The gospell of S. Luke
The first Chapter.
Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to compile a treatise of those things, which are surely known among us, even as they declared them unto us, which from the beginning saw them with their eyes, and were ministers at the doing: I determined also, as soon as I had searched out diligently all things from the beggining, that then I would write unto thee, good Theophilus, that thou mightest know the certainty of those things, whereof thou art informed.
In the time of Herode king of jewry, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abie. And his wife was of the daughters of Aaron: And her name was Elizabeth. Both were perfect before God, and walked in all the laws and ordinances of the lord that no man could find fault with them. And they had no child, because that Elizabeth was barren, And both were well stricken in age.
It came to pass, as he executed the priest's office, before God as his course came (according to the custom of the priest's office) his lot was to burn odoures. And went into the temple of the lord, and all the multitude of people were without in their prayers while the odoures were a burning. There appeared unto him the lord's angel, standing on the right side of the altar of odoures. And when Zacharias saw him, he was abashed, and fear came on him.
The angel said unto him: fear not Zacary, for thy prayer is heard: And thy wife Helizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name Ihon: And thou shalt have joy and gladness: And many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of God, and shall neither drink wine nor strong drink. And he shall be filled with the holy ghost, even in his mother's womb: and many of the children of Israhel shall he turn to their lord God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Helias to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the unbelievers to the wisdom of the just men: to make the people ready for the lord.
And Zacary said unto the angel: Whereby shall I know this? seeing that I am old, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answered, and said unto him: I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God, and am sent to speak unto thee: and to shew thee this glad tidings. And take heed thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak until the time that these things be performed, because thou believedst not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
And the people waited for Zacharias and marvelled that he tarried in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak unto them. And they perceived, that he had seen some vision in the temple. And he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.
And it fortuned, as soon as the time of his office was out, he departed home into his own house. And after those days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and hid herself v. months, saying: This wise hath God dealt with me in the days when he looked on me, to take from me the rebuke that I suffered among men.
And in the vj. month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galile, named Nazareth, to a virgin spoused to a man, whose name was Ioseph, of the house of David, and the virgins name was Mary. And the angel went in unto her, and said: Hail full of grace, the lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. When she saw him, she was abashed at his saying: and cast in her mind what manner of salutation that should be. And the angel said unto her: fear not Mary, thou hast found grace with God. Lo: thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bear a child, and shalt call his name Iesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the son of the highest. And the lord God shall give unto him the seat of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Iacob for ever, and of his kingdom shall be none end.