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1 As many have already begun to compose narratives of events that are perfectly known among us,

2 As those who were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word from the beginning have handed them down to us,

3 And it has been decided that I also, after careful examination of all things from the beginning, shall describe to thee in order, O venerable Theophilus,

4 that thou mayest know the sure foundation of the doctrine in which thou hast been taught.

5 In the days of Herod king of Judah, there was a priest of the Abian family, whose name was Zechariah, and his wife of the family of Aaron, whose name was Elizabeth.

6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking according to all the commandments and statutes of the Lord without blemish.

7 They had no children, for Elizabeth was barren, and both were already advanced in years.

8 And it came to pass, when he was in the order of his order that he was ministering before God,

9 By lot, as was the custom of the priests, it fell to him to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense,

10 And all the multitude of the people prayed outside during the censing,

11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

12 And when Zechariah saw him, he was troubled, and fear came upon him.

13 And the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer has been heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

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

15 for he shall be great in the sight of the Lord; he shall not drink wine or strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb;

16 And he shall turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God;

17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to restore the hearts of the fathers to the children, and to the disobedient the minds of the righteous, that he may present to the Lord a prepared people.

18 And Zechariah said unto the angel, 'Whereby shall I know these things?' for I am old, and my wife is old.

19 And the angel answered and said unto him, 'I am Gabriel, standing before God, and I have been sent to speak with thee, and to preach these tidings unto thee;