Because many have wanted to write the account of the events of which we are fully assured,

as those who from the first were eyewitnesses and ministers of his word delivered them to us;

it seemed right to me also, because I had carefully followed all of them, to write everything to you in order, excellent Theophilus,

so that you may know the truth of the words in which you were instructed.

In the days of Herod the king of Yehuda there was a certain priest whose name was Zakharya, of the service of the house of Abiya, and his wife was of the daughters of Aharon, and her name was Elishba.

And both of them were upright before Elohim, and they walked in all his commandments and in the righteousness of Master YHWH without blame.

But they had no child, because Elishba was barren, and both of them were advanced in their days.

Now it happened that while he was serving as priest in the order of his service before Elohim,

according to the custom of the priesthood it fell to him to place the incense, and he went into the temple of Master YHWH,

and the whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the time of the incense.

And a messenger of Master YHWH appeared to Zakharya, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

And Zakharya was agitated when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.

And the messenger said to him, Do not fear, Zakharya, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elishaba will bear you a son, and you will call his name Yochanan.

And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

For he will be great before Master YHWH, and wine and strong drink he will not drink, and he will be filled with the Ruach haKodesh while he is still in his mother's womb.

And many of the sons of Yisrael he will turn to Master YHWH their Elohim.

And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Eliyahu the prophet, to turn the heart of the fathers upon the children, and those who are not persuaded to the knowledge of the righteous, and he will prepare for Master YHWH a perfect people.

And Zakharya said to the messenger, How will I know this? For I am old, and my wife is advanced in her days.

And the messenger answered and said to him, I am Gabriel, who stand before Elohim, and I was sent to speak with you and to announce these things to you.

From now on you will be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things happen, because you did not believe my words, which are fulfilled in their time.

And the people were standing and waiting for Zakharya, and they wondered at his delay in the temple.

And when Zakharya came out, he was not able to speak with them, and they understood that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was making signs to them, and remained mute.

And when the days of his service were fulfilled, he went to his house.

And it was after those days that Elishba his wife conceived, and she hid herself five months, and she was saying:

These things Master YHWH has done for me, in the days when he looked on me to take away my reproach among the sons of men.

And in the sixth month the messenger Gabriyel was sent from Elohim to Galila, to a city whose name is Natsrath,

to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name is Yosip, of the house of Dawid; and the virgin's name was Maryam.

And the messenger went in to her and said to her: Peace to you, full of favor; our Master is with you, blessed among women.

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his word, and was pondering what this greeting might be.

And the messenger said to her: Do not fear, Maryam, for you have found favor with Elohim.

For you will conceive in the womb and will bear a son, and you will call his name Y'shua.

He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and Master YHWH Elohim will give him the throne of Dawid his father.

And he will reign over the house of Ya'akov forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.

Maryam said to the messenger: How will this be, since a man is not known to me?

The messenger answered and said to her: Ruach haKodesh will come, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; because of this, he who is born of you is holy, and will be called the Son of Elohim.

And Elishaba your kinswoman, even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who is called barren.

Because nothing is difficult for Elohim.

Maryam said: I am the handmaid of Master YHWH; let it be to me according to your word. And the messenger went from her.

And Maryam rose in those days and went hurriedly to the mountain district, to a city of Yehuda;

and entered the house of Zakharya and greeted Elishaba.

And it happened that when Elishaba heard the greeting of Maryam, the child leaped in her womb, and Elishaba was filled with Ruach haKodesh.

And she cried out with a loud voice and said to Maryam: Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

And from where is this to me, that the mother of my Master should come to me?

For when the voice of your greeting fell on my ears, the child leaped with great joy in my womb.

And blessed is she who believed that there will be a fulfillment of those things that were spoken with her from Master YHWH.

And Maryam said: My soul magnifies Master YHWH

and my spirit has rejoiced in Elohim my Life-Giver.

For he has looked on the lowliness of his maidservant; for from now on all generations will ascribe blessedness to me.

for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

And his mercy is on those who fear him, to generations and families.

He has wrought victory with his arm, and has scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart.

He has cast down the mighty from thrones, and has raised up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, and has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped Yisrael his servant, and has remembered his mercy,

as he spoke with our fathers, with Avraham and with his seed forever.

And Maryam remained with Elishaba about three months, and she returned to her house.

And for Elishaba the time came that she should give birth, and she bore a son.

And her neighbors and the sons of her kin heard that Elohim had multiplied his mercy toward her, and they were rejoicing with her.

And it was on the eighth day, and they came to circumcise the boy, and they were calling him by the name of his father Zakarya.

And his mother answered and said to them, Not so, but he will be called Yochanan.

And they said to her, There is no one among your kindred who is called by this name.

And they made signs to his father, how he wanted him to be named.

And he asked for a tablet and wrote and said, Yochanan is his name. And everyone was amazed.

And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue, and he spoke and blessed Elohim.

And fear came on all their neighbors, and these things were being spoken of in all the mountain district of Yehuda.

And all who heard were pondering in their heart and saying, What then will this child be? And the hand of Master YHWH was with him.

And Zakarya his father was filled with Ruach haKodesh and prophesied and said:

Blessed is Master YHWH the Elohim of Yisrael, who has visited his people and made redemption for him:

And he has raised up a horn of redemption for us in the house of Dawid his servant:

as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets who were from of old,

that he would redeem us from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.

And he has done his mercy with our fathers and has remembered his holy covenants,

and the oath that he swore to Avraham our father, that he would give to us,

that we would be delivered from the hand of our enemies, and that without fear we would serve before him,

all our days, in uprightness and righteousness.

And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the face of Master YHWH to prepare his way,

to give knowledge of life to his people by the forgiveness of their sins,

through the compassion of the mercy of our Elohim, whereby the day-spring from on high will visit us,

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to straighten our feet in the way of peace.

But the child grew and was strengthened in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his appearing to Yisrael.