rejoiced with her.

⁵⁹It happened on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zechariah, after the name of the father.

⁶⁰His mother answered, "Not so; but he will be called John."

⁶¹They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name."

⁶²They made signs to his father, what he would have him called.

⁶³He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." They all marveled.

⁶⁴His mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue freed, and he spoke, blessing God.

⁶⁵Fear came on all who lived around them, and all these sayings were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea.

⁶⁶All who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, "What then will this child be?" The hand of the Lord was with him.

⁶⁷His father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,

⁶⁸"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and worked redemption for his people;

⁶⁹and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David

⁷⁰(as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets who have been from of old),

⁷¹salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us;

⁷²to show mercy towards our fathers, to remember his holy covenant,

⁷³the oath which he spoke to Abraham, our father,

⁷⁴to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear,

⁷⁵In holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.

⁷⁶And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to make ready his ways,

⁷⁷to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins,

⁷⁸because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dawn from on high will visit us,

⁷⁹to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace."

⁸⁰The child was growing, and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

¹Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways.

²For you will eat the labor of your hands. You will be happy, and it will be well with you.

³Your wife will be as a fruitful vine, in the innermost parts of your house; your children like olive plants, around your table.

⁴Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord.

⁵May the Lord bless you out of Zion, and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.

⁶Yes, may you see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel.

¹These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.

²It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

³As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

⁴Take away the dross from the silver, and material comes out for the refiner;

⁵Take away the wicked from the king's presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness.

⁶Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, or claim a place among great men;

⁷for it is better that it be said to you, "Come up here," than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whom your eyes have seen.

⁸Do not be hasty in bringing charges to court. What will you do in the end when your neighbor shames you?

⁹Debate your case with your neighbor, and do not betray the confidence of another;

¹⁰lest one who hears it put you to shame, and your bad reputation never depart.

¹¹A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

¹²As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover to an obedient ear.

¹³As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to those who send him; for he refreshes the soul of his masters.

¹⁴As clouds and wind without rain, so is he who boasts of gifts deceptively.

¹⁵By patience a ruler is persuaded. A soft tongue breaks the bone.

¹⁶Have you found honey? Eat as much as is sufficient for you, lest you eat too much, and vomit it.

¹⁷Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house, lest he be weary of you, and hate you.

¹⁸A man who gives false testimony against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.

¹⁹Confidence in someone unfaithful in time of trouble is like a bad tooth, or a lame foot.

²⁰As one who takes away a garment in cold weather, or vinegar on soda, so is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

²¹If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink:

²²for you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you.

²³The north wind brings forth rain: so a backbiting tongue brings an angry face.

²⁴It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than to share a house with a contentious woman.

²⁵Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.

²⁶Like a muddied spring, and a polluted well, so is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.

²⁷It is not good to eat much honey; nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor.

²⁸Like a city that is broken down and without walls is a man whose spirit is without restraint.