The World English Bible (WEB): Luke

This opening invites listeners into a carefully ordered account of extraordinary events that began in the days of Herod. It introduces the devout priest Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth, whose long‑awaited child is foretold by an angelic messenger, bringing both promise and a striking silence that marks Zacharias for a time. The narrative then shifts to a humble village in Galilee, where the same heavenly visitor appears to a young woman, Mary, announcing an unprecedented birth that will shape the future of a people.

The early chapters weave together themes of divine promise, unexpected fulfillment, and the quiet courage of ordinary individuals called to bear great news. Listeners will hear the intimate dialogue between the divine and the human, the wonder of unborn children responding to one another, and the gentle insistence that “nothing is impossible” for the One who speaks. The tone is both reverent and approachable, setting the stage for a story that has resonated through centuries.