Luke Chapter 1
Showing all 80 verses for Luke Chapter 1.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, "
"Many people have already tried to put together a well-ordered account of the events that we hold to be true."
I want the story of my life examined honestly, not taken on blind trust - truth stands up to scrutiny, and I'd rather you question and check than simply accept.
"Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; "
"These accounts came from people who were eyewitnesses from the very beginning and who then carried the message onward."
Everything written about me comes from people who saw and lived it themselves - I want my life examined through real witnesses, not through hearsay several times removed.
"It 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, "
"So I also decided, since I've carefully looked into everything from the start, to write it all down in order for you, most honoured Theophilus."
I want my story told in order, with care, so that you can follow it clearly and see how each part connects - understanding matters more to me than mystery for its own sake.
"That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed. "
"So that you can be certain about the things you've already been taught."
I don't want you to have a vague, second-hand impression of who I am - I want you to have real certainty, built on solid evidence, about what you've heard.
"There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. "
"During the reign of King Herod in Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, from the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also from a priestly family."
I was born into a real place and time, among ordinary faithful people doing their duty quietly - my story starts in the everyday, not in spectacle.
"And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. "
"Both of them lived rightly in God's eyes, following all his commands and requirements faultlessly."
Not every hardship you carry is a punishment for something you did - some of the most faithful, decent people carry pain that has nothing to do with their worth.
"And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. "
"They had no children, because Elizabeth couldn't conceive, and by now they were both quite old."
I show up most powerfully in situations people have already written off as hopeless - don't assume a closed door stays closed forever.
"And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, "
"One day, while Zechariah was on duty serving as priest, taking his turn in his division's rotation."
I tend to meet people in the middle of their ordinary routines, not just their dramatic moments - stay open, because today could be the day something shifts.
"According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. "
"Following the priestly custom, he was chosen by lot to go into the Lord's temple and burn incense."
The moment that changes everything can arrive through something as ordinary as a lottery, a rota, a random turn - stay ready even in the routine assignments of life.
"And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. "
"Meanwhile the whole crowd of people were praying outside at the time the incense was being offered."
What happens to one person, even in private, can be tied up with the hopes and prayers of a whole community - your breakthrough is rarely only about you.
"And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. "
"An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar."
I sometimes answer long-held prayers at the exact place and moment you least expect it - stay attentive even in familiar, well-worn routines.
"And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. "
"When Zechariah saw him, he was shaken, and fear gripped him."
It's completely human to feel afraid when your life is about to change in a way you didn't plan - I don't expect fearlessness from you the instant something big begins.
"But 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. "
"But the angel told him, "Don't be afraid, Zechariah - your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you're to name him John.""
A prayer that seems to go nowhere for years hasn't been ignored - I hear it, and my timing doesn't run on your schedule; don't let silence convince you that you've been forgotten.
"And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. "
""You'll have joy and delight, and many people will celebrate his birth too.""
The good things that happen in your life are rarely meant to stay contained to you alone - real joy tends to spread outward and lift others too.
"For 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. "
""He will be great in God's sight. He must never drink wine or strong drink, and he'll be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he's born.""
I see purpose and worth in a person before they've even had the chance to prove anything - your value isn't something you have to earn from scratch.
"And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. "
""He will turn many of the people of Israel back to the Lord their God.""
My way isn't found by inventing something new out of nowhere - sometimes it's simply turning back towards what you already knew mattered, before life pulled you off course.
"And 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. "
""He will go ahead of the Lord with the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn parents' hearts to their children, and the disobedient to right thinking, to get people ready for the Lord.""
Real spiritual readiness starts with mending relationships close to home - reconciling with family, realigning your thinking - before anything bigger can happen.
"And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. "
"Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I'm an old man, and my wife is well on in years too.""
I understand doubt, even reasonable doubt - but I also want you to notice when the evidence is standing right in front of you, rather than demanding proof beyond what's already been given.
"And 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. "
"The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in God's presence, and I've been sent to speak to you and bring you this good news.""
The truth I bring doesn't depend on your feelings about it - it stands whether or not you initially believe it, and I'd rather you trust the message than need to fully understand it first.
"And, 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. "
""Look, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day these things happen, because you didn't believe my words, which will come true in their proper time.""
Sometimes I let you sit with the consequences of doubt for a while - not to punish you forever, but so that when the promise is fulfilled, you'll recognise it unmistakably as real.
"And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. "
"Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he was taking so long in the temple."
Something enormous can be happening in someone's life while everyone around them just sees a delay or an absence - be patient with people whose story you can't see.
"And 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. "
"When he came out, he couldn't speak to them. They realised he'd seen a vision in the temple, since he could only make signs and remained speechless."
You don't always need words to show that something real has changed you - sometimes people can see it in you before you ever explain it.
"And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. "
"When his time of priestly service was finished, he went back home."
A life-changing encounter with me doesn't excuse you from finishing what's in front of you - carry the wonder home with you, into your ordinary responsibilities.
"And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, "
"After this, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and she kept out of public sight for five months, saying,"
You don't owe everyone immediate access to your joy or your journey - it's alright to hold something precious close for a while before the world gets to weigh in on it.
"Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men. "
""This is what the Lord has done for me. He has looked on me with favour and removed my disgrace among people.""
I care about the shame society heaps on people for things entirely outside their control - and I want to be part of removing that weight from you, not adding to it.
"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, "
"In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth."
I regularly choose to work through overlooked, unremarkable places and people rather than centres of power - don't assume your ordinary town or background disqualifies you from something significant.
"To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. "
"He went to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the family line of David; the virgin's name was Mary."
I chose to enter the world through the vulnerable, uncertain circumstances of a young engaged woman, not through comfort or privilege - I understand what it is to arrive into a complicated, risky situation.
"And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. "
"The angel came to her and said, "Greetings, favoured one - the Lord is with you.""
My favour towards you was never something you had to earn through achievement or status - it comes first, as a gift, and everything else follows from that.
"And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. "
"Mary was deeply unsettled by his words and wondered what kind of greeting this could be."
I don't mind you pausing to think carefully before you respond to something unexpected - a thoughtful question is not the same as a lack of trust.
"And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. "
"The angel told her, "Don't be afraid, Mary - you have found favour with God.""
Before I ask anything difficult of you, I first want you to know you're not in trouble and not alone - reassurance always comes before the hard calling.
"And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. "
""You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus.""
My name itself is a statement of purpose - I came to bring rescue, not to condemn or to add to the weight you're already carrying.
"He 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: "
""He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.""
My authority isn't something I invented or seized - it was promised and prepared long before I arrived, and I hold it not to dominate but to serve and restore.
"And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. "
""He will reign over Jacob's descendants forever, and his kingdom will never end.""
What I offer isn't temporary or fragile like human power structures - it's something built to last, so you can put real weight on it without fear it'll collapse under you.
"Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? "
"Mary asked the angel, "How can this happen, since I've never slept with a man?""
Asking honest questions about how something will work isn't the same as doubting it will happen - I welcome real curiosity, especially when it comes from someone already willing to say yes.
"And 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. "
"The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come over you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy child born to you will be called the Son of God.""
My arrival in the world broke the normal rules on purpose - I came in a way that couldn't be explained by ordinary means, so that from the very start, my life would point beyond itself.
"And, 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. "
""And look - your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; the woman who was said to be unable to have children is now six months pregnant.""
I often give you something you can actually go and check, not just words to take on faith alone - I want your trust to be grounded, not blind.
"For with God nothing shall be impossible. "
""For nothing is impossible with God.""
Don't let what seems biologically, socially, or practically impossible be the final word on what can happen in your life - I regularly work outside the boundaries you assume are fixed.
"And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. "
"Mary said, "Here I am, the Lord's servant. May it happen to me just as you've said." Then the angel left her."
I never force my calling on anyone - I ask, and I wait for a genuine yes, the way I waited for Mary's; real devotion has to be chosen freely, not coerced.
"And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; "
"Soon after, Mary got up and hurried to the hill country, to a town in Judah."
You don't have to carry a life-changing moment entirely alone - seeking out someone who can understand and share it with you is wise, not weak.
"And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. "
"She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth."
I value the meetings between people who can genuinely understand what the other is going through - don't underestimate the importance of simply showing up.
"And 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: "
"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leapt inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit."
My presence can stir something in people even before I've said a word - sometimes recognition happens at a level deeper than explanation.
"And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. "
"She cried out loudly, "You are blessed among women, and blessed is the child you will bear.""
I want you to be the kind of person who blesses and affirms someone others might be quick to judge or gossip about - solidarity beats suspicion every time.
"And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? "
""And why should this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to visit me?""
True honour isn't about status or age - I'm pleased when people recognise and welcome what's genuinely significant in someone else, rather than clinging to their own seniority.
"For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. "
""As soon as I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb leapt for joy.""
Joy is often the first, most honest signal that something good and real is happening - trust that instinctive gladness when it rises up in you.
"And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. "
""Blessed is she who believed that the Lord would fulfil what he told her.""
I notice and honour the moments you choose to trust me even when you can't see how things will work out - that kind of trust matters to me, and it will bear fruit.
"And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, "
"And Mary said, "My whole being praises the Lord.""
I want you to have your own genuine voice of gratitude and praise, not a borrowed script - let what's true in your own life move you to say so, in your own words.
"And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. "
""And my spirit delights in God my Saviour.""
However significant your part in something good may be, I want you to remember you also need rescue, just like everyone else - humility keeps joy honest.
"For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. "
""For he has noticed the low status of his servant. From now on, all generations will call me blessed.""
I notice people the world overlooks - your lack of status, wealth or platform is never a barrier to mattering deeply to me.
"For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. "
""For the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.""
When something good happens in your life, I want you to be able to trace it back honestly to its real source, rather than taking all the credit yourself.
"And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. "
""His mercy extends to those who honour him, from one generation to the next.""
The mercy you've seen in your own life isn't a fluke - it's part of a consistent character that has shown up for people across generations, and it will keep showing up.
"He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. "
""He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inner thoughts.""
I have no patience for arrogance that puffs itself up at others' expense - real strength, in my kingdom, looks like humility, not domination.
"He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. "
""He has brought down rulers from their thrones and lifted up the humble.""
I'm not impressed by thrones, titles or inherited power - and I actively work to lift up those the world has pushed to the bottom.
"He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. "
""He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.""
I care about actual hunger, actual need - and I'm suspicious of wealth that's hoarded rather than shared; don't mistake having plenty for being blessed if it comes at someone else's hunger.
"He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; "
""He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful.""
What's happening in your life right now is connected to a much bigger, longer story of faithfulness - you're not disconnected from everything that came before you.
"As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. "
""Just as he promised to our ancestors - to Abraham and his descendants forever.""
What I'm doing in your life isn't a last-minute fix - it's the outworking of promises and purposes that have been in motion for a very long time, and you're part of that unfolding story.
"And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house. "
"Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months, then returned home."
Real support often looks like simply staying present with someone through an extended, uncertain season, not just showing up once and leaving.
"Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. "
"When it was time for Elizabeth to give birth, she had a son."
I keep my promises, even when they take far longer than you'd like and require more patience than feels fair - the wait doesn't mean it isn't coming.
"And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. "
"Her neighbours and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they celebrated with her."
I love turning private grief into shared celebration - and I want you to be someone who genuinely rejoices with others in their good news, not quietly envies it.
"And 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. "
"On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father."
I don't need you to follow tradition just because "that's how it's always done" - sometimes what's right requires breaking from the expected pattern.
"And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. "
"But his mother spoke up: "No. He is to be called John.""
I want you to have the courage to stand by what you know is right, even when everyone around you expects you to just go along with convention.
"And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. "
"They said to her, "But no one in your family has that name.""
Just because something has never been done a certain way in your family or circle doesn't make it wrong - don't let unfamiliarity be mistaken for a valid objection.
"And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. "
"So they made signs to his father, asking what he wanted the child to be called."
A limitation doesn't remove you from what matters - even unable to speak, Zechariah still had a voice in the moment that counted, and I make sure people find a way to include you too.
"And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. "
"He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And everyone was amazed."
Sometimes the deepest change in a person happens quietly, over time, in silence - and when it finally surfaces, it can settle things decisively that words alone couldn't earlier.
"And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. "
"Immediately his mouth opened, his tongue was freed, and he began to speak, praising God."
When restoration finally comes after a hard season, let your first response be gratitude, not resentment over the time it took - I want your freed voice used for praise, not bitterness.
"And fear came on all that round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea. "
💡 Highlighted words feature Jacobean 1611 tooltips to clarify shifted 17th-century English terms.
"Awe came over all their neighbours, and news of everything spread throughout the hill country of Judea."
Genuine, significant things happening in your life will naturally get noticed and talked about - you don't need to force attention onto them; let the reality speak for itself.
"And 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. "
"Everyone who heard about it kept thinking it over, asking, "What will this child become?" For the Lord's hand was clearly with him."
I plant seeds of purpose in people early, long before the full picture is visible - trust that the potential you sense in someone (or in yourself) is real, even if the answer isn't clear yet.
"And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, "
"His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,"
Whatever doubt or failure marked your past doesn't have to define your future - I can still fill you with purpose and use your voice powerfully afterwards.
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, "
""Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to help and rescue his people.""
What I'm doing isn't a small, private fix limited to you alone - it's connected to a much larger act of rescue and restoration for everyone, and you get to be part of announcing it.
"And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; "
""He has raised up a powerful saviour for us from the house of his servant David.""
My strength isn't loud or forceful in the way power is usually measured - but it's real, and it was raised up specifically to rescue, not to conquer for its own sake.
"As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: "
""Just as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.""
What's unfolding in your life often connects to promises and patterns set in motion long before you arrived - you're stepping into a story with deep roots, not starting from nothing.
"That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; "
""Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us.""
I take seriously the real dangers and hostility you face, not just abstract spiritual struggles - rescue, in my hands, is meant to be real and felt, not just theoretical.
"To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; "
""To show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant.""
I don't forget the commitments I've made, even across generations - what you're experiencing now may be the fulfilment of something promised long before your time.
"The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, "
""The oath he swore to our father Abraham.""
The promises made to your ancestors, to the people who came before you and believed even without seeing the outcome, are still being worked out - you may be living inside the answer to someone else's long-ago faith.
"That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, "
""That we, freed from our enemies' grip, could serve him without fear.""
I don't free you from your fears just so you can be comfortable - I free you so you can live and act wholeheartedly, without being ruled by fear any longer.
"In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. "
""In holiness and right living before him, for as long as we live.""
What I'm offering isn't a single emotional peak - it's a whole different way of living, day after day, for the rest of your life, built on integrity rather than fear.
"And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; "
""And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go ahead of the Lord to prepare his way.""
I want you to speak life and purpose over the children in your care, even when they're too young to grasp it yet - your words about someone's future can matter enormously.
"To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, "
""To give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.""
The freedom I offer starts with forgiveness - letting go of guilt and shame you've been carrying - not with external circumstances changing first.
"Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, "
""Because of our God's tender mercy, the dawn from on high will visit us.""
I don't arrive in your life like a harsh interruption - I come more like a sunrise, gradual and warm, breaking gently into whatever darkness you've been sitting in.
"To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. "
""To shine on those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.""
Wherever you feel stuck in darkness or overshadowed by fear of death and loss, I want to guide your steps, one at a time, towards real peace - not leave you to find your own way out alone.
"And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel. "
"The child grew up and became strong in spirit, and he lived in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel."
Long, quiet seasons of preparation - unseen, unremarkable years - are part of how I shape someone for the purpose ahead; don't despise the hidden years before your calling becomes visible.