Luke
M any have un der tak en to draw up an ac count of the things that have been ful filled among us , just as they were hand ed down to us by those who from the first were eye wit ness es and ser vants of the word . With this in mind , since I my self have care ful ly in vesti gat ed ev ery thing from the be gin ning , I too de cid ed to write an orderly account for you , most excellent Theophilus , so that you may know the cer tain ty of the things you have been taught .
I n the time of Her od king of Ju dea there was a priest named Zecha ri ah , who be longed to the priest ly di vi sion of Abi jah ; his wife Eliz a beth was also a de scen dant of Aar on . Both of them were righteous in the sight of God , ob serv ing all the Lord ’ s com mands and decrees blamelessly . But they were child less be cause Eliz a beth was not able to con ceive , and they were both very old .
Once when Zech a ri ah ’ s di vi sion was on duty and he was serving as priest be fore God , he was cho sen by lot , ac cord ing to the custom of the priest hood , to go into the tem ple of the Lord and burn in cense . And when the time for the burn ing of in cense came , all the assembled worshipers were praying outside .
Then an an gel of the Lord ap peared to him , stand ing at the right side of the al tar of in cense . When Zech a ri ah saw him , he was star tled and was gripped with fear . But the an gel said to him : “ Do not be afraid , Zech a ri ah ; your prayer has been heard . Your wife Eliz a beth will bear you a son , and you are to call him John . He will be a joy and de light to you , and many will re joice be cause of his birth , for he will be great in the sight of the Lord . He is nev er to take wine or oth er fer ment ed drink , and he will be filled with the Holy Spir it even be fore he is born . He will bring back many of the peo ple of Is ra el to the Lord their God . And he will go on be fore the Lord , in the spir it and pow er of Eli jah , to turn the hearts of the par ents to their chil dren and the dis obe di ent to the wis dom of the righteous — to make ready a peo ple pre pared for the Lord .”
1:1 – 1:17 1:1 – 1:17