¹序言（參徒1:1）尊敬的提阿非羅先生，因為有許多人，已經把在我們中間成就了的事，

¹Since many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us,

²按照起初親眼看見的傳道人所傳給我們的，編著成書；

²even as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word delivered them to us,

³我已經把這些事從頭考查過，認為也應該按著次序寫給你，

³it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus;

⁴讓你曉得所學到的道理，都是確實的。

⁴that you might know the certainty concerning the things in which you were instructed.

⁵天使預言施洗約翰出生猶太王希律在位的日子，亞比雅班裡有一個祭司，名叫撒迦利亞，他妻子是亞倫的後代，名叫以利沙伯。

⁵There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

⁶他們在　神面前都是義人，遵行主的一切誡命規條，無可指摘，

⁶They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.

⁷只是沒有孩子，因為以利沙伯不生育，二人又都上了年紀。

⁷But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years.

⁸有一次，撒迦利亞在　神面前按著班次執行祭司的職務，

⁸Now it happened, while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his division,

⁹照祭司的慣例抽中了籤，進入主的聖殿燒香。

⁹according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

¹⁰燒香的時候，眾人都在外面祈禱。

¹⁰The whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.

¹¹有主的使者站在香壇右邊，向他顯現。

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

¹²撒迦利亞一見就驚慌起來，十分害怕。

¹²Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.

¹³天使說：“撒迦利亞，不要怕，因為你的祈求已蒙垂聽，你妻子以利沙伯要給你生一個兒子，你要給他起名叫約翰。

¹³But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zacharias, because your request has been heard, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

¹⁴你必歡喜快樂，許多人因他出生，也必喜樂。

¹⁴You will have joy and gladness; and many will rejoice at his birth.

¹⁵他在主面前要被尊為大，淡酒濃酒都不喝，未出母腹就被聖靈充滿。

¹⁵For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.

¹⁶他要使許多以色列人轉向主他們的　神。

¹⁶He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord, their God.

¹⁷他必有以利亞的靈和能力，行在主的前面，叫父親的心轉向兒女，叫悖逆的轉向義人的意念，為主安排那預備好了的人民。”

¹⁷He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to prepare a people prepared for the Lord.”

¹⁸撒迦利亞對天使說：“我怎麼能知道這事呢？我已經老了，我妻子也上了年紀。”

¹⁸Zacharias said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”

¹⁹天使回答：“我是站在　神面前的加百列，奉差遣向你說話，報給你這好消息。

¹⁹The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news.

²⁰看吧！到了時候我的話必要應驗；因為你不信我的話，你必成為啞巴，直到這些事成就的那一天，才能說話。”

²⁰Behold, you will be silent and not able to speak, until the day that these things will happen, because you didn’t believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

²¹眾人等候撒迦利亞；因他在聖殿裡遲遲不出來，覺得奇怪。

²¹The people were waiting for Zacharias, and they marveled that he delayed in the temple.

²²等到他出來，卻不能講話，竟成了啞巴，不斷地向他們打手式，他們就知道他在聖殿裡見了異象。

²²When he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. He continued making signs to them, and remained mute.

²³供職的日子滿了，他就回家去。

²³It happened, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he departed to his house.

²⁴過了幾天，他妻子以利沙伯懷了孕，隱藏了五個月，說：

²⁴After these days Elizabeth, his wife, conceived, and she hid herself five months, saying,

²⁵“主在眷顧的日子，這樣看待我，要把我在人間的羞恥除掉。”

²⁵“Thus has the Lord done to me in the days in which he looked at me, to take away my reproach among men.”

²⁶天使預言耶穌降生到了第六個月，天使加百列奉　神差遣，往加利利的拿撒勒城去，

²⁶Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

²⁷到了一個童貞女那裡，她已經和大衛家一個名叫約瑟的人訂了婚，童貞女的名字是馬利亞。

²⁷to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

²⁸天使進去，對她說：“恭喜！蒙大恩的女子，主與你同在！”

²⁸Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!”

²⁹她卻因這話驚慌起來，反覆思想這樣祝賀是甚麼意思。

²⁹But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be.

³⁰天使說：“馬利亞，不要怕！因你已從　神那裡蒙了恩。

³⁰The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

³¹你將懷孕生子，要給他起名叫耶穌。

³¹Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and will call his name ‘Jesus.’

³²他將要被尊為大，稱為至高者的兒子，主　神要把他祖大衛的王位賜給他，

³²He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David,

³³他要作王統治雅各家，直到永遠，他的國沒有窮盡。”

³³and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom.”

³⁴馬利亞對天使說：“我還沒有出嫁，怎能有這事呢？”

³⁴Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?”

³⁵天使回答：“聖靈要臨到你，至高者的能力要覆庇你，因此那將要出生的聖者，必稱為　神的兒子。

³⁵The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God.

³⁶你看，你親戚以利沙伯，被稱為不生育的，在老年也懷了男胎，現在已是第六個月了，

³⁶Behold, Elizabeth, your relative, also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.

³⁷因為在　神沒有一件事是不可能的。”

³⁷For everything spoken by God is possible.”

³⁸馬利亞說：“我是主的婢女，願照你的話成就在我身上！”天使就離開她去了。

³⁸Mary said, “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to your word.” The angel departed from her.

³⁹馬利亞往見以利沙伯後來，馬利亞就起身，急忙向山地去，來到猶大的一座城，

³⁹Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah,

⁴⁰進了撒迦利亞的家，向以利沙伯問安。

⁴⁰and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.

⁴¹以利沙伯一聽見馬利亞的問安，腹中的胎兒就跳動，以利沙伯也被聖靈充滿，

⁴¹It happened, when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, that the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

⁴²就高聲說：“你在女子中是有福的！你腹中的胎兒也是有福的！

⁴²She called out with a loud voice, and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

⁴³我主的母親竟然到我這裡來。這事怎會臨到我呢？

⁴³Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

⁴⁴你看，你問安的聲音一進我的耳朵，我腹中的胎兒就歡喜跳躍。

⁴⁴For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy!

⁴⁵這相信主傳給她的話必要成就的女子是有福的。”

⁴⁵Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!”

⁴⁶馬利亞尊主為大（參撒上2:1~10）馬利亞說：“我心尊主為大，

⁴⁶Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.

⁴⁷我靈以　神我的救主為樂，

⁴⁸因為他垂顧他使女的卑微，看哪！今後萬代都要稱我為有福。

⁴⁸for he has looked at the humble state of his handmaid. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.

⁴⁹全能者為我行了大事，他的名為聖；

⁴⁹For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name.

⁵⁰他的憐憫世世代代歸與敬畏他的人。

⁵¹他用膀臂施展大能，驅散心裡妄想的狂傲人。

⁵¹He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

⁵²他使有權能的失位，叫卑微的升高，

⁵²He has put down princes from their thrones. And has exalted the lowly.

⁵³讓飢餓的得飽美食，使富足的空手回去。

⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things. He has sent the rich away empty.

⁵⁴他扶助了他的僕人以色列，為要記念他的憐憫，

⁵⁵正如他向我們列祖所說的，恩待亞伯拉罕和他的後裔，直到永遠。”

⁵⁵As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his seed forever.”

⁵⁶馬利亞和以利沙伯同住約有三個月，就回家去了。

⁵⁶Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house.

⁵⁷施洗約翰出生以利沙伯的產期到了，生了一個兒子。

⁵⁷Now the time that Elizabeth should give birth was fulfilled, and she brought forth a son.

⁵⁸鄰里親戚，聽見主向她大施憐憫，都和她一同歡樂。

⁵⁸Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her, and they rejoiced with her.

⁵⁹到了第八天，他們來給孩子行割禮，要照他父親的名字，叫他撒迦利亞。

⁵⁹It happened on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of the father.

⁶⁰但他母親說：“不可，要叫他約翰。”

⁶⁰His mother answered, “Not so; but he will be called John.”

⁶¹他們說：“你親族裡沒有叫這名字的。”

⁶¹They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”

⁶²他們就向孩子的父親打手式，看他要叫他甚麼。

⁶²They made signs to his father, what he would have him called.

⁶³他要了一塊寫字版，寫上說：“他的名字是約翰。”眾人都希奇。

⁶³He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.” They all marveled.

⁶⁴撒迦利亞的口舌立刻開了，就出聲稱頌　神。

⁶⁴His mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue freed, and he spoke, blessing God.

⁶⁵住在周圍的人都害怕，這一切事傳遍了整個猶太山地，

⁶⁵Fear came on all who lived around them, and all these sayings were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea.

⁶⁶凡聽見的就把這些事放在心裡，說：“這孩子將會成為怎樣的人呢？因為主的手與他同在。”

⁶⁶All who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, “What then will this child be?” The hand of the Lord was with him.

⁶⁷撒迦利亞的預言他的父親撒迦利亞被聖靈充滿，預言說：

⁶⁷His father, Zacharias, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,

⁶⁸“主，以色列的　神，是應當稱頌的，因他眷顧自己的子民，施行救贖，

⁶⁸“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and worked redemption for his people;

⁶⁹在他僕人大衛家中，為我們興起救恩的角，

⁷⁰正如主自古以來藉聖先知口中所說的，

⁷¹救我們脫離仇敵，和恨我們的人的手；

⁷²向我們列祖施憐憫，記念他的聖約，

⁷²to show mercy towards our fathers, to remember his holy covenant,

⁷³就是他對我們祖先亞伯拉罕所起的誓，

⁷⁴把我們從仇敵手中救拔出來，叫我們可以坦然無懼，用聖潔公義，在他面前一生一世敬拜他。

⁷⁴to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear,

⁷⁵

⁷⁶孩子啊，你要稱為至高者的先知，因為你要行在主的面前，預備他的路，

⁷⁶And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways,

⁷⁷使他的子民，因罪得赦，就知道救恩。

⁷⁸因我們　神的憐憫，使清晨的陽光從高天臨到我們，

⁷⁸because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dawn from on high will visit us,

⁷⁹光照那坐在黑暗中死蔭裡的人，引導我們的腳，走上平安的路。”

⁷⁹to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

⁸⁰這孩子漸漸長大，心靈健壯，住在曠野，直到他在以色列人中公開露面的日子。

⁸⁰The child was growing, and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel.