Luke 1:26-6:22

New International Version

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel^(A) to Nazareth,^(B) a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph,^(C) a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid,^(D) Mary; you have found favor with God.^{(E) 31} You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.^{(F) 32} He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.^(G) The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,^{(H) 33} and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom^(I) will never end.”^(J)

³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you,^(K) and the power of the Most High^(L) will overshadow you. So the holy one^(M) to be born will be called^[a] the Son of God.^{(N) 36} Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child^(O) in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. ³⁷ For no word from God will ever fail.”^(P)

³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹ At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,^{(Q) 40} where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.^{(R) 42} In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women,^(S) and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³ But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord^(T) should come to me? ⁴⁴ As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Mary’s Song^(U)

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

⁵⁶ Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

The Birth of John the Baptist

⁵⁷ When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸ Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

⁵⁹ On the eighth day they came to circumcise^(AI) the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, ⁶⁰ but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”^(AJ)

⁶¹ They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

⁶² Then they made signs^(AK) to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. ⁶³ He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”^{(AL) 64} Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak,^(AM) praising God. ⁶⁵ All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea^(AN) people were talking about all these things. ⁶⁶ Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.^(AO)

Zechariah’s Song

⁶⁷ His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit^(AP) and prophesied:^(AQ)

⁸⁰ And the child grew and became strong in spirit^[c];^(BJ) and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days Caesar Augustus^(BK) issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.^{(BL) 2} (This was the first census that took place while^[d] Quirinius was governor of Syria.)^{(BM) 3} And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem^(BN) the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him^(BO) and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel^(BP) of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.^(BQ) I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior^(BR) has been born to you; he is the Messiah,^(BS) the Lord.^{(BT) 12} This will be a sign^(BU) to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.^{(BW) 17} When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.^{(BX) 20} The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God^(BY) for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

²¹ On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child,^(BZ) he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.^(CA)

Jesus Presented in the Temple

²² When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses,^(CB) Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”^[e]),^{(CC) 24} and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”^[f](CD)

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout.^(CE) He was waiting for the consolation of Israel,^(CF) and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,^{(CG) 28} Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

³³ The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother:^(CL) “This child is destined to cause the falling^(CM) and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

³⁶ There was also a prophet,^(CN) Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷ and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[h](CO) She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.^{(CP) 38} Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.^(CQ)

³⁹ When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.^{(CR) 40} And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.^(CS)

The Boy Jesus at the Temple

⁴¹ Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover.^{(CT) 42} When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. ⁴³ After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. ⁴⁴ Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ Everyone who heard him was amazed^(CU) at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother^(CV) said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father^(CW) and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

⁴⁹ “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”^{[i](CX) 50} But they did not understand what he was saying to them.^(CY)

⁵¹ Then he went down to Nazareth with them^(CZ) and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.^{(DA) 52} And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.^(DB)

John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(DC)(DD)

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate^(DE) was governor of Judea, Herod^(DF) tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— ² during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,^(DG) the word of God came to John^(DH) son of Zechariah^(DI) in the wilderness. ³ He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.^{(DJ) 4} As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

⁷ John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers!^(DL) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^{(DM) 8} Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’^(DN) For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ⁹ The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”^(DO)

¹⁰ “What should we do then?”^(DP) the crowd asked.

¹¹ John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”^(DQ)

¹² Even tax collectors came to be baptized.^(DR) “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

¹³ “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,”^(DS) he told them.

¹⁴ Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely^(DT)—be content with your pay.”

¹⁵ The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John^(DU) might possibly be the Messiah.^{(DV) 16} John answered them all, “I baptize you with^[k] water.^(DW) But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with^[l] the Holy Spirit and fire.^{(DX) 17} His winnowing fork^(DY) is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”^{(DZ) 18} And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

¹⁹ But when John rebuked Herod^(EA) the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, ²⁰ Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.^(EB)

The Baptism and Genealogy of Jesus^(EC)(ED)

²¹ When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying,^(EE) heaven was opened ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him^(EF) in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son,^(EG) whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”^(EH)

²³ Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.^(EI) He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,^(EJ)

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness^(ES)

4 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit,^(ET) left the Jordan^(EU) and was led by the Spirit^(EV) into the wilderness, ² where for forty days^(EW) he was tempted^[o] by the devil.^(EX) He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

³ The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God,^(EY) tell this stone to become bread.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’^[p]”^(EZ)

⁵ The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.^{(FA) 6} And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me,^(FB) and I can give it to anyone I want to. ⁷ If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

⁸ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’^[q]”^(FC)

⁹ The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. ¹⁰ For it is written:

¹² Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^[s]”^(FE)

¹³ When the devil had finished all this tempting,^(FF) he left him^(FG) until an opportune time.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

¹⁴ Jesus returned to Galilee^(FH) in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.^{(FI) 15} He was teaching in their synagogues,^(FJ) and everyone praised him.

¹⁶ He went to Nazareth,^(FK) where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue,^(FL) as was his custom. He stood up to read,^{(FM) 17} and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

²⁰ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down.^(FQ) The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. ²¹ He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled^(FR) in your hearing.”

²² All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.^(FS)

²³ Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown^(FT) what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”^(FU)

²⁴ “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.^{(FV) 25} I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land.^{(FW) 26} Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon.^{(FX) 27} And there were many in Israel with leprosy^[u] in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”^(FY)

²⁸ All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. ²⁹ They got up, drove him out of the town,^(FZ) and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. ³⁰ But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.^(GA)

Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit^(GB)

³¹ Then he went down to Capernaum,^(GC) a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. ³² They were amazed at his teaching,^(GD) because his words had authority.^(GE)

³³ In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, ³⁴ “Go away! What do you want with us,^(GF) Jesus of Nazareth?^(GG) Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are^(GH)—the Holy One of God!”^(GI)

³⁵ “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly.^(GJ) “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.

³⁶ All the people were amazed^(GK) and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority^(GL) and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” ³⁷ And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.^(GM)

Jesus Heals Many^(GN)(GO)

³⁸ Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. ³⁹ So he bent over her and rebuked^(GP) the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.

⁴⁰ At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one,^(GQ) he healed them.^{(GR) 41} Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!”^(GS) But he rebuked^(GT) them and would not allow them to speak,^(GU) because they knew he was the Messiah.

⁴² At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. ⁴³ But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God^(GV) to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” ⁴⁴ And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.^(GW)

Jesus Calls His First Disciples^(GX)

5 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,^[v] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God.^{(GY) 2} He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. ³ He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.^(GZ)

⁴ When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”^(HA)

⁵ Simon answered, “Master,^(HB) we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.^(HC) But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

⁶ When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.^{(HD) 7} So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

⁸ When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”^{(HE) 9} For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰ and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid;^(HF) from now on you will fish for people.” ¹¹ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.^(HG)

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy^(HH)

¹² While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.^[w](HI) When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

¹³ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

¹⁴ Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone,^(HJ) but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded^(HK) for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

¹⁵ Yet the news about him spread all the more,^(HL) so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. ¹⁶ But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.^(HM)

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man^(HN)

¹⁷ One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law^(HO) were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.^{(HP) 18} Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. ¹⁹ When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

²⁰ When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”^(HQ)

²¹ The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”^(HR)

²² Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ²⁴ But I want you to know that the Son of Man^(HS) has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” ²⁵ Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. ²⁶ Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God.^(HT) They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners^(HU)

²⁷ After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,”^(HV) Jesus said to him, ²⁸ and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.^(HW)

²⁹ Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors^(HX) and others were eating with them. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect^(HY) complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”^(HZ)

³¹ Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”^(IA)

Jesus Questioned About Fasting^(IB)

³³ They said to him, “John’s disciples^(IC) often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”

³⁴ Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom^(ID) fast while he is with them? ³⁵ But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them;^(IE) in those days they will fast.”

³⁶ He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. ³⁷ And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. ³⁸ No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. ³⁹ And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath^(IF)

6 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels.^{(IG) 2} Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”^(IH)

³ Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?^{(II) 4} He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat.^(IJ) And he also gave some to his companions.” ⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man^(IK) is Lord of the Sabbath.”

⁶ On another Sabbath^(IL) he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. ⁷ The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely^(IM) to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.^{(IN) 8} But Jesus knew what they were thinking^(IO) and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there.

⁹ Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

¹⁰ He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. ¹¹ But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious^(IP) and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

The Twelve Apostles^(IQ)

¹² One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.^{(IR) 13} When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:^{(IS) 14} Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, ¹⁵ Matthew,^(IT) Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, ¹⁶ Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Blessings and Woes^(IU)

¹⁷ He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon,^{(IV) 18} who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, ¹⁹ and the people all tried to touch him,^(IW) because power was coming from him and healing them all.^(IX)

²⁰ Looking at his disciples, he said: