Introduction
1 Dear Theophilus:
Many people have done their best to write a report of the things that have taken place among us. 2 They wrote what we have been told by those who saw these things from the beginning and who proclaimed the message. 3 And so, Your Excellency, because I have carefully studied all these matters from their beginning, I thought it would be good to write an orderly account for you. 4 I do this so that you will know the full truth about everything which you have been taught.
The Birth of John the Baptist Is Announced
5 During the time when Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife's name was Elizabeth; she also belonged to a priestly family. 6 They both lived good lives in God's sight and obeyed fully all the Lord's laws and commands. 7 They had no children because Elizabeth could not have any, and she and Zechariah were both very old.
8 One day Zechariah was doing his work as a priest in the Temple, taking his turn in the daily service. 9 According to the custom followed by the priests, he was chosen by lot to burn incense on the altar. So he went into the Temple of the Lord, 10 while the crowd of people outside prayed during the hour when the incense was burned. 11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar where the incense was burned. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was alarmed and felt afraid. 13 But the angel said to him, “Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son. You are to name him John. 14 How glad and happy you will be, and how happy many others will be when he is born! 15 John will be great in the Lord's sight. He must not drink any wine or strong drink. From his very birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, 16 and he will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will go ahead of the Lord, strong and mighty like the prophet Elijah. He will bring fathers and children together again; he will turn disobedient people back to the way of thinking of the righteous; he will get the Lord's people ready for him.”
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know if this is so? I am an old man, and my wife is old also.”
19 “I am Gabriel,” the angel answered. “I stand in the presence of God, who sent me to speak to you and tell you this good news. 20 But you have not believed my message, which will come true at the right time. Because you have not believed, you will be unable to speak; you will remain silent until the day my promise to you comes true.”
21 In the meantime the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he was spending such a long time in the Temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them, and so they knew that he had seen a vision in the Temple. Unable to say a word, he made signs to them with his hands.
23 When his period of service in the Temple was over, Zechariah went back home. 24 Some time later his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and did not leave the house for five months. 25 “Now at last the Lord has helped me,” she said. “He has taken away my public disgrace!”
The Birth of Jesus Is Announced
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. 27 He had a message for a young woman promised in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. Her name was Mary. 28 The angel came to her and said, “Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!”
29 Mary was deeply troubled by the angel's message, and she wondered what his words meant. 30 The angel said to her, “Don't be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you. 31 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king, as his ancestor David was, 33 and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end!”
34 Mary said to the angel, “I am a virgin. How, then, can this be?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God's power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God. 36 Remember your relative Elizabeth. It is said that she cannot have children, but she herself is now six months pregnant, even though she is very old. 37 For there is nothing that God cannot do.”
38 “I am the Lord's servant,” said Mary; “may it happen to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 Soon afterward Mary got ready and hurried off to a town in the hill country of Judea. 40 She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby moved within her. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and said in a loud voice, “You are the most blessed of all women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 Why should this great thing happen to me, that my Lord's mother comes to visit me? 44 For as soon as I heard your greeting, the baby within me jumped with gladness. 45 How happy you are to believe that the Lord's message to you will come true!”
Mary's Song of Praise
46 Mary said,
“My heart praises the Lord;
47 my soul is glad because of God my Savior,
48 for he has remembered me, his lowly servant!
From now on all people will call me happy,
49 because of the great things the Mighty God has done for me.
His name is holy;
50 from one generation to another
he shows mercy to those who honor him.
51 He has stretched out his mighty arm
and scattered the proud with all their plans.
52 He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
54 He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors,
and has come to the help of his servant Israel.
55 He has remembered to show mercy to Abraham
and to all his descendants forever!”
56 Mary stayed about three months with Elizabeth and then went back home.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 The time came for Elizabeth to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard how wonderfully good the Lord had been to her, and they all rejoiced with her.
59 When the baby was a week old, they came to circumcise him, and they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But his mother said, “No! His name is to be John.”
61 They said to her, “But you don't have any relative with that name!” 62 Then they made signs to his father, asking him what name he would like the boy to have.
63 Zechariah asked for a writing pad and wrote, “His name is John.” How surprised they all were! 64 At that moment Zechariah was able to speak again, and he started praising God. 65 The neighbors were all filled with fear, and the news about these things spread through all the hill country of Judea. 66 Everyone who heard of it thought about it and asked, “What is this child going to be?” For it was plain that the Lord's power was upon him.
Zechariah's Prophecy
67 John's father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he spoke God's message:
68 “Let us praise the Lord, the God of Israel!
He has come to the help of his people and has set them free.
69 He has provided for us a mighty Savior,
a descendant of his servant David.
70 He promised through his holy prophets long ago
71 that he would save us from our enemies,
from the power of all those who hate us.
72 He said he would show mercy to our ancestors
and remember his sacred covenant.
73-74 With a solemn oath to our ancestor Abraham
he promised to rescue us from our enemies
and allow us to serve him without fear,
75 so that we might be holy and righteous before him
all the days of our life.
76 “You, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High God.
You will go ahead of the Lord
to prepare his road for him,
77 to tell his people that they will be saved
by having their sins forgiven.
78 Our God is merciful and tender.
He will cause the bright dawn of salvation to rise on us
79 and to shine from heaven on all those who live in the dark shadow of death,
to guide our steps into the path of peace.”
80 The child grew and developed in body and spirit. He lived in the desert until the day when he appeared publicly to the people of Israel.
aza 1
1 lizi luru limɔ lɔ ŋiɽaŋali ŋimerrini deŋgeri-na, 2 ŋandindicai nyji kla ŋizarzi ṯayṯi yey yi yeŋen; linde lir limorɔ yafur yeḏ ŋiɽaŋal ŋizaw. 3 ŋwu ṯa, jenaaba kweni ṯiwufiluz, nyi kwaru ŋwu tɔk: kaka ur nyi gwu kwete kweṯelŋece ŋiɽaŋali minmin, er eni ŋizaw duŋgwinyi eḏi zi loce ŋaŋwu ŋama-ŋamaŋ. 4 mindaŋ mezelŋe ŋir rerem ŋimerŋazi ilŋiiḏini.
ṯikitaḏa ŋiɽya ŋi ṯeḏi ŋelŋe ŋeḏi yuhanna kweni baptizt
5 ki ŋwamin ŋwumɔ ŋi hiruuḏuz orɔ kweleny kweḏi yahuḏiiyaŋw, na kiziiz nani kete keni zakariiya, keḏi abiiya-ŋa, keḏi kwayu kweḏi haruun-ŋa kweni ilizabaaṯ. 6 ner ofḏani nden tɔk ki yey-na yeḏi Allah, eṯir ami miḏici Kwelenyi amra wuŋwun, kuruu gi-na kuŋun tatap. 7 lakin ner ere eḏi toru-na tere mac, kaka ur gwu ilizabaaṯ kworum; ner uṯeḏa nden tɔk ŋimeyaŋi nana.
8 ner orɔ ṯaŋwu, muŋw morḏaḏi ŋɔḏɽor la eḏi zi əkizi Allah, 9 ŋeṯi zi yiziiz errici dak, muŋw enḏi ki heykal-na weḏi Kweleny, nuŋw ruɽeci kwuḏɽula. 10 mindaŋ na lizi lulubeḏa duŋw par tatap ari Allah ki yiriny, ki lomur leṯir li ruɽici kwuḏɽula. 11 na gwu maleyka kwete kweḏi Kweleny ruweḏa nana, nuŋw rillazi ŋweḏugwuna lu, ki ṯii ṯeḏi mini, ŋwunani gwu kwuḏɽiil la. 12 ma zakariiya eze nuŋw apri ṯugwori, na ŋiḏeny ye-na. 13 na maleyka andaci, nuŋw eca ŋwu: eṯi ṯinya mac, zakariiya. ŋiɽaŋal ŋeṯi ŋi ari ki yiriny ŋeni ŋwu ŋimɔniŋnini, na kwulelu kweni ilizabaaṯ kwɔ ŋa ilŋanji toru tir tɔŋwor. enjici yiriny, eca yuhanna.
14 a kwamina, a nyeŋlena kaka aḏa kwere,
na luru er nyeŋlena ŋelŋe ŋi ŋuŋun;
15 kwupeŋe ŋoru yeyna, ki yey-na yeḏi Kweleny,
ta ŋwuderne nabiṯa eḏ ii, na kiɽcaŋi tɔk;
ŋwu ureni-na dedep Ṯigɽim ṯi ṯirlinelu ter
ki lamin, keni, le li lenyin elŋe.
16 lɔŋw zi orlazi luru leḏi izrayiil Kwelenyi nana kweŋen, kweni Allah.
17 ŋwiŋnaci kereny Ṯigɽim ṯi, ŋuma ŋi ŋeṯinanni nani gwu iliiya,
eḏorlica rernyinŋwuzi rugwori lu eḏorlaḏa nyiɽŋeyin nana;
ŋwu zi rutici ŋudurlaḏu ŋeŋen kiṯay, mindaŋ er eni limeḏi yeyna, kaka kla leni lofḏana;
ṯaŋwu, ŋwudaɽmaḏa lizi eḏi li əkizi Kwelenyi kizen.
18 na zakariiya eca maleyka ŋwu: nyi kwelŋece ŋiɽaŋali ŋi ṯaka ezir? kaka menyi gwu orɔ kimeyaŋ, na kwaw kwinyi uṯeḏa ŋimeyaŋi nana tɔk. 19 na maleyka eŋnici nuŋw eca ŋwu: nyi kweni jabrayiil, kweṯirillazi Allah lu; ner nyi ṯiŋaḏa eḏi zi andaci ŋaŋwu, eḏi zi baŋaci ŋaŋwu tɔk ŋiɽaŋali ŋu ŋeni ŋami, 20 izaṯi, kaka iti emnaŋa gwu ŋiɽaŋali ŋinyi mac ta, orɔ kwiila mindaŋ a lamin kla ila le li ŋiɽaŋal ŋu rataḏi. 21 na lizi nanji zakariiyaŋw lu, ner ari: ŋeni emba aḏa, ŋumɔŋw zi nanji li heykal-na lelu tuk? 22 mindaŋ muŋw ruḏa nuŋw ere eḏi ŋuma mac eḏi zi andaci, ner ari: kwumɔ manja iza kwɔmne kwere li heykal-na? kaka muŋw gwu andazi rii ri, nanaḏuŋw gwu-na ndip. 23 ner ṯa orɔ ŋwu, muŋw ṯimazi ŋwamin ŋweḏi ŋɔḏɽoi ŋuŋun ta, nuŋw ele duənu duŋgwun.
24 ma ŋwamin ere ŋwere caw, na kwulen kweni ilizabaaṯ eḏe; nuŋw lucini yowa ṯuḏni, aruŋw gwu ŋwu: 25 ŋwamin ŋwu ŋwumenyi ŋi Kweleny izazalu, nuŋw ṯa dimeḏa nyuŋwu ṯuŋwuniḏa ṯeḏi ŋorum kiṯay ki lizi-na.
ṯikitaḏa ŋiɽya ŋi ṯeḏi ŋelŋe ŋeḏi Yecu
26 ma yowa orɔ nyirlil, na Allah ṯiŋaḏa maleyka kweni jabrayiil eḏele kayin weni nazra, weḏi jaliilŋw, 27 nani gwu tira tete teḏi dauḏ-ŋa, tir kiŋaɽu tikemṯa kwor kwete kweni yuzif eḏagwu, na tira kra teni maryam. 28 na maleyka ele nanuŋw gwu nuŋw eca ŋwu: a ŋgwa ṯa, ŋa kwir emba kwortani Kweleny kweṯiŋa nanazi. 29 na maryam ipini ṯugwor-na beṯen ŋiɽaŋal ŋi ŋandicaŋwzi, nuŋw ari ki ṯugwor-na ŋwu: adri mindaŋ aginarnyi ŋi ŋwu? 30 na maleyka eca ŋwu: eṯi ṯinya mac, maryam; kaka niya ŋa gwu Allah-na. 31 izaṯi, a kwicin kari-na; mindaŋ ma eḏe, a elŋe tɔŋwora; enjici yiriny, eca Yecu:
32 kwinḏi eḏorɔ kwupa ŋoru yeyna, er eca, Tor teḏi ŋgwa kwuṯemḏizi la tatap ŋiniṯ ŋi;
a Kweleny kweni Allah inḏeḏa ŋelenyi ŋeḏi ṯernyin teni dauḏ,
33 ŋwuketize lizi leḏi yaguub-ŋa ŋelenyi dɔk dɔk;
a ŋeleny ŋuŋun ere ernine mac.
34 na maryam eca maleyka ŋwu: ŋinḏi eḏi rɔtɔ ŋu ḏa ḏa? kaka iti eḏi nyi gwu kworu-na kwere mac. 35 na maleyka eŋnici nuŋw eca ŋwu:
Ṯigɽim ṯirlinelu ter ṯi ŋa dapḏana,
a ŋa ŋuma ŋeḏi ŋgwa kwuṯemḏizi la tatap ŋiniṯ ŋi, kwuɽbeḏa lu.
taŋwu, na ŋgwa kwelŋe, ŋweni Kwirlinelu ter, na Tor teḏi Allah.
36 izaṯi, kwinyaraŋ kwɔŋa kweni ilizabaaṯ, kwumɔ mi eḏe tɔk, kwelŋe tɔŋwora ŋimeyaŋi nana, na kwumɔnani kari gi yowa nyirlil, ruzer gwu ta kworum. 37 kwɔmne kwende kwere kweṯurreḏa Allah eḏerri. 38 na maryam eca ŋwu: nyi kwiri pa ŋgwu kwir ŋira ŋeḏi Kweleny. eḏi ma ta ŋiɽaŋal orɔ ŋwu, kaka ŋandizaŋa zi. ṯaŋwu, na maleyka ṯay lu.
maryam muŋw raŋda ilizabaatŋw
39 ki ŋwamin ṯa ŋwu, na maryam diɽeni fitak eḏele kezir weḏi yahuḏiiyaŋw wunanje yayinu. 40 nuŋw enḏi ki duənu kweḏi zakariiya-ŋa, nuŋw agani ilizabaaṯŋw. 41 ner ṯa orɔ ŋwu, ma ilizabaaṯ niŋnaci maryamŋw ṯagna ṯuŋwun, na tor ogwum kari-na, na ilizabaaṯ ureni-na Ṯigɽim ṯi dedep ṯirlinelu ter, 42 nuŋw ofna nuŋw eca ŋwu: li ŋa ortaḏa ki law-na, na Tor telŋe teḏi aŋna wɔŋwa ortani tɔk! 43 na aḏa kworɔ mindaŋ na ma lenyin kweḏi Kweleny kwinyi ila nani nyi gwu? 44 ner ṯa orɔ ŋwu, mer nyi oɽi ki yəni-na ŋɔŋa ŋagna nyi ŋi, na tor ogwum kari-na, kaka amuŋw gwu-na. 45 na kwortani ŋgwa kwemni ŋiɽaŋali ŋandicarzi ŋeḏi Kweleny, mindaŋ mer aɽani dap kaka ŋa ŋandina.
ṯilŋa ṯeḏi maryam
46 na maryam aru ŋwu:
rɔgwɽɔ rinyi reṯipiŋi yiriny yeḏi Kweleny,
47 mindaŋ eti ṯigɽim tinyi nyeŋlena ki Allah-na, kwir Kwigileḏa kwinyi,
48 kaka izaŋw gwu ŋira ŋuŋun ŋene luŋw, mindaŋ er nyi ma keni enjici yiriny tatap rerec, er nyi eca, kwortana.
49 kaka menyi gwu ŋgwa kwuṯemḏelu errici kwɔmne kwizaw kwizaw,
na yiriny yuŋwun irlinelu ter.
50 eti zi ŋimɽi yaḏa deŋgen leṯ inyizi ŋunduŋwu nana,
ki ŋelŋe-na ŋwola ŋwola.
51 limɔŋw zi baŋaci ŋuma, loɽal li luŋwun;
nuŋw zi feḏe lu kla leṯellini ki rɔgwɽɔ, leṯarri ki rugwor-na ŋwu.
52 nuŋw zi dapizalu kla leṯir zi piŋi,
nuŋw zi allazi kla leni lɔkwɽeny;
53 nuŋw zi bunici kla liiḏi zi yaŋwu, kwomne gi kwizaw kwizaw;
na kla leni lurtu, nuŋw zi əɽi kitay domony.
54 nuŋw meci izrayiila, kwir kaḏam kuŋwun,
ṯiŋayinaŋw gwu ŋimɽya ŋuŋun ŋeṯiyaḏa duŋgwun,
55 kaka kitaḏaŋw gwu likwurna leri.
ibrahiim ŋali, na ŋwola ŋi-na ŋwuŋwun dɔkdɔk.
56 na maryam-ŋa nani ilizabaaṯ gi kaka yowa ṯɔɽɔl, mindaŋ nuŋw ma aɽa duənu kwuŋwun.
ŋelŋe ŋeḏi yuhanna kweni baptizt
57 ma lomur ṯimayini pa leḏi li ilizabaaṯ elŋe, nuŋw elŋe tɔŋwora. 58 nezi kla leḏi yəni lu, nyimaɽan nyi, neŋne ŋedi Kweleny ma gwu ŋimɽi ŋupa yaḏa duŋgwun, ner li amina nyiḏak. 59 ner ṯa orɔ ŋwu, ma ŋwamin orɔ dufɔkwupa, ner ele eḏi uɽu toru liḏrunya, ner naŋni eḏi enjici yiriny yeḏi ṯernyin, ṯeni zakariiya. 60 nezi lenyin eca ŋwu: titi teni ŋwu mac; eḏuŋw eni, yuhanna. 61 ner eca ŋwu: kwende kweḏi ŋa kwere kwedi yiriny kyu. 62 ner andaci ṯernyin rii ri, eḏari tuŋw eca eya? 63 nuŋw uṯalu kwɔmne gi eḏi gi lɔ, nuŋw zi loce: yiriny yuŋwun yeni yuhanna. ner liŋɽalu bɽiny. 64 nuŋw diŋelni kworɔ tuc, na ṯiŋla afri-na dar, nuŋw andazi nuŋw ortaḏa Allah. 65 nezi ŋiḏeny ye-na tatap leṯinani kezir wirkaḏizelu. na ŋiɽaŋal ŋu tatap iṯiḏi yayin nana tatap yeḏi yahuḏiiyaŋw. 66 na kla tatap liniŋna zi, ner zi enji ki rugwor-na dip. ner ari: tor kru teḏi rɔtɔ ḏa? kaka eṯi gwu ṯii nani-na ṯeḏi Kweleny.
ṯilŋa ṯeḏi zakariiya
67 na ṯernyin ṯeni zakariiya ureni-na Ṯigɽim ṯi ṯirlinelu ter, nuŋw andazi ŋiɽya ŋi nuŋw ari:
68 eḏi Allah ortanni, wir Kweleny kweḏi lizi leḏi izrayiil,
kaka muŋw gwu raŋḏa lizi luŋwun, nuŋw zi alla eḏi zi fifrici ŋikyaŋi ŋeŋen.
69 nuŋw diɽiza nyuŋwuzi kwete kweḏi ŋuma, kwinḏi eḏi kileḏi nyuŋwuzi;
kwuruḏa eḏi dauḏ-ŋa, kwir kaḏaam kuŋwun.
70 kaka kikitaḏaŋw zi gwu, runyu ri reḏi liɽi lirlinelu ter leḏi kwuzatuk,
71 eḏi kileḏi nyuŋwuzi ki tuwən-na teri,
na ki rii-na reḏi kla tatap leṯinyji uwezi.
72 eḏi zi erri ŋir kaka ŋikitaḏaŋw gwu likwurna leri, yaḏi zi gwu ŋimɽi,
ṯiŋayinaŋw gwu tikitaḏa ṯuŋwun ṯirlinelu ter.
73 kaka kitaḏaŋw gwu papaŋw kweri, kweni ibrahiim,
74 ecaŋw gwu ŋwu:
nyi kwɔŋazi alla ki rii-na reḏi kla leṯi ŋazi uwezi,
mindaŋ er nyi ami kwoceluŋw, liira ŋiḏeny-na,
75 lirlinelu ter, ŋizana ŋi, ŋwamin ŋwalu tatap.
76 na ŋa, kwir tor tinyi, er ŋa enjici yiriny, er ŋa eca, kwiɽi kweḏi ŋgwa kwutemḏizi la tatap,
kaka inḏi ŋa gwu eḏi iŋnici Kwelenyi, eḏi daɽmaci ray lu;
77 eḏi zi ilŋiiḏini lizi luŋwun ŋeḏi ŋigileḏa ŋundu ŋgi,
muŋw zi gwu fifrici ŋikyaŋi ŋeŋen,
78 ŋimɽi ŋi ŋami ŋeḏi Allah weri.
kaka inḏi gwu aŋwun weḏi ŋurpanaŋw eḏalliḏa kilerena, eḏi zuɽici nyuŋwuzi ezir,
79 eḏi zi ṯiŋaca kla fori lu linanu kirim-na, na ki ṯigɽim-na teḏi ŋiɽany,
eḏi mulɔtɔ nyuŋwuzi mamak ki ṯay ṯeḏi ŋiɽena.
80 eṯi tor duŋgwuŋgwa, eṯuŋw ferle ki rɔgwɽɔ-na, nuŋw nanni kwuḏer-na mindaŋ ma gwu lamin ilaḏa la limɔŋw li ruwenici izrayiila lu.