1Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, 2Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; 3It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, 4That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
5¶ There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. 8And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, 9According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. 11And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 14And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 15For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. 16And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 17And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, 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. 18And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. 19And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. 20And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. 21And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. 22And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. 23And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. 24And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, 25Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men. 26And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 36And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37For with God nothing shall be impossible. 38And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. 39And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; 40And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. 41And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 42And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 43And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. 46And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. 50And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. 51He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. 53He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. 54He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; 55As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. 56And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house. 57Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. 58And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. 59And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. 60And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. 61And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. 62And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. 63And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. 64And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. 65And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judæa. 66And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him. 67And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, 68Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, 69And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; 70As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: 71That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; 72To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; 73The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, 74That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, 75In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. 76And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; 77To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, 78Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, 79To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. 80And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.
1-2提阿非羅大人,已經有很多人根據最初的目擊者和傳道者給我們的口述,把我們中間發生的事記載下來。 3我把一切事情從頭至尾仔細查考之後,決定按次序寫出來, 4使你知道自己所學的道都是有真憑實據的。
天使預告施洗者約翰出生
5猶太王希律執政期間,亞比雅的班裡有位祭司名叫撒迦利亞,他妻子伊莉莎白是亞倫的後裔。 6夫妻二人遵行主的一切誡命和條例,無可指責,在上帝眼中是義人。 7但他們沒有孩子,因為伊莉莎白不能生育,二人又年紀老邁。
8有一天,輪到撒迦利亞他們那一班祭司當值, 9他們按照祭司的規矩抽籤,抽中撒迦利亞到主的殿裡去燒香。 10眾百姓都在外面禱告。 11那時,主的天使在香壇的右邊向撒迦利亞顯現, 12撒迦利亞見了,驚慌害怕起來。
13天使對他說:「撒迦利亞,不要害怕,你的禱告已蒙垂聽。你的妻子伊莉莎白要為你生一個兒子,你要給他取名叫約翰。 14你必歡喜快樂,許多人也會因為他的誕生而欣喜雀躍, 15因為他將成為主偉大的僕人。他必滴酒不沾,並且在母腹裡就被聖靈充滿。 16他將勸導許多以色列人回心轉意,歸順主——他們的上帝。 17他將以先知以利亞的心志和能力作主的先鋒,使父親的心轉向兒女,使叛逆的人回轉、順從義人的智慧,為主預備合用的子民。」
18撒迦利亞對天使說:「我已經老了,我的妻子也上了年紀,我如何知道這是真的呢?」 19天使回答說:「我是侍立在上帝面前的加百列,奉命來向你報這喜訊。 20我說的這些話到時候必定應驗。但因為你不肯相信我的話,所以這事成就以前,你將變成啞巴,不能說話。」
21人們在等候撒加利亞,見他在聖殿裡遲遲不出來,都感到奇怪。 22後來他出來了,卻成了啞巴,不能說話,只能打手勢,大家意識到他在聖殿裡看見了異象。 23撒迦利亞供職期滿,就回家去了。 24不久,伊莉莎白果然懷了孕,她有五個月閉門不出。 25她說:「主真是眷顧我,除掉了我不生育的羞恥。」
天使預告耶穌降生
26伊莉莎白懷孕六個月的時候,天使加百列又奉上帝的命令到加利利的拿撒勒, 27去見一位童貞女,她叫瑪麗亞。瑪麗亞已經和大衛的後裔約瑟訂了婚。
28天使到了瑪麗亞那裡,說:「恭喜你!蒙大恩的女子,主與你同在!」
29瑪麗亞聽了覺得十分困惑,反覆思想這話的意思。
30天使對她說:「瑪麗亞,不要害怕,你在上帝面前已經蒙恩了。 31你要懷孕生子,並給祂取名叫耶穌。 32祂偉大無比,將被稱為至高者的兒子,主上帝要把祂祖先大衛的王位賜給祂。 33祂要永遠統治以色列1·33 「以色列」希臘文是「雅各的家」。,祂的國度永無窮盡。」
34瑪麗亞對天使說:「這怎麼可能呢?我還是童貞女。」
35天使回答說:「聖靈要臨到你身上,至高者的能力要蔭庇你,所以你要生的那聖嬰必稱為上帝的兒子。 36看啊,你的親戚伊莉莎白年紀老邁,一向不能生育,現在已經懷男胎六個月了。 37因為上帝無所不能。」
38瑪麗亞說:「我是主的婢女,願你所說的話在我身上成就。」於是天使離開了她。
瑪麗亞看望伊莉莎白
39不久,瑪麗亞便動身趕到猶太山區的一座城, 40進了撒迦利亞的家,向伊莉莎白請安。 41伊莉莎白一聽見瑪麗亞的問安,腹中的胎兒便跳動起來,伊莉莎白被聖靈充滿, 42高聲喊著說:「在婦女中你是最蒙福的!你腹中的孩子也是蒙福的! 43我主的母親來探望我,我怎麼敢當呢? 44我一聽到你問安的聲音,腹中的孩子就歡喜跳動。 45相信主所說的話必實現的女子有福了!」
46瑪麗亞說:
「我的心尊主為大,
47我的靈因我的救主上帝而歡喜,
48因祂眷顧我這卑微的婢女,
從今以後,
世世代代都要稱我是有福的。
49全能者在我身上行了奇事,
祂的名是神聖的。
50祂憐憫敬畏祂的人,
直到世世代代。
51祂伸出臂膀,施展大能,
驅散心驕氣傲的人。
52祂使當權者失勢,
叫謙卑的人升高。
53祂使饑餓的得飽足,
叫富足的空手而去。
54祂扶助了自己的僕人以色列,
55祂要施憐憫給亞伯拉罕和他的子孫,
直到永遠,
正如祂對我們祖先的應許。」
56瑪麗亞和伊莉莎白同住了約三個月,便回家去了。
施洗者約翰出生
57伊莉莎白的產期到了,生下一個兒子。 58親戚和鄰居聽見主向她大施憐憫,都和她一同歡樂。 59到了第八天,他們來給孩子行割禮,想照他父親的名字給他取名叫撒迦利亞。
60但伊莉莎白說:「不!要叫他約翰。」
61他們說:「你們家族中沒有人用這個名字啊!」 62他們便向他父親打手勢,問他要給孩子起什麼名字。 63撒迦利亞就要了一塊寫字板,寫上:「他的名字叫約翰。」大家看了都很驚奇。 64就在那時,撒迦利亞恢複了說話的能力,便開口讚美上帝。 65住在周圍的人都很懼怕,這消息很快就傳遍了整個猶太山區。 66聽見的人都在想:「這孩子將來會怎樣呢?因為主與他同在。」
撒迦利亞的預言
67孩子的父親撒迦利亞被聖靈充滿,便預言說:
68「主——以色列的上帝當受稱頌,
因祂眷顧、救贖了自己的子民,
69在祂僕人大衛的家族中為我們興起了一位大能的拯救者1·69 「拯救者」希臘文是「拯救的角」。,
70正如祂從亙古藉著祂聖先知們的口所說的。
71祂要從仇敵和一切恨我們之人手中拯救我們。
72祂憐憫我們的祖先,
持守自己的聖約,
73就是祂對我們的先祖亞伯拉罕所起的誓,
74要把我們從仇敵手中拯救出來,
75使我們一生一世在聖潔和公義中坦然無懼地事奉祂。
76至於你,我的兒子啊!
你將要被稱為至高者的先知,
因為你要走在主的前面,
為祂預備道路,
77使百姓因罪得赦免而明白救恩的真諦。
78由於上帝的憐憫,
清晨的曙光必從高天普照我們,
79照亮那些生活在黑暗中和死亡陰影下的人,
帶領我們走平安的道路。」
80那孩子漸漸長大,心靈強健,在向以色列人公開露面之前,一直住在曠野。