44 to me? For lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leap45 ed in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the 46 Lord. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify 47 the Lord, and my spirit rejoiceth in God my 48 Savior. For he hath regarded the low estate

of his hand-maiden: and behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great 50 things; and holy is his name. And his mercy

is on them that fear him, from generation to 51 generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the 52 imagination of their hearts. He hath put down

the mighty from their seats, and exalted them 53 of low degree.* He hath filled the hungry

with good things, and the rich he hath sent 54 empty away. He hath helped his servant Is55 rael, in remembrance of his mercy. As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his 56 seed forever. And Mary abode with her

about three months, and returned to her own 57 house. Now Elizabeth's full time came that

she should be delivered; and she brought forth 58 a son. And her neighbors and her cousins.

heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy 59 unto her; and they rejoiced with her. And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.

* Mary, no doubt, believed, as the other pious Jews then did, that Jesus would be a great temporal but virtuous prince.

60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; 61 but he shall be called John. And they said

64 led all.

unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is 62 called by this name. And they made signs to his father how he would have him called. 63 And he asked for a writing-table, and wrote saying, His name is John. And they marvelAnd his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and 65 praised God. And fear came on all that dwelt round about them and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill-country 66 of Judea. And all they that had heard them, laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child will this be? And the hand of the 67 Lord was with him. And his father Zacharias

was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophe68 sied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Isra

el; for he hath visited and redeemed his peo69 ple, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for 70 us, in the house of his servant David; as he

spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, who 71 have been since the world began: That we

should be saved from our enemies, and from 72 the hand of all that hate us:† To perform the

mercy to our fathers, and to remember his holy 73 covenant: The oath which he sware to our 74 father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hands of our

* That is, made signs that he wished for a table, &c. † Zachariah seems to have supposed that Christ would possess temporal power and exalt the Jewish nation: So that piety may consist with some errors of opinion.

75 enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the 76 days of our life. And thou, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, to prepare 77 his ways: To give knowledge of salvation unto his people, by the remission of their sins, 78 through the tender mercy of our God, whereby 79 the light from on high hath visited us, to enlighten them who sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the 80 way of peace. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts* till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

1

CHAP. II.

AND it came to pass in those days, that a decree issued from Cæsar Augustus, that all 2 the world should be enrolled.† This first enrolment was made when Quirinus was prefect 3 of Syria. And all went to be registered, every 4 one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the 5 house and lineage of David,) to be enrolled with Mary his espoused wife, being great with

*Not in places wholly uninhabited, but in a part of the country less populous than most others.

† All the world means either the Roman empire, or the land of Judea.

6 child. And so it was, that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she 7 should be delivered. And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling-clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their 9 flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore 10 afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear

not for behold, I bring you good tidings of 11 great joy, which shall be to all people. For

unto you is born this day, in the city of David, 12 a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling-clothes, lying in a 13 manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising 14 God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest places, and on earth peace, good will towards 15 men. And it came to pass, when the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made 16 known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe 17 lying in a manger. And when they had seen

it, they made known abroad the saying which 18 was told them concerning this child. And all

they that heard it, wondered at those things 19 which were told them by the shepherds. But

Mary kept all these things, and pondered them 20 in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told 21 unto them. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived 22 in the womb. And when the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they brought him to Jeru23 salem, to present him to the Lord; (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to 24 the Lord.) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons. 25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and he was a just and devout man, waiting for the consolation of Israel:* and the Holy Spirit was upon him.† 26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Spirit, that he should not see death, before he 27 had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came

by the Spirit into the temple: and when the

* That is, for the advent of Christ, whose appearance was then expected by all pious Jews.

He was inspired, or had the Spirit of prophecy.

That is, anointed, or the Messiah: Saul and David were the Lord's anointed to govern the Jewish nation; Cyrus was the Lord's anointed, to restore the Jews; Jesus was the anointed of God, for a spiritual Deliverer.

§ By direction of the Spirit-the same word in the original, which is translated Spirit in the two preceding

verses.