¹ The Lord God said to Abraham: As for Sara your wife, her name shall not be called Sara, but Sarra shall be her name. I will bless her and will give you a child from her; and I will bless it and it shall be for nations and kings of nations will come from it. And Abraham fell on his face, and laughed and said in his mind; Shall a son be born in my hundredth year? And shall Sarra who is ninety bear a child? God said to Abraham: Yes; see, your wife Sarra will bear you a son and you will call his name Isaac; and I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant. Now Abraham and Sarra were old, advanced in years. But Sarra laughed to herself, saying: The thing has not happened to me until now; and my lord is old. And the Lord God said to Abraham: Why did Sarra laugh to herself, saying: Shall I really give birth? For I am aged. But nothing is impossible for God. And the Lord visited Sarra, as He had said, and she conceived and bore a son to Abraham in their old age at the time the Lord had said to him. But he circumcised him on the eighth day, as the Lord God had commanded him. And Abraham was a hundred when Isaac his son was born to him. But Sarra said: The Lord has given me laughter; for whoever hears will rejoice with me. And she said: Who will announce to Abraham that Sarra is suckling a child, for I have born a child in my old age? And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham held a great banquet on the day his son Isaac was weaned.

¹ In those days there was a man of the tribe of Dan and his name was Manoe, and his wife was barren and had not borne a child. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to his wife and said to her: See, you are barren and have not borne a child or conceived a son. But now take care, and do not drink wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean. Because see, you will conceive in the womb and bear a son, and no iron shall touch his head, because the child is to be a Nazarite to God from his mother’s womb. And the woman came and spoke to her husband, saying: A Man of God came to me, and his appearance was as the appearance on an Angel of God, exceedingly bright. And he said: See, you will conceive in the womb and bear a son; and now take care, and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the child shall be a Nazarite of God from the womb to the day of his death. And Manoe besought the Lord and said: My Lord, let the man of God, whom You sent, come again to us, and enlighten us what we should do for the child that is to be born. Then the Angel came to Manoe and said: Of all the things that I said to your wife, let her take care. She is not to eat anything that comes from the vine; she is not to drink wine or strong drink. And Manoe said to the Angel of the Lord: What is your name? That when your word comes to pass, we may glorify you. And the Angel of the Lord said to him: Why do you ask my name? For it is wonderful. And the Angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoe and his wife.

¹ Thus says the Lord: Comfort, comfort my people, says God. Priests, speak to the heart of Jerusalem. Comfort her, because her humiliation has been completed; for her has sin has been abolished, because she has received from the Lord’s hand double for her sins. A voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God. Every valley will be filled and every mountain and hill made low; what is crooked will become straight, and the rough ways will be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Go up onto a high mountain, you who bring good tidings to Sion; lift up your voice with strength, you who bring good tidings to Jerusalem. Lift it up, do not be afraid. I the Lord God, I, the God of Israel, will hearken and will not forsake them; but I will open rivers from the mountains and springs in the middle of plains. I will turn the wilderness into water meadows and the thirsty earth with water courses. Let the heavens rejoice from on high and let the clouds rain justice. Let the earth sprout and blossom with mercy and justice. Announce a voice of gladness to the end of the earth and let this be heard: Say that the Lord has delivered his servant Jacob. And if they thirst through deserts, he will bring water for them from a rock. Rejoice you barren who have never given birth, break out and shout, you who have never known birth pangs, for the children of the deserted are more than those of her who has a husband.

²⁴ And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

²⁵ Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

⁵⁷ Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.

⁵⁸ And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

⁵⁹ And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.

⁶⁰ And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.

⁶¹ And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.

⁶² And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

⁶³ And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.

⁶⁴ And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

⁶⁵ And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judæa.

⁶⁶ And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.

⁶⁷ And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

⁶⁸ Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

⁷⁶ And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

⁸⁰ And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

²⁸ Comme ils ne se sont pas souciés de  connaître Dieu, Dieu les a livrés à leur sens réprouvé, pour commettre des choses indignes,

²⁹ étant remplis de toute espèce d’injustice,  de méchanceté, de cupidité, de malice ; pleins d’envie, de meurtre, de querelle, de ruse, de malignité ;

³⁰ rapporteurs, médisants, impies, arrogants, hautains, fanfarons, ingénieux au mal, rebelles à leurs parents, dépourvus d’intelligence,

³¹ de loyauté, d’affection naturelle,  de miséricorde.

³² Et, bien qu’ils connaissent le jugement de Dieu, déclarant dignes de mort ceux qui commettent de telles choses, non seulement ils les font, mais ils approuvent ceux qui les font.

¹ Ô homme, qui que tu sois, toi qui juges, tu es donc inexcusable ; car, en jugeant les autres, tu te condamnes toi-même, puisque toi qui juges, tu fais les mêmes choses.

² Nous savons, en effet, que le jugement de Dieu contre ceux qui commettent de telles choses est selon la vérité.

³ Et penses-tu, ô homme, qui juges ceux qui commettent de telles choses, et qui les fais, que tu échapperas au jugement de Dieu ?

⁴ Ou méprises-tu les richesses de sa bonté,  de sa patience et de sa longanimité, ne reconnaissant pas que la bonté de Dieu te pousse à la repentance ?

⁵ Mais, par ton endurcissement et par ton cœur impénitent, tu t’amasses un trésor de colère pour le jour de la colère et de la manifestation du juste jugement de Dieu,

⁶ qui rendra à chacun selon ses œuvres ;

⁷ réservant la vie éternelle à ceux qui, par la persévérance à bien faire, cherchent l’honneur,  la gloire et l’immortalité ;

⁸ mais l’irritation et la colère à ceux qui, par esprit de dispute,  sont rebelles à la vérité et obéissent à l’injustice.

⁹ Tribulation et angoisse sur toute âme d’homme qui fait le mal,  sur le Juif premièrement, puis sur le Grec !

¹¹ Cela importe d’autant plus que vous savez en quel temps nous sommes : c’est l’heure de vous réveiller enfin du sommeil, car maintenant le salut est plus près de nous que lorsque nous avons cru.

¹² La nuit est avancée, le jour approche. Dépouillons-nous donc des œuvres des ténèbres, et revêtons les armes de la lumière.

¹³ Marchons honnêtement, comme en plein jour, loin des excès et de l’ivrognerie,  de la luxure et de l’impudicité,  des querelles et des jalousies.

¹⁴ Mais revêtez-vous du Seigneur Jésus-Christ, et n’ayez pas soin de la chair pour en satisfaire les convoitises.

¹ Faites accueil à celui qui est faible dans la foi, et ne discutez pas sur les opinions.

² Tel croit pouvoir manger de tout : tel autre, qui est faible, ne mange que des légumes.

³ Que celui qui mange ne méprise point celui qui ne mange pas, et que celui qui ne mange pas ne juge point celui qui mange, car Dieu l’a accueilli.

⁴ Qui es-tu, toi qui juges un serviteur d’autrui ? S’il se tient debout, ou s’il tombe, cela regarde son maître. Mais il se tiendra debout, car le Seigneur a le pouvoir de l’affermir.

²⁷ Vous avez appris qu’il a été dit : Tu ne commettras point d’adultère.

²⁸ Mais moi, je vous dis que quiconque regarde une femme pour la convoiter a déjà commis un adultère avec elle dans son cœur.

²⁹ Si ton œil droit est pour toi une occasion de chute, arrache-le et jette-le loin de toi ; car il est avantageux pour toi qu’un seul de tes membres périsse, et que ton corps entier ne soit pas jeté dans la géhenne.

³⁰ Et si ta main droite est pour toi une occasion de chute, coupe-la et jette-la loin de toi ; car il est avantageux pour toi qu’un seul de tes membres périsse, et que ton corps entier n’aille pas dans la géhenne.

³¹ Il a été dit : Que celui qui répudie sa femme lui donne une lettre de divorce.

³² Mais moi, je vous dis que celui qui répudie sa femme, sauf pour cause d’infidélité, l’expose à devenir adultère, et  que celui qui épouse une femme répudiée commet un adultère.

¹ Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,

² Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;

³ It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,

⁴ That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

⁵ There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

⁶ And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

⁷ And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

⁸ And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course,

⁹ According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

¹⁰ And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

¹¹ And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

¹² And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

¹³ But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

¹⁴ And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

¹⁵ For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.

¹⁶ And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

¹⁷ And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, 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.

¹⁸ And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

¹⁹ And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

²⁰ And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

²¹ And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.

²² And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.

²³ And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.

²⁴ And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

²⁵ Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

⁵⁷ Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.

⁵⁸ And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

⁵⁹ And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.

⁶⁰ And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.

⁶¹ And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.

⁶² And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

⁶³ And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.

⁶⁴ And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

⁶⁵ And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judæa.

⁶⁶ And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.

⁶⁷ And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

⁶⁸ Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

⁷⁶ And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

⁸⁰ And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

¹ Gardez-vous de  pratiquer votre justice devant les hommes, pour en être vus ; autrement , vous n’aurez point de récompense auprès de votre Père qui est dans les cieux.

² Lors donc que tu fais l’aumône, ne sonne pas de la trompette devant toi, comme font les hypocrites dans les synagogues et dans les rues, afin d’être glorifiés par les hommes. Je vous le dis en vérité, ils reçoivent leur récompense.

³ Mais quand tu fais l’aumône, que ta main gauche ne sache pas ce que fait ta droite,

⁴ afin que ton aumône se fasse en secret ; et ton Père, qui voit dans le secret, te le rendra.

⁵ Lorsque vous priez, ne soyez pas comme les hypocrites, qui aiment à prier debout dans les synagogues et aux coins des rues, pour être vus des hommes. Je vous le dis en vérité, ils reçoivent leur récompense.

⁶ Mais quand tu pries, entre dans ta chambre, ferme ta porte, et prie ton Père qui est là dans le lieu secret ; et ton Père, qui voit dans le secret, te le rendra .

⁷ En priant, ne multipliez pas de vaines paroles, comme les païens,  qui s’imaginent qu’à force de paroles ils seront exaucés.

⁸ Ne leur ressemblez pas ; car votre Père sait de quoi vous avez besoin, avant que vous le lui demandiez.

⁹ Voici donc comment vous devez prier : Notre Père qui es aux cieux ! Que ton nom soit sanctifié ;

¹⁰ que ton règne vienne ; que ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme  au ciel.

¹¹ Donne-nous aujourd’hui notre pain quotidien ;

¹² pardonne-nous nos offenses, comme nous aussi nous pardonnons à ceux qui nous ont offensés ;

¹³ ne nous induis pas en tentation, mais délivre-nous du malin. Car c’est à toi qu’appartiennent, dans tous les siècles, le règne,  la puissance et la gloire. Amen !

¹⁴ Si vous pardonnez aux hommes leurs offenses, votre Père céleste vous pardonnera aussi ;

¹⁵ mais si vous ne pardonnez pas aux hommes , votre Père ne vous pardonnera pas non plus vos offenses.

¹⁶ Lorsque vous jeûnez, ne prenez pas un air triste, comme les hypocrites, qui se rendent le visage tout défait, pour montrer aux hommes qu’ils jeûnent. Je vous le dis en vérité, ils reçoivent leur récompense.

¹⁷ Mais quand tu jeûnes, parfume ta tête et lave ton visage,

¹⁸ afin de ne pas montrer aux hommes que tu jeûnes, mais à ton Père qui est là dans le lieu secret ; et ton Père, qui voit dans le secret, te le rendra.

¹⁹ Ne vous amassez pas des trésors sur la terre, où la teigne et la rouille détruisent, et où les voleurs percent et dérobent ;

²⁰ mais amassez-vous des trésors dans le ciel, où  la teigne et  la rouille ne détruisent point, et où les voleurs ne percent ni ne dérobent.

²¹ Car là où est ton trésor, là aussi sera ton cœur.

²² L’œil est la lampe du corps. Si  ton œil est en bon état, tout ton corps sera éclairé ;

²³ mais si ton œil est en mauvais état, tout ton corps sera dans les ténèbres. Si donc la lumière qui est en toi est ténèbres, combien seront grandes ces ténèbres !

²⁴ Nul ne peut servir deux maîtres. Car, ou il haïra l’un, et aimera l’autre ; ou il s’attachera à l’un, et méprisera l’autre. Vous ne pouvez servir Dieu et Mamon.

²⁵ C’est pourquoi je vous dis : Ne vous inquiétez pas pour votre vie de ce que vous mangerez , ni pour votre corps, de quoi vous serez vêtus. La vie n’est-elle pas plus que la nourriture, et le corps plus que le vêtement ?

²⁶ Regardez  les oiseaux du ciel : ils ne sèment ni ne moissonnent, et ils n’amassent rien dans des greniers ; et votre Père céleste les nourrit. Ne valez-vous pas beaucoup plus qu’eux ?

²⁷ Qui de vous, par ses inquiétudes, peut ajouter une coudée à la durée de sa vie ?

²⁸ Et pourquoi vous inquiéter au sujet du vêtement ? Considérez comment croissent les lis des champs : ils ne travaillent ni ne filent ;

²⁹ cependant je vous dis que Salomon même, dans toute sa gloire, n’a pas été vêtu comme l’un d’eux.

³⁰ Si Dieu revêt ainsi l’herbe des champs, qui existe aujourd’hui et qui demain sera jetée au four, ne vous vêtira-t-il pas à plus forte raison, gens de peu de foi ?

³¹ Ne vous inquiétez donc point, et ne dites pas : Que mangerons-nous ?  que boirons-nous ?  de quoi serons-nous vêtus ?

³² Car toutes ces choses, ce sont les païens qui les recherchent.  Votre Père céleste sait que vous en avez besoin .

³³ Cherchez premièrement le royaume et la justice de Dieu ; et toutes ces choses vous seront données par-dessus.

³⁴ Ne vous inquiétez donc pas du lendemain ; car le lendemain aura soin de lui-même. À chaque jour suffit sa peine.