Luke 1
1
CHAPTIR ANE.
The wunner‐warks at the birth oʼ John.
1Inasmuckle as mony hae taen in haun to pit doon in order a narration oʼ thae things that hae been made siccar amang us,
2Eʼen as they, wha war at first‐haun witnesses and followers oʼ the Word, gied them till us;
3It seemed gude to me as weel, haein kent frae the first aʼ things perfetely, to write to you in set order, O weel‐deservin Theophilus,
4That ye micht hae fuʼ knowledge oʼ the certaintie oʼ the things in whilk ye hae been trained.
5Thar was, in the days oʼ Herod, King oʼ Judea, a priest caʼd Zachariah, oʼ Abijahʼs coorse; and his wife was oʼ the dochters oʼ Aaron, and she was caʼd Elizabeth.
6And they war baith richt‐leevin afore God, walkin iʼ the Commauns and appointments oʼ the Lord wyteless.
7And they had nae bairn, for that Elizabeth bure‐na; and they war baith growin auld.
8Noo it came aboot, that while he was doin priestly service afore God iʼ the order oʼ his coorse,
9As was the custom oʼ the priesthood, it was his lot to offer incense, enterin intil the Temple oʼ the Lord.
10And the thrang oʼ folk were oot‐by, prayin, at the ʼoor oʼ the incense‐offeran.
11And thar appearʼt to him an Angel oʼ the Lord, staunin on the richt side oʼ the incense‐altar.
12And Zachariah was uncolie putten‐aboot whan he saw him, and fear cam on him.
13But the Angel says to him, “Be‐na fleyt, Zachariah! for yere prayer has been heard, and yere wife Elizabeth sal bear a son tʼye, and his name yeʼse caʼ John:
14“And ye sal hae joy to ye, and rejoicin, and mony sal be blythe at his birth.
15“For he sal be michty afore the Lord, and heʼse drink nae wine nor strong drink; and he sal be fuʼ oʼ the Holie Spirit, eʼen frae the womb.
16“And mony oʼ Israʼlʼs sons wull he weise rounʼ till the Lord their God.
17“And he sal gang afore him iʼ the spirit and micht oʼ Elijah to weise rounʼ faithersʼ hearts till their bairns, and the dour to the wyss‐heid oʼ the gude; to mak ready for the Lord a prepared folk.”
18And Zachariah says to the Angel, “Hooʼs I to ken this? For Iʼm an auld man, and my wife noo in eild?”
19And answerin, quoʼ the Angel to him, “I am Gabriel, that staun afore God! and I hae been sent te speak to ye, and to fesh ye thir gude tidins.
20“And noo see! ye sal be dumb, and hae nae speech, until whatna day thir things are dune, for that ye wadna lippen my words — whilk sal come to pass iʼ their time!”
21And the folk war waitin for Zachariah, and ferlied at his delayin iʼ the Temple.
22And whan he cam forth, he coudna speak to them; and they kent he bude hae seen a vision iʼ the Temple. And he gaed on makin signs to them, and remained dumb.
23And it cam aboot, that whan his days oʼ service war dune, he gaed awa to his ain hoose.
24And eftir thae days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and wadna be seen for fyve months; sayin,
25“Sae has the Lord dune to me, to tak awa my humiliation amang the folk.”
26And iʼ the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent frae God till a citie oʼ Galilee caʼd Nazareth,
27Till a maid betrothed to a man named Joseph, oʼ the hoose oʼ Dauvid; and the maidʼs name was Mary.
28And the Angel, comin in till her, says, “Joy be to ye, favored ane! The Lord is wʼye; blest be ye amang weemen!”
29But she was unco put‐aboot at the sayin, and was comin ower in her mind whatna kind oʼ salutation this micht be!
30And the Angel said, “Fear‐na, Mary! for ye hae gotten favor wiʼ God!
31“And tak tent! ye sal conceive iʼ the womb, and bring forth a son, and sal caʼ his name JESUS.
32“He sal be great, anʼ sal be caʼd ‘The Son oʼ the Maist Heigh;’ and the Lord sal gie to him the thron oʼ his faither Dauvid.
33“And he sal reign ower the hoose oʼ Jaucob for aye: and oʼ his kingdom sal be nae endin!”
34But Mary said to the Angel, “Hoo sal this be, sin a husband I ken‐na?”
35And the Angel answerin, says, “The Holie Spirit sal come, and the pooer oʼ the Maist Heigh sal descend upon ye; and sae that that is to be born sal be caʼd holie, the Son oʼ God!
36“And mark! Elizabeth, yere kinswumman, eʼen she has conceived a son in her auld age; and this is the saxth month wiʼ her wha was coontit bairnless.
37“For nae word frae God sal want pooer!”
38And Mary said, “Lo! I am the handmaid oʼ the Lord.#1:38 We ken‐na whilk to admire maist — Maryʼs faith, a readiness to risk that maist precious thing wiʼ a wumman, her reputation amang folk — or her humbleness oʼ mind aʼ throwe. She had the word oʼ the Lord, and she socht nae mair. Be it eʼen to me, conform to thy word!” And the Angel gaed awa frae her.
39And iʼ thae days, Mary raise, and gaed intil the hill‐kintra wiʼ haste, intil a citie oʼ Judah;
40And enterʼt intil the hoose oʼ Zechariah, and salutit Elizabeth.
41And it cam aboot that as Elizabeth heard Maryʼs salutation, the bairn in her womb rejoiced; and Elizabeth was fuʼ oʼ the Holie Spirit,
42And raised her voice in lood exclamation, and said, “Happy ye amang weemen! and blest is the frute oʼ yere womb!
43“And for what is this come to me, that the mither oʼ my Lord soud come tae me?
44“For behauld! as sune as the voice oʼ yere salutation cam to my hearin, the bairn lap iʼ my womb for joy.
45“And happy she wha lippenʼd! for thar sal be comin to pass oʼ thae things spoken to her frae the Lord.”
46And Mary said, “My saul dis magnify the Lord,
47“And my spirit joys in God my Saviour!
48“For he has lookit upon the laigh estate oʼ his handmaid; for lo! frae this oot, aʼ generations sal caʼ me blest,
49“For that the Michty Ane has dune to me great things; and Holie is his name!
50“And his mercie is until generations and generations, to thae that fear him.
51“He wrocht victorie wiʼ his airm; he dang them that war heigh iʼ their heartʼs intent.
52“He puʼd doon michty anes frae throns, and liftit up thae oʼ laigh estate.
53“To hungry anes he gied rowth oʼ gude things; and the walthy he caʼd awa toom;
54“He helpit Israʼl, his servitor, and rememberʼt his mercie,
55“As he spak to oor faithers, to Abraʼm and his seed for aye!”
56And Mary bidit wiʼ her for aboot thrie months; and returnʼt to her ain hoose.
57Noo Elizabethʼs time oʼ bringin‐forth was come; and she bure a son.
58And her neebors and kin heard hoo the Lord had multiplyʼt his mercies to her, and they rejoiced wiʼ her.
59And it cam aboot, that on the auchth day they cam to circumceese the bairn; and they wad hae him caʼd “Zachariah,” eftir the name oʼ his faither.
60And his mither answerʼt, “Na, but he sal be caʼd John! ”
61And they said to her, “Nane oʼ yer kin is caʼd by this name!”
62And they made signs to his faither, “Hoo wad ye hae him caʼd?”
63And he wad hae a writin‐tablet, and wrate, “His name is John!” And aʼ ferlied.
64And his mouʼ was unsteekit at ance, and his tongue lowsed; and he spak, and praised God.
65And fear fell on aʼ the neebors; and this was noised abreid ower the hill‐pairt of Judea.
66And aʼ wha heard it laid it up in their hearts, sayin, “Whatna bairn sal this be?” for the haun oʼ the Lord was wiʼ him.
67And his faither Zachariah was fuʼ oʼ the Holie Spirit, and prophesyʼt, sayin,
68“Blest be the Lord God oʼ Israʼl, wha has regairdit his ain folk, and wrocht salvation for them!
69“And has raised up a horn oʼ Salvation for us in the hoose oʼ his servant Dauvid:
70“As he spak by the word oʼ the prophets, wha hae been sinʼ the beginnin,
71“Salvation frae our faes, and frae the haun oʼ aʼ that hate us.
72“To schaw mercie to oor faithers, and to keep in mind his holie Covenant:
73“The aith he swure to Abraʼm oor faither,
74“To grant to us, that, deliverin us frae the haun oʼ oor faes, we soud serʼ him wiʼ nae dreid,
75“In holiness and richtousness aʼ the days oʼ oor leevin.
76“And ye, bairn, sal be caʼd the Prophet oʼ the Maist Heigh; for ye sal gang on afore him, to mak ready his gangins;
77“To gie knowledge oʼ salvation to his folk, for the remittin oʼ their sins,
78“For that Godʼs yearnin mercie is toward us, whaur‐by the dawin frae on heigh sal find us,
79“To glint on them wha sit in darkness, and the gloamin oʼ death; to airt oor feet intil the ways oʼ peace!”
80And the bairn grew, and waxʼd sterk in spirit, and was iʼ the deserts to the day he was made kent to Israʼl.
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Luke 1: SCO1904
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Translated by Rev William Wye Smith. Published in Paisley, Scotland in 1904.
