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 І, яко ж не вподобалось їм мати Бога в розумі, передав їх Бог ледачому уму, робити неподобне, —

²⁹ сповнених усякої неправди, перелюбу, лукавства, зажерливости, злоби, сповнених зависти, убийства, сварнї, підступу, лихих звичаїв,

³⁰ осудників, поклїпників, богоненавидників, гордувників, хвастунів, пишних, видумщиків лихого, родителям непокірних,

³¹ нерозумних, ламателїв умови, нелюбовних, невблагальних, немилостивих.

³² Котрі, хоч Божий присуд розуміють, що хто таке робить, достоін смерти, не тільки самі се роблять, та й похваляють роблячих.

¹ Тим без оправдання єси, всякий чоловіче, що судиш; у чому бо судиш другого, себе осуджуєш; те ж бо саме робиш, судячи (другого).

² Знаємо ж, що суд Божий по істинї на тих, що роблять таке.

³ Чи думаєш же, чоловіче, судячи того, хто таке робить, і роблячи те ж саме, що ти втечеш од суду Божого?

⁴ Або богацтвом благости Його та вдержливости та довготерпіння погорджуєш? не знаєш, що благость Божа до покаяння тебе веде?

⁵ По жорстокости ж твоїй і непокаянному серцю збираєш собі гнїв на день гнїву і відкриття праведного суду Бога,

⁶ котрий віддасть кожному по дїлам його:

⁷ тим, що терпіливостю в доброму дїлї шукають слави, та чести, та нетлїння — життє вічне;

⁸ а которі сварливі і противлять ся істинї, корять ся ж неправдї, (тим) ярость та гнїв.

⁹ Горе й тїснота на всяку душу чоловіка, що робить лихе, Жидовина перше, та й Грека;

¹¹ Так (чинїть), знаючи пору, що вже час нам від сна встати; тепер бо ближче нас спасеннє, нїж як ми увірували.

¹² Ніч минула, а день наближив ся; відложімо ж дїла темряви, а одягнїмось у зброю сьвітла.

¹³ Яко в день нумо чесно ходити, не в прожорстві та піянстві, не в любодїяннї та розпустї, не в сварнї та завистї.

¹⁴ Нї, одягнїть ся Господом нашим Ісусом Христом, і не догоджуйте тїлу в похотї.

¹ Знемогаючого ж у вірі приймайте не на розбіраннє думок.

² Один вірує, (що можна) їсти все, а знемогаючий зїллє (нехай) їсть.

³ Хто їсть, нехай тому, хто не їсть, не докоряє, а хто не їсть, нехай того, хто їсть, не осуджує; Бог бо його прийняв.

⁴ Ти хто єси, що судиш чужого слугу? своєму панові стоїть він, або падає. Устоїть же, бо здолїє Бог поставити його.

²⁷ Чували ви, що сказано старосьвіцьким: Не чини перелюбу.

²⁸ Я ж вам глаголю: Хто спогляне на жінку жадібним оком, той уже вчинив перелюб із нею в серцї своїм.

²⁹ Коли ж око твоє праве блазнить тебе, вирви його, й кинь од себе; бо більша користь тобі, щоб один із членів твоїх згинув, а не все тїло вкинуто в пекло.

³⁰ І коли права рука твоя блазнить тебе, відотни її, й кинь од себе; більша бо користь тобі, щоб один із членів твоїх згинув, а не все тїло твоє вкинуто в пекло.

³¹ Сказано ж: Що хто розводить ся з жінкою своєю, нехай дасть їй розвідний лист.

³² Я ж вам глаголю: Що хто розведеть ся з жінкою своєю, хиба що за перелюб, доводить її до перелюбу; й хто оженить ся з розвідкою, чинить перелюб.

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 Остерегайтесь подавати милостиню вашу перед людьми, щоб вони вас бачили; а то не мати мете нїякої нагороди від Отця вашого, що на небі.

² Тим, коли подаєш милостиню, то не труби в трубу перед собою, як роблять лицеміри по школах та по улицях, щоб здобути слави в людей. Істино глаголю вам: Мають вони нагороду собі.

³ Ти ж, як подаєш милостиню, то нехай лїва рука твоя не знає, що робить права:

⁴ щоб твоя милостиня була потайна; а Отець твій, що бачить потайне, віддасть тобі прилюдно.

⁵ І коли молиш ся, не будь таким, як лицеміри; бо вони люблять молитись, стоячи в школах та по росхідних улицях, щоб їх бачили люде. Істино глаголю вам: Мають вони нагороду собі.

⁶ Ти ж, коли молиш ся, увійди в хатину твою та, зачинивши двері, помолись Отцю твоєму потай; а Отець твій, що бачить потайне, віддасть тобі прилюдно.

⁷ Як же молитесь, то не говоріть багато, як погане: бо вони думають, що за довгі молитви будуть вислухані.

⁸ Не приподоблюйте ся ж до них; бо Отець ваш знає, чого вам треба, перш нїж просите в Него.

⁹ Тим же то молїться ось як: Отче наш, що на небі! Нехай святить ся імя твоє.

¹⁰ Нехай прийде царство твоє. Нехай буде воля твоя, як на небі, так і на землї.

¹¹ Хлїб наш щоденний дай нам сьогоднї.

¹² І прости нам довги наші, як і ми прощаємо довжникам нашим.

¹³ І не введи нас у спокусу, а ізбави нас од лукавого. Бо твоє єсть царство й сила, й слава по віки. Амінь.

¹⁴ Бо коли прощати мете людям провини їх, то й Отець ваш небесний прощати ме вам.

¹⁵ Як же не прощати мете людям провин їх, то й Отець ваш небесний не прощати буде провин ваших.

¹⁶ Коли ж постите, нехай не буде в вас, як у лицемірів, сумного виду: зміняють бо лиця свої, щоб здаватись людям постниками. Істинно глаголю вам: Що мають вони нагороду собі.

¹⁷ Ти ж, коли постиш, намасти голову твою, і вмий лице твоє;

¹⁸ щоб не здавав ся людям постником, а Отцеві твоєму, що потай; а Отець твій, що бачить потайне, віддасть тобі прилюдно.

¹⁹ Не збирайте собі скарбів на землї, де міль і ржа їсть, і де злодїї підкопують ся і крадуть.

²⁰ Збирайте ж собі скарби на небі, де нї міль, нї ржа не їсть, і де злодїї не підкопують ся й не крадуть.

²¹ Бо де скарб ваш, там буде й серце ваше.

²² Сьвітло тїлу око; тим, коли око в тебе ясне, то й все тїло твоє буде сьвітле.

²³ Коли ж у тебе око лихе, то й все тїло твоє буде темне. Тим, коли сьвітло, що в тобі, буде темрява, то яка велика се темрява!

²⁴ Нїхто не може служити двом панам, бо, або одного ненавидїти ме, а другого любити ме; або до одного прихилить ся, а другим гордувати ме. Не можете Богу служити й мамонї.

²⁵ Тим глаголю вам: Не журіть ся життєм вашим, що вам їсти або пити; анї тїлом вашим, чим зодягти ся. Чи душа ж не більше їжі, а тїло одежі?

²⁶ Спогляньте на птаство небесне, що не сїють і не жнуть, анї збирають у клуню; от же Отець ваш небесний годує їх. А ви хиба не луччі від них?

²⁷ Хто з вас, журячись, може прибавити собі зросту хоч на один локіть?

²⁸ І одежею чого вам журитись? Придивіть ся до польових лилїй, як вони ростуть; не працюють, нї прядуть;

²⁹ глаголю ж вам: Що й Соломон у всїй славі своїй не одягавсь так, як одна з них.

³⁰ Коли ж Бог так зʼодягає польове зіллє, що сьогоднї воно є, а завтра вкинуть його в піч, то чи не більше ж зʼодягати ме вас, маловірні?

³¹ Тим же то не журіть ся, кажучи: Що їсти мем? або: Що пити мем? або: Чим зодягнемось?

³² Про все таке побивають ся погане; бо Отець ваш небесний знає, що вам усього того треба.

³³ А шукайте перш царства Божого та правди Його; се ж усе додасть ся вам.

³⁴ Оце ж не журіть ся про завтра; бо завтра журити меть ся само про своє. Доволї в кожного дня лиха свого.