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1 Seeing that many have taken in hand to arrange a report concerning those matters fully ascertained among us, 2 just as they who from the beginning having been eyewitnesses and attendants of the Word transmitted them to us, 3 it seemed good also to me, having closely followed from the first in all things accurately, to write to you methodically, most excellent lover of Yahweh, 4 that you may decide concerning the certainty of the accounts which you were taught. 5 There was in the days of Herodas, King of the Judaeans, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abia, and with him a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabet. 6 And they were both righteous before Yahweh, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of Yahweh blamelessly. 7 Yet there was no child for them, because Elisabet was sterile, and they were both advanced in their days. 8 And it came to pass upon his serving in the duty of his division before Yahweh, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood he was assigned the entering into the temple of Yahweh to burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the time of the incense. 11 And there appeared to him a messenger of Yahweh standing at the right side of the altar of the incense. 12 And Zacharias seeing it was troubled and fear fell upon him. 13 And the messenger spoke to him: "Fear not, Zacharias, since your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elisabet shall produce a son for you and you shall call his name Iohannes. 14 And he will be a joy to you and an exultation. And many shall rejoice upon his birth. 15 For he shall be great before Yahweh, and wine and beer he shall not drink, and he shall be filled of the Holy Spirit yet in the womb of his mother. 16 And many of the sons of Israel shall he turn to Yahweh their God. 17 And he will go on before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the purpose of the just, to make ready a people prepared for Yahweh." 18 And Zacharias said to the messenger: "By what shall I know this? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in her days!" 19 And replying the messenger said to him "I am Gabriel who stands before Yahweh and have been sent to speak to you and to bring good news of these things to you, 20 and behold! You shall be silent and not able to speak until the day these things happen, because you did not believe my words, which shall be fulfilled in their time." 21 And the people were expecting Zacharias and wondered at his being delayed in the temple. 22 Then coming out he was not able to speak to them, and they decided that he had seen a vision in the temple, and he was making signs to them, and remained mute. 23 And it happened as the days of his service were fulfilled, he departed for his house. 24 And after those days Elisabet his wife conceived, and concealed herself five months, saying 25 that "Thusly has Yahweh done to me in the days which He looked to remove my reproach among men." 26 Then in the sixth month the messenger Gabriel was sent by Yahweh to a city of Galilaia named Nazareth 27 to a virgin promised in marriage to a man whose name was Ioseph, from of the house of David, and the name of the virgin was Mariam. 28 And going in before her the messenger said "Greetings, favored one, Yahweh is with you!" 29 But upon this saying she was confused and pondered what sort of greeting it could be. 30 And the messenger said to her "Do not fear, Mariam! For you have found favor before Yahweh. 31 Now behold, you shall conceive in the womb and you shall beget a Son, and you shall call His name Yahshua. 32 He shall be great and He shall be called 'Son of the Highest' and Yahweh God shall give to Him the throne of David His father, 33 and He shall rule over the house of Jakob for the ages, and of His Kingdom there shall be no end!" 34 But Mariam said to the messenger, "How shall this be, since I have not known a man?" 35 And replying the messenger said to her "The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you, for which also the Holy One being born shall be called 'Son of Yahweh'. 36 And behold! Elisabet your kinswoman, she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who is called sterile; 37 because not any word is impossible with Yahweh." 38 And Mariam said: "Behold the maidservant of Yahweh! May it be with me according to your word!" And the messenger departed from her. 39 And Mariam rose up in those days and went with eagerness to the hill country to a city of Judah, 40 and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elisabet. 41 And it happened as Elisabet heard the greeting of Mariam, the infant in her womb jumped, and Elisabet was filled of the Holy Spirit, 42 and proclaimed with a great cry and said "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And how can this be with me, that the mother of my Prince should come to me? 44 For behold, as the sound of your greeting came into my ears, the infant in my womb jumped in exaltation. 45 And happy is she who believes that there will be a fulfillment of the things spoken to her from Yahweh!" 46 And Mariam said "Yahweh has magnified my life, 47 and my spirit rejoices in Yahweh my Savior, 48 because He has looked upon the low estate of His servant. For behold, from this time all the generations shall pronounce me happy, 49 because the Powerful One has done greatly by me, and holy is His Name, 50 and His mercy is for generations and generations for those who fear Him. 51 For He has made victory by His arm! He has scattered those who are proud in the thoughts of their hearts! 52 He has deposed potentates from thrones and He has elevated the lowly! 53 Those who hunger He has filled with good things, and those who are rich He has sent away empty. 54 He has come to the aid of His servant Israel, to call mercy into remembrance, 55 just as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring for the age." 56 So Mariam remained with her for about three months, and returned to her house. 57 Then Elisabet fulfilled the time of her bearing, and gave birth to a son. 58 And her neighbors and kinsmen heard that Yahweh had magnified His mercy with her and they rejoiced with her. 59 And it happened upon the eighth day that they came to circumcise the child and they called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 And replying his mother said "No, rather he shall be called Iohannes!" 61 Then they said to her that "There is no one from among your kinsmen who is called by this name." 62 So they motioned to his father for that which he wished to call him. 63 And requesting a tablet he wrote, saying: "Iohannes is his name", and they all wondered. 64 Then his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue, and he spoke praising Yahweh. 65 And fear came upon all those dwelling around them, and the whole account was spoken throughout all the hill country of Judaea. 66 And it was put into the hearts of all of them who heard, saying "Who then is this child?" And indeed the hand of Yahweh was with him. 67 Then Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying: 68 "Blessed is Yahweh the God of Israel, that He has visited and brought about redemption for His people, 69 and has raised a horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant, 70 just as He spoke through the mouths of His holy prophets from of old: 71 preservation from our enemies and from the hand of all those who hate us! 72 To bring about mercy with our fathers and to call into remembrance His holy covenant, 73 the oath which He swore to Abraham our father, which is given to us: 74 being delivered fearlessly from the hands of our enemies to serve Him 75 in piety and in righteousness before Him for all of our days. 76 And now you, child, shall be called a prophet of the Highest: for you shall go on before the face of Yahweh to prepare His path. 77 For which to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the dismissal of their errors, 78 through the affectionate mercies of our God, by whom dawn visits us from the heights 79 to shine upon those sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way of peace." 80 And the child grew and was strengthened in spirit, and was in the wilderness until the day of his manifestation to Israel.