Book 42 Luke
001:001 Seeing that many have attempted to draw up a narrative
of the facts which are received with full assurance among us
001:002 on the authority of those who were from the beginning eye-witnesses
and were devoted to the service of the divine Message,
001:003 it has seemed right to me also, after careful investigation
of the facts from their commencement, to write for you,
most noble Theophilus, a connected account,
001:004 that you may fully know the truth of the things which you
have been taught by word of mouth.
001:005 There was in the time of Herod, the king of Judaea, a priest
of the name of Zechariah, belonging to the class of Abijah.
He had a wife who was a descendant of Aaron, and her
name was Elizabeth.
001:006 They were both of them upright before God, blamelessly obeying
all the Lord's precepts and ordinances.
001:007 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren;
and both of them were far advanced in life.
001:008 Now while he was doing priestly duty before God in the prescribed
course of his class,
001:009 it fell to his lot--according to the custom of the priesthood--
to go into the Sanctuary of the Lord and burn the incense;
001:010 and the whole multitude of the people were outside praying,
at the hour of incense.
001:011 Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing
on the right side of the altar of incense;
001:012 and Zechariah on seeing him was agitated and terrified.
001:013 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your
petition has been heard: and your wife Elizabeth will bear
you a son, and you are to call his name John.