Luke 1
1:1 Since many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us,
1:2 even as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word delivered them to us,
1:3 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;
1:4 that you might know the certainty concerning the things in which you were instructed.
1:5 There 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.
1:6 They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
1:7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years.
1:8 Now it happened, while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his division,
1:9 according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
1:10 The whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
1:11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
1:12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
1:13 But 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.
1:14 You will have joy and gladness; and many will rejoice at his birth.
1:15 For 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.
1:16 He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord, their God.
1:17 He 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 make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
1:18 Zacharias 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."
1:19 The 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.
1:20 Behold, 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."
1:21 The people were waiting for Zacharias, and they marveled that he delayed in the temple.
1:22 When 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.
1:23 It happened, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he departed to his house.
1:24 After these days Elizabeth, his wife, conceived, and she hid herself five months, saying,
1:25 "Thus has the Lord done to me in the days in which he looked at me, to take away my reproach among men."
1:26 Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
1:27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
1:28 Having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!"
1:29 But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be.
1:30 The angel said to her, "Don't be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
1:31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and will call his name 'Jesus.'
1:32 He 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,
1:33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom."
1:34 Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?"
1:35 The 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.
1:36 Behold, Elizabeth, your relative, also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
1:37 For everything spoken by God is possible."
1:38 Mary said, "Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to your word." The angel departed from her.
1:39 Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah,
1:40 and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
1:41 It happened, when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, that the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
1:42 She called out with a loud voice, and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
1:43 Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
1:44 For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy!
1:45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!"
1:46 Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord.
1:47 My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,
1:48 for he has looked at the humble state of his handmaid. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.
1:49 For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name.
1:50 His mercy is for generations of generations on those who fear him.
1:51 He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
1:52 He has put down princes from their thrones. And has exalted the lowly.
1:53 He has filled the hungry with good things. He has sent the rich away empty.
1:54 He has given help to Israel, his servant, that he might remember mercy,
1:55 As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his seed forever."
1:56 Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house.
1:57 Now the time that Elizabeth should give birth was fulfilled, and she brought forth a son.
1:58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her, and they rejoiced with her.
1:59 It 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.
1:60 His mother answered, "Not so; but he will be called John."
1:61 They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name."
1:62 They made signs to his father, what he would have him called.
1:63 He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." They all marveled.
1:64 His mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue freed, and he spoke, blessing God.
1:65 Fear came on all who lived around them, and all these sayings were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea.
1:66 All who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, "What then will this child be?" The hand of the Lord was with him.
1:67 His father, Zacharias, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
1:68 "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and worked redemption for his people;
1:69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
1:70 (as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets who have been from of old),
1:71 salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us;
1:72 to show mercy towards our fathers, to remember his holy covenant,
1:73 the oath which he spoke to Abraham, our father,
1:74 to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear,
1:75 In holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
1:76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the face of the Lord to make ready his ways,
1:77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins,
1:78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dawn from on high will visit us,
1:79 to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace."
1:80 The child was growing, and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Philippians 3
3:1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not tiresome, but for you it is safe.
3:2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision.
3:3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;
3:4 though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more:
3:5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;
3:6 concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.
3:7 However, what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ.
3:8 Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ
3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
3:10 that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death;
3:11 if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
3:12 Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, if it is so that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.
3:13 Brothers, I don't regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,
3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
3:15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you.
3:16 Nevertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us be of the same mind.
3:17 Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example.
3:18 For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ,
3:19 whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things.
3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
3:21 who will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.
Philippians 4
4:1 Therefore, my brothers, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.
4:2 I exhort Euodia, and I exhort Syntyche, to think the same way in the Lord.
4:3 Yes, I beg you also, true yokefellow, help these women, for they labored with me in the Good News, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, Rejoice!
4:5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
4:6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things.
4:9 The things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: do these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
4:10 But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at length you have revived your thought for me; in which you did indeed take thought, but you lacked opportunity.
4:11 Not that I speak in respect to lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it.
4:12 I know how to be humbled, and I know also how to abound. In everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need.
4:13 I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
4:14 However you did well that you shared in my affliction.
4:15 You yourselves also know, you Philippians, that in the beginning of the Good News, when I departed from Macedonia, no assembly shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you only.
4:16 For even in Thessalonica you sent once and again to my need.
4:17 Not that I seek for the gift, but I seek for the fruit that increases to your account.
4:18 But I have all things, and abound. I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, a sweet-smelling fragrance, an acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice to God.
4:19 My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
4:20 Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever! Amen.
4:21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you.
4:22 All the saints greet you, especially those who are of Caesar's household.
4:23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
