Luke 1 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
Around 6-5 BC, during the reign of Herod the Great, king of Judea
Location
Judea (Zechariah's story in Jerusalem temple) and Nazareth in Galilee (Mary's story), then hill country of Judea (Mary visits Elizabeth)
Audience
Theophilus (a Gentile believer) and Greek-speaking readers who need careful explanation of Jewish customs and geography
Situation
Luke opens his orderly account with two miraculous birth announcements - first to priest Zechariah about John the Baptist, then to virgin Mary about Jesus. Both births fulfill prophecy and show God breaking His 400-year silence.
Key Background
Jewish temple worship and priesthood (Zechariah's division), barrenness as shame in Jewish culture, virgin birth prophecies (Isaiah 7:14), Davidic covenant promises, Gabriel as God's messenger, Magnificat echoing Hannah's prayer (1 Samuel 2)
A number of people have already tried to an of what's happened among us,
based on what was handed down to us by the people who it all from the and who their to the
So I decided, since I've from the very start, to write it all out for you in an orderly way, most excellent
so that you can be about everything you've been taught.
Back when was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the of His wife Elizabeth was also from the of
Both of them in carefully following all of Yahweh's commands and instructions — no could a at them.
But they had no children because Elizabeth and they were both getting on in years.
One day, when Zechariah's was on he was serving as priest before God.
Following the custom among priests, he was by to go into Yahweh's and
Meanwhile, a of was during the time of the incense offering.
Then a from appeared to him, standing to the right of the
When Zechariah saw him, he was to the — overwhelmed with
But the messenger said to him, "Don't be afraid, Zechariah. has been wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you are to name him
He'll bring you so much and and many people will celebrate his birth,
because he'll be in He must or other and he'll be filled with the of from before he's even born.
He'll of to Yahweh their God.
He'll go ahead of the Lord with the same and as — to with their to turn the rebellious toward the wisdom of those who — to get a people ready for the Lord.
Zechariah said to the messenger, "How can I this is I'm an old man, and my wife is well past her childbearing years."
The messenger answered, "I am I in very I was sent to speak to you and bring you this
But listen — you'll be to until the day this happens, because you didn't believe my words, which will come true at the
The people were for Zechariah and wondering why he was taking so long in the sanctuary.
When he finally came out, he couldn't speak to them. They realized he'd seen a in the sanctuary. He kept trying to communicate with gestures but remained unable to say a word.
When his of was finished, he went home.
After this, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and out of for five months. She said,
"Yahweh has done this for me. He on me with and took away my among people."
In Elizabeth's sixth month of pregnancy, God sent the messenger Gabriel to a town in called
to a who was to a man named Joseph, from the of The woman's name was
The messenger came to her and said, The Lord is with you."
She was by his words and in what this kind of greeting could mean.
The messenger said to her, "Don't be afraid, Mary. You have with
Listen — you're going to become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him
He will be and will be called the of the Most The Lord God will give him the of
and he will reign over forever. will
Mary said to the messenger, "How will this happen? I been with a
The messenger answered, "The of will you, and the power of the Most High will you a That's why the child will be — he'll be called the Son of
And here's something else — your Elizabeth has also become pregnant with a son, even in her old age. The woman everyone called unable to have children is now six months along.
Because is for
Mary responded, "I'm here — I to the it to me just as Then the messenger left her.
Not long after that, Mary got up and to a town in the of
She went to Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth.
The moment Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the and Elizabeth was with the of
She cried out with a loud voice, "You are more than other and the child you carry is too!
Why am I so honored that the mother of my would come to me?
The second your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb for
What for the who that what the Lord told her would actually happen!"
And Mary said: "My being how the is,
and my spirit with because of God, my
Because he me — his And from now on, every generation will call me
because the has done incredible things for me. is from
His extends to those who generation after generation.