AMP

AMP

Click to Change

Return to Top

Return to Top

Printer Icon

Print

Copy
Copy Options
Format by: Verse Paragraph
Strong's
Red Letter
Audio Bibles
Copy Options
Cite Print
The Blue Letter Bible

Luke 1 :: Amplified Bible (AMP)

Choose a new font size and typeface
Audio Bibles

Introduction

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:1 -

Since [as is well known] many have undertaken to compile an orderly account of the things which have been fulfilled among us [by God],

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:2 - exactly as they were handed down to us by those [with personal experience] who from the beginning [of Christ’s ministry] were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word [that is, of the teaching concerning salvation through faith in Christ],
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:3 - it seemed fitting for [fn]me as well, [and so I have decided] after having carefully searched out and investigated all the events accurately, from the very beginning, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus;
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:4 - so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been [fn]taught [that is, the history and doctrine of the faith].

Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:5 -

In the days of Herod [the Great], king of Judea, there was a certain priest whose name was [fn]Zacharias, of [fn]the division of Abijah. His wife was [fn]a descendant of Aaron [the first high priest of Israel], and her name was Elizabeth.

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:6 - They both were righteous (approved) in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:7 - But they were childless, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both far advanced in years.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:8 -

Now it happened while Zacharias was serving as priest before God in the appointed order of his priestly division,

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:9 - as was the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter [the sanctuary of] the temple of the Lord and [fn]burn incense [on the altar of incense].
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:10 - And all the congregation was praying outside [in the court of the temple] at the hour of the incense offering.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:11 - And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:12 - When Zacharias saw the angel, he was troubled and overcome with fear.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:13 - But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, because your petition [in prayer] was heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him [fn]John.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:14 - “You will have great joy and delight, and many will rejoice over his birth,
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:15 - for he will be great and distinguished in the sight of the Lord; and will never drink wine or liquor, and he will be filled with and empowered to act by the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:16 - “He will turn many of the sons of Israel back [from sin] to [love and serve] the Lord their God.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:17 - “It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous [which is to seek and submit to the will of God]—in order to make ready a people [perfectly] prepared [spiritually and morally] for the Lord.”
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:18 -

And Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I be certain of this? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in age.”

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:19 - The angel replied and said to him, “I am Gabriel; I stand and minister in the [very] presence of God, and I have been sent [by Him] to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:20 - [fn]Listen carefully, you will be continually silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe what I told you; but my words will be fulfilled at their proper time.”
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:21 -

The people [outside in the court] were waiting for Zacharias, and were wondering about his long delay in the temple.

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:22 - But when he did come out, he was unable to speak to them. They realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to them, and remained mute.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:23 - When his time of priestly service was finished, he returned to his home.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:24 -

Now after this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and for five months she secluded herself completely, saying,

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:25 - “This is how the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor on me, to take away my [fn]disgrace among men.”

Jesus’ Birth Foretold

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:26 -

Now in the sixth month [of Elizabeth’s pregnancy] the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth,

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:27 - to a virgin [fn]betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:28 - And coming to her, the angel said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:29 - But she was greatly perplexed at what he said, and kept carefully considering what kind of greeting this was.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:30 - The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:31 - “Listen carefully: you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:32 - “He will be great and eminent and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:33 - and He will reign over the house of Jacob (Israel) forever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end.”
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:34 - Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin and have no intimacy with any man?”
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:35 - Then the angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [like a cloud]; for that reason the holy (pure, sinless) Child shall be called the Son of God.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:36 - “And listen, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:37 - “For with God nothing [is or ever] shall be impossible.”
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:38 - Then Mary said, “[fn]Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel left her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:39 -

Now at this time Mary arose and hurried to the hill country, to a city of Judah (Judea),

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:40 - and she entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:41 - When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, her baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered by Him.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:42 - And she exclaimed loudly, “Blessed [worthy to be praised] are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:43 - “And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:44 - “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:45 - “And blessed [spiritually fortunate and favored by God] is she who believed and confidently trusted that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her [by the angel sent] from the Lord.”

The Magnificat

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:46 -

And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies and exalts the Lord,

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:47 -

And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:48 -

“For He has looked [with loving care] on the humble state of His maidservant;

For behold, from now on all generations will count me blessed and happy and favored by God!

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:49 -

“For He who is mighty has done great things for me;

And holy is His name [to be worshiped in His purity, majesty, and glory].

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:50 -

“AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION

TOWARD THOSE WHO [stand in great awe of God and] FEAR HIM.

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:51 -

“He has done mighty deeds with His [powerful] arm;

He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:52 -

“He has brought down rulers from their thrones,

And exalted those who were humble.

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:53 -

“HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS;

And sent the rich away empty-handed.

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:54 -

“He has helped His servant Israel,

In remembrance of His mercy,

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:55 -

Just as He promised to our fathers,

To Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:56 -

And Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months, and then returned to her home.

John Is Born

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:57 -

Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son.

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:58 - Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown His great mercy toward her, and they were rejoicing with her.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:59 -

It happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child [as required by the Law], and they intended to name him Zacharias, after his father;

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:60 - but his mother answered, “No indeed; instead he will be called John.”
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:61 - And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by that name.”
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:62 - Then they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:63 - And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:64 - At once Zacharias’ mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began speaking, praising and blessing and thanking God.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:65 - Then fear came on all their neighbors; and all these things were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea.
Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:66 - All who heard these things kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this little boy turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him [to bring about his birth].

Zacharias’ Prophecy

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:67 -

Now Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered by Him, and he prophesied, saying,

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:68 -

“Blessed (praised, glorified) be the Lord, the God of Israel,

Because He has visited us and brought redemption to His people,

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:69 -

And He has raised up a [fn]horn of salvation [a mighty and valiant Savior] for us

In the house of David His servant—

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:70 -

Just as He promised by the mouth of His holy prophets from the most ancient times—

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:71 -

Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES,

And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US;

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:72 -

To show mercy [as He promised] to our fathers,

And to remember His holy covenant [the promised blessing],

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:73 -

The oath which He swore to Abraham our father,

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:74 -

To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,

Might serve Him without fear,

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:75 -

In holiness [being set apart] and righteousness [being upright] before Him all our days.

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:76 -

“And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;

For you will go on BEFORE THE LORD (the Messiah) TO PREPARE HIS WAYS;

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:77 -

To give His people the knowledge of salvation

By the forgiveness of their sins,

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:78 -

Because of the tender mercy of our God,

With which the Sunrise (the Messiah) from on high will dawn and visit us,

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:79 -

TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND IN THE SHADOW OF DEATH,

To guide our feet [in a straight line] into the way of peace and serenity.”

Unchecked Copy BoxLuk 1:80 -

The child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel [as John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah].

AMP Footnotes
Luke may have been a Gentile. If so, he is the only Gentile author whose work is included in the NT. In addition to The Gospel of Luke, he wrote The Acts of the Apostles, and is thought by some scholars to have been the author of The Letter to the Hebrews.
Or orally instructed.
I.e. Zechariah. The spelling is different because a Greek word cannot end with an “h,” and in place of “ah” the common Greek ending “-as” was substituted.
King David organized the priests into 24 groups or divisions, each headed by a president. A division served twice a year for a week at a time (1 Chr 24:1-19).
Lit from the daughters of.
I.e. normally a once-in-a-lifetime privilege for a priest.
John the Baptist is considered the last of the Old Testament prophets. His mother, Elizabeth, and Mary the mother of Jesus, were related (1:36), and Mary may have been with Elizabeth at the time John was born (1:56). John the Baptist is not to be confused with John the Apostle who, along with his brother James, was among the twelve disciples of Jesus. John and James were the sons of Zebedee and Salome. John the Apostle authored the Gospel of John, three brief letters (1 John, 2 John, 3 John), and Revelation.
Lit behold.
At this time childlessness was a social stigma.
The first stage of marriage (called shiddukin in Hebrew) in Jewish tradition and law, usually lasting for a year before the wedding night; unlike an engagement, it was legally binding and required a divorce to nullify it. The woman remained with her parents during the betrothal year and was referred to as a “wife” even though the marriage was not consummated during this period of time.
Mary’s response was significantly different from Zacharias’ (v 18). Zacharias would not take Gabriel’s word, and instead wanted some kind of miraculous sign as proof.
In the OT a symbol of strength.
AMP

Amplified Bible Copyright (c) 2015 by

The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631 All rights reserved.

For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org.

BLB Searches
Search the Bible
AMP
 [?]

Advanced Options

Other Searches

Multi-Verse Retrieval
x
AMP

Daily Devotionals
x

Blue Letter Bible offers several daily devotional readings in order to help you refocus on Christ and the Gospel of His peace and righteousness.

Daily Bible Reading Plans
x

Recognizing the value of consistent reflection upon the Word of God in order to refocus one's mind and heart upon Christ and His Gospel of peace, we provide several reading plans designed to cover the entire Bible in a year.

One-Year Plans

Two-Year Plan

Luke Chapter 1 — Additional Translations: