Chapter 1

1

Quoniam quidem multi conati sunt
ordinare narrationem,
quæ in nobis completæ sunt,
rerum:

Forasmuch as many have taken in hand
to set forth in order a narration
of the things
that have been accomplished among us,

2

sicut
tradiderunt nobis,
qui ab initio ipsi viderunt,
et ministri fuerunt sermonis:

According as they,
who from the beginning were eyewitnesses
and ministers of the word,[1]
have delivered them unto us,

3

visum est et mihi,
assecuto omnia a principio
diligenter,
ex ordine tibi scribere,
optime Theophile,

It seemed good to me also,
having diligently
attained to all things from the beginning,
to write to thee in order,
most excellent Theophilus,

4

ut cognoscas
eorum verborum, de quibus eruditus es,
veritatem.

That thou mayest know
the verity
of those words in which thou hast been instructed.

5

Fuit in diebus Herodis,
regis Judææ,
sacerdos quidam nomine Zacharias
de vice Abia,
et uxor illius de filiabus Aaron,
et nomen ejus Elisabeth.

There was in the days of Herod,
the king of Judea,
a certain priest named Zachary,
of the course of Abia:
and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron,
and her name Elizabeth.

6

Erant autem justi ambo ante Deum,
Incedentes in omnibus mandatis
et justificationibus
Domini sine querela.

And they were both just before God,
walking in all the commandments
and justifications
of the Lord without blame.

7

Et non erat illis filius,
eo quod esset Elisabeth sterilis,
et ambo processissent in diebus suis.

And they had no son,
for that Elizabeth was barren:
and they both were well advanced in years.

8

Factum est autem,
cum sacerdotio fungeretur
in ordine vicis suæ ante Deum,

And it came to pass,
when he executed the priestly function
in the order of his course before God,

9

secundum
consuetudinem sacerdotii,
sorte exiit ut incensum poneret,
ingressus in templum Domini:

According to
the custom of the priestly office,
it was his lot to offer incense,
going into the temple of the Lord.

10

et omnis multitudo
populi erat orans foris
hora incensi.

And all the multitude
of the people was praying without,
at the hour of incense.

11

Apparuit autem illi
angelus Domini,
stans a dextris
altaris incensi.

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

12

Et Zacharias
turbatus est videns,
et timor irruit super eum.

And Zachary
seeing him, was troubled:
and fear fell upon him.

13

Ait autem ad illum angelus:
Ne timeas, Zacharia,
quoniam exaudita est deprecatio tua:
et uxor tua Elisabeth
pariet tibi filium,
et vocabis nomen ejus Joannem:

But the angel said to him:
Fear not, Zachary,
for thy prayer is heard;
and thy wife Elizabeth
shall bear thee a son,
and thou shalt call his name John:

14

et erit gaudium tibi,
et exsultatio,
et multi
in nativitate ejus gaudebunt:

And thou shalt have joy
and gladness:
and many
shall rejoice in his nativity.

15

erit enim magnus coram Domino:
et vinum et siceram non bibet,
et Spiritu Sancto replebitur
adhuc ex utero matris suæ:

For he shall be great before the Lord
and shall drink no wine nor strong drink:
and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost,
even from his mother's womb.

16

et
multos filiorum Israël convertet
ad Dominum Deum ipsorum:

And
he shall convert many of the children of Israel
to the Lord their God.

17

et ipse præcedet ante illum
in spiritu et virtute Eliæ:
ut convertat
corda patrum
in filios,
et incredulos ad prudentiam justorum,
parare Domino plebem perfectam.

And he shall go before him
in the spirit and power of Elias:
that he may turn
the hearts of the fathers
unto the children
and the incredulous to the wisdom of the just,
to prepare unto the Lord a perfect people.

18

Et dixit Zacharias ad angelum:
Unde hoc sciam?
ego enim sum senex,
et uxor mea processit in diebus suis.

And Zachary said to the angel:
Whereby shall I know this?
For I am an old man,
and my wife is advanced in years.

19

Et respondens angelus dixit ei:
Ego sum Gabriel,
qui asto ante Deum:
et missus sum loqui ad te,
et hæc tibi evangelizare.

And the angel answering, said to him:
I am Gabriel,
who stands[2] before God
and is[2] sent to speak to thee
and to bring thee these good tidings.

20

Et ecce eris tacens,
et non poteris loqui
usque in diem
quo hæc fiant,
pro eo
quod non credidisti verbis meis,
quæ implebuntur in tempore suo.

And behold, thou shalt be dumb
and shalt not be able to speak
until the day
wherein these things shall come to pass:
because
thou hast not believed my words,
which shall be fulfilled in their time.

21

Et erat plebs exspectans Zachariam:
et mirabantur
quod tardaret ipse in templo.

And the people were waiting for Zachary:
and they wondered
that he tarried so long in the temple.

22

Egressus autem
non poterat loqui ad illos,
et cognoverunt
quod visionem vidisset in templo.
Et ipse erat innuens illis,
et permansit mutus.

And when he came out,
he could not speak to them:
and they understood
that he had seen a vision in the temple.
And he made signs to them
and remained dumb.

23

Et factum est,
ut impleti sunt dies officii ejus,
abiit in domum suam:

And it came to pass,
after the days of his office were accomplished,
he departed to his own house.

24

post hos autem dies
concepit Elisabeth uxor ejus,
et occultabat se mensibus quinque,
dicens:

And after those days,
Elizabeth his wife conceived
and hid herself five months,
saying:

25

Quia sic fecit mihi Dominus
in diebus, quibus respexit
auferre opprobrium meum inter homines.

Thus hath the Lord dealt with me
in the days wherein he hath had regard
to take away my reproach among men.

26

In mense autem sexto,
missus est angelus Gabriel a Deo
in civitatem Galilææ, cui nomen Nazareth,

And in the sixth month,
the angel Gabriel was sent from God
into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth,

27

ad virginem desponsatam viro,
cui nomen erat Joseph,
de domo David:
et nomen virginis Maria.

To a virgin espoused to a man
whose name was Joseph,
of the house of David:
and the virgin's name was Mary.

28

Et ingressus angelus ad eam dixit:
Ave gratia plena:
Dominus tecum:
benedicta tu in mulieribus.

And the angel being come in, said unto her:
Hail, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee:
blessed art thou among women.

29

Quæ cum audisset,
turbata est
in sermone ejus,
et cogitabat
qualis
esset ista
salutatio.

Who having heard,
was troubled
at his saying
and thought with herself
what manner
of salutation
this should be.

30

Et ait angelus ei:
Ne timeas, Maria:
invenisti enim gratiam apud Deum.

And the angel said to her:
Fear not, Mary,
for thou hast found grace with God.

31

Ecce concipies in utero,
et paries filium,
et vocabis nomen ejus Jesum:

Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb
and shalt bring forth a son:
and thou shalt call his name Jesus.

32

hic erit magnus,
et Filius Altissimi
vocabitur,
et dabit illi
Dominus Deus
sedem David
patris ejus:

He shall be great
and shall be called
the Son of the Most High.
And the Lord God
shall give unto him
the throne of David
his father:

33

et regnabit
in domo Jacob in æternum,
et regni ejus non erit finis.

and he shall reign
in the house of Jacob for ever.
And of his kingdom there shall be no end.

34

Dixit autem Maria ad angelum:
Quomodo fiet istud,
quoniam virum non cognosco?

And Mary said to the angel:
How shall this be done,
because I know not man?

35

Et respondens angelus dixit ei:
Spiritus Sanctus superveniet in te,
et virtus Altissimi
obumbrabit tibi.
Ideoque et
quod nascetur ex te sanctum,
vocabitur Filius Dei.

And the angel answering, said to her:
The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee
and the power of the Most High
shall overshadow thee.
And therefore also
the Holy which shall be born of thee
shall be called the Son of God.

36

Et ecce Elisabeth cognata tua,
et ipsa
concepit filium in senectute sua:
et hic mensis sextus est illi,
quæ vocatur sterilis:

And behold thy cousin Elizabeth,
she also
hath conceived a son in her old age:
and this is the sixth month with her
that is called barren.

37

quia non
erit impossibile apud Deum omne verbum.

Because no
word shall be impossible with God.

38

Dixit autem Maria:
Ecce ancilla Domini:
fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.
Et discessit ab illa angelus.

And Mary said:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord:
be it done to me according to thy word.
And the angel departed from her.

39

Exsurgens autem Maria in diebus illis,
abiit in montana cum festinatione,
in civitatem Juda:

And Mary rising up in those days,
went into the hill country with haste
into a city of Juda.

40

et intravit in domum Zachariæ,
et salutavit Elisabeth.

And she entered into the house of Zachary
and saluted Elizabeth.

41

Et factum est,
ut audivit salutationem Mariæ Elisabeth,
exsultavit infans in utero ejus:
et repleta est Spiritu Sancto Elisabeth:

And it came to pass
that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary,
the infant leaped in her womb.
And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.

42

et exclamavit voce magna,
et dixit:
Benedicta tu inter mulieres,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui.

And she cried out with a loud voice
and said:
Blessed art thou among women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

43

Et unde hoc mihi,
ut veniat mater Domini mei
ad me?

And whence is this to me
that the mother of my Lord should come
to me?

44

Ecce enim ut facta est
vox salutationis tuæ
in auribus meis,
exsultavit in gaudio infans in utero meo.

For behold as soon as
the voice of thy salutation
sounded in my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.

45

Et beata, quæ credidisti,
quoniam perficientur ea,
quæ dicta sunt tibi a Domino.

And blessed art thou that hast believed,
because those things shall be accomplished
that were spoken to thee by the Lord.

46

Et ait Maria:
Magnificat anima mea Dominum:

And Mary said:
My soul doth magnify the Lord.

47

et exsultavit spiritus meus
in Deo salutari meo.

And my spirit hath rejoiced
in God my Saviour.

48

Quia respexit
humilitatem ancillæ suæ:
ecce enim ex hoc
beatam me dicent omnes generationes,

Because he hath regarded
the humility of his handmaid:
for behold from henceforth
all generations shall call me blessed.

49

quia
fecit mihi magna qui potens est:
et sanctum nomen ejus,

Because
he that is mighty hath done great things to me:
and holy is his name.

50

et misericordia ejus
a progenie in progenies
timentibus eum.

And his mercy is
from generation unto generations,
to them that fear him.

51

Fecit potentiam in brachio suo:
dispersit superbos
mente cordis sui.

He hath shewed might in his arm:
he hath scattered the proud
in the conceit of their heart.

52

Deposuit potentes
de sede,
et exaltavit humiles.

He hath put down the mighty
from their seat
and hath exalted the humble.

53

Esurientes implevit
bonis:
et divites dimisit inanes.

He hath filled the hungry
with good things:
and the rich he hath sent empty away.

54

Suscepit Israël puerum suum,
recordatus misericordiæ suæ:

He hath received Israel his servant,
being mindful of his mercy.

55

sicut locutus est ad patres nostros,
Abraham et semini ejus in sæcula.

As he spoke to our fathers:
to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

56

Mansit autem Maria cum illa
quasi mensibus tribus:
et reversa est in domum suam.

And Mary abode with her
about three months.
And she returned to her own house.

57

Elisabeth autem
impletum est tempus pariendi,
et peperit filium.

Now Elizabeth’s
full time of being delivered was come:
and she brought forth a son.

58

Et audierunt vicini et cognati ejus
quia magnificavit Dominus
misericordiam suam cum illa,
et congratulabantur ei.

And her neighbors and kinsfolks heard
that the Lord had shewed
his great mercy towards her:
and they congratulated[3] her.

59

Et factum est in die octavo,
venerunt circumcidere puerum,
et vocabant eum nomine patris sui
Zachariam.

And it came to pass that on the eighth day
they came to circumcise the child:
and they called him by his father’s name
Zachary.

60

Et respondens mater ejus, dixit:
Nequaquam,
sed vocabitur Joannes.

And his mother answering, said:
Not so.
But he shall be called John.

61

Et dixerunt ad illam:
Quia nemo est in cognatione tua,
qui vocetur hoc nomine.

And they said to her:
There is none of thy kindred
that is called by this name.

62

Innuebant autem patri ejus,
quem vellet vocari eum.

And they made signs to his father,
how he would have him called.

63

Et postulans pugillarem
scripsit, dicens:
Joannes est nomen ejus.
Et mirati sunt universi.

And demanding a writing tablet,
he wrote, saying:
John is his name.
And they all wondered.

64

Apertum est autem illico os ejus,
et lingua ejus,
et loquebatur benedicens Deum.

And immediately his mouth was opened
and his tongue loosed:
and he spoke, blessing God.

65

Et factus est timor
super omnes vicinos eorum:
et super omnia montana Judææ
divulgabantur omnia verba hæc:

And fear came upon
all their neighbours:
and all these things were noised abroad
over all the hill country of Judea.

66

et posuerunt omnes qui audierant
in corde suo, dicentes:
Quis, putas, puer iste erit?
etenim manus Domini
erat cum illo.

And all they that had heard them laid them up
in their heart, saying:
Who, think ye, shall this child be?
For the hand of the Lord
was with him.

67

Et Zacharias pater ejus
repletus est Spiritu Sancto:
et prophetavit, dicens:

And Zachary his father
was filled with the Holy Ghost.
And he prophesied, saying:

68

Benedictus Dominus Deus Israël,
quia visitavit, et fecit
redemptionem plebis suæ:

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel:
because he hath visited and wrought
the redemption of his people.

69

et erexit
cornu salutis nobis
in domo David pueri sui,

And hath raised up
a[4] horn of salvation to us,
in the house of David his servant.

70

sicut locutum est per os sanctorum,
qui a sæculo sunt, prophetarum ejus:

As he spoke by the mouth of his holy
prophets, who are from the beginning.

71

salutem ex inimicis nostris,
et de manu omnium qui oderunt nos:

Salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all that hate us.

72

ad faciendam misericordiam cum patribus nostris et memorari testamenti sui sancti

To perform mercy to our fathers, and to remember his holy testament,

73

jusjurandum, quod juravit
ad Abraham patrem nostrum,
daturum se nobis

The oath, which he swore
to Abraham our father,
that he would grant to us.

74

ut sine timore,
de manu inimicorum nostrorum
liberati,
serviamus illi

That being delivered
from the hand of our enemies,
we may serve him
without fear:

75

in sanctitate et justitia coram ipso,
omnibus diebus nostris.

In holiness and justice before him,
all our days.

76

Et tu puer,
propheta Altissimi vocaberis:
præibis enim
ante faciem Domini
parare vias ejus,

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:

77

ad dandam scientiam
salutis plebi ejus
in remissionem
peccatorum eorum

To give knowledge
of salvation to his people,
unto the remission
of their sins.

78

per viscera
misericordiæ Dei nostri,
in quibus
visitavit nos, oriens ex alto:

Through the heart[5]
of the mercy of our God,
in which
the Dayspring[6] from on high hath visited us:

79

illuminare his
qui in tenebris et in umbra mortis sedent:
ad dirigendos pedes nostros
in viam pacis.

To enlighten them
that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death:
to direct our feet
into the way of peace.

80

Puer autem crescebat,
et confortabatur spiritu:
et erat in desertis usque in diem
ostensionis suæ ad Israël.

And the child grew
and was strengthened in spirit:
and was in the deserts until the day
of his manifestation to Israel.