World English Bible · Under Rome
Luke 1
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Since many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us, even as those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word them to us, it 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; that you might know the certainty concerning the things in which you were instructed. There was in the days of , the king of , a certain priest named , of the priestly division of . He had a wife of the daughters of , and her name was . They were both before , walking blamelessly in all and ordinances of . But they had no child, because was , and they both were well advanced in years. Now while he executed the priest's office before in the order of his division according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to enter into of and . The whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of . of appeared to him, standing on the right side of the . was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But said to him, "Don't be afraid, , because your request has been heard. Your wife, , will bear you a son, and you shall call his name . You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of , and he will drink no nor . He will be filled with , even from his mother's . He will turn many of the to their . He will go before him in and of , 'to turn the of the fathers to the children,' and the to the of the ; to prepare a people prepared for ." said to , "How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years." answered him, "I am , who stands in the of . I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this . Behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day that these things will happen, because you didn't my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time." The people were for , and they marveled that he delayed in . When he came out, he could not speak to them. They perceived that he had seen a in . He continued making signs to them, and remained mute. When the days of his were fulfilled, he departed to his house. 24After these days his wife conceived, and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus has done to me in the days in which he looked at me, to take away my among men." Now in the sixth month, was sent from to a city of named , to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was , of house. The virgin's name was . Having come in, said to her, "Rejoice, you highly favored one! is with you. are you among women!" But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be. said to her, "Don't be afraid, , for you have with . Behold, you will conceive in your and give birth to a son, and shall name him '.' He will be great and will be called the Son of . will give him of his , and he will reign over the house of . There will be no end to ." 34 said to , "How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?" answered her, " will come on you, and the of will overshadow you. Therefore also the one who is born from you will be called the Son of . 36Behold, your relative also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called . For nothing spoken by is impossible." said, "Behold, the ; let it be done to me according to your word." Then departed from her. arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah, 40and entered into the house of and greeted . When heard greeting, the baby leaped in her ; and was filled with . She called out with a loud voice and said, " are you among women, and is the fruit of your ! Why am I so favored, that the mother of my should come to me? 44For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my for joy! is she who , for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from !" said, " magnifies . has rejoiced in my , for he has looked at the humble state of his servant. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me . For he who is mighty has done great things for me. is his name. His mercy is for generations and generations on those who fear him. He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their . He has put down princes from their , and has exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things. He has sent the rich away empty. He has given help to Israel, his servant, that he might remember mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to and his ." 56 stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house. Now the time that should give birth was fulfilled, and she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and her relatives heard that had magnified his mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him , after the name of his . His mother answered, "Not so; but he will be called ." 61They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name." They made signs to his , what he would have him called. He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is ." They all marveled. His was opened immediately and his freed, and he spoke, . Fear came on all who lived around them, and all these sayings were talked about throughout all the hill country of . All who heard them laid them up in their , saying, "What then will this child be?" The hand of was with him. His was filled with , and prophesied, saying, " be , the of Israel, for he has visited and his people; and has up a for us in the house of his servant (as he spoke his who have been from of old), from our and from the hand of all who hate us; to show mercy toward our fathers, to remember his , the which he to , to grant to us that we, being out of the hand of our , should him without fear, in and before him all the days of our life. And you, child, will be called a of ; for you will go before to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of to his people by the remission of their , because of the tender mercy of our , by which the dawn from on high will visit us, to shine on those who sit and the shadow of ; to guide our feet into of peace." The child was growing and becoming strong in , and was in until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.