1Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us,^a 2just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us,^b 3I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received.

Announcement of the Birth of John. 5In the days of Herod, King of Judea,^* there was a priest named Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.^c 6Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. 7But they had no child,^* because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years.^d 8Once when he was serving as priest in his division’s turn before God, 9according to the practice of the priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.^e 10Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering, 11the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. 12Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him. 13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid,^* Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John.^f 14And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15for he will be great in the sight of [the] Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink.^* He will be filled with the holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb,^g 16and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah^* to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”^h

Inheritance Through Faith. 13It was not through the law that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants that he would inherit the world, but through the righteousness that comes from faith.^g 14For if those who adhere to the law are the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.^h 15For the law produces wrath;ⁱ but where there is no law, neither is there violation.^* 16For this reason, it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift, and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not to those who only adhere to the law but to those who follow the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us,^j 17as it is written, “I have made you father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not exist.^k 18He believed, hoping against hope,^l that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “Thus shall your descendants be.” 19^m He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body as [already] dead (for he was almost a hundred years old) and the dead womb of Sarah. 20He did not doubt God’s promise in unbelief;^* rather, he was empowered by faith and gave glory to God 21and was fully convinced that what he had promised he was also able to do.ⁿ 22That is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”^o 23But it was not for him alone that it was written that “it was credited to him”; 24it was also for us, to whom it will be credited, who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,^p 25who was handed over for our transgressions and was raised for our justification.^q