Luke 1 - New Testament in Braid Scots 1904 (William Wye Smith)

CHAPTIR ANE. The wunner‐warks at the birth oʼ John.

¹ Inasmuckle as mony hae taen in haun to pit doon in order a narration oʼ thae things that hae been made siccar amang us,

² Eʼen as they, wha war at first‐haun witnesses and followers oʼ the Word, gied them till us;

³ It 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,

⁴ That ye micht hae fuʼ knowledge oʼ the certaintie oʼ the things in whilk ye hae been trained.

⁵ Thar 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.

⁶ And they war baith richt‐leevin afore God, walkin iʼ the Commauns and appointments oʼ the Lord wyteless.

⁷ And they had nae bairn, for that Elizabeth bure‐na; and they war baith growin auld.

⁸ Noo it came aboot, that while he was doin priestly service afore God iʼ the order oʼ his coorse,

⁹ As was the custom oʼ the priesthood, it was his lot to offer incense, enterin intil the Temple oʼ the Lord.

¹⁰ And the thrang oʼ folk were oot‐by, prayin, at the ʼoor oʼ the incense‐offeran.

¹¹ And thar appearʼt to him an Angel oʼ the Lord, staunin on the richt side oʼ the incense‐altar.

¹² And Zachariah was uncolie putten‐aboot whan he saw him, and fear cam on him.

¹³ But 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.”

¹⁸ And Zachariah says to the Angel, “Hooʼs I to ken this? For Iʼm an auld man, and my wife noo in eild?”

¹⁹ And 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!”

²¹ And the folk war waitin for Zachariah, and ferlied at his delayin iʼ the Temple.

²² And 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.

²³ And it cam aboot, that whan his days oʼ service war dune, he gaed awa to his ain hoose.

²⁴ And 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.”

²⁶ And iʼ the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent frae God till a citie oʼ Galilee caʼd Nazareth,

²⁷ Till a maid betrothed to a man named Joseph, oʼ the hoose oʼ Dauvid; and the maidʼs name was Mary.

²⁸ And the Angel, comin in till her, says, “Joy be to ye, favored ane! The Lord is wʼye; blest be ye amang weemen!”

²⁹ But she was unco put‐aboot at the sayin, and was comin ower in her mind whatna kind oʼ salutation this micht be!

³⁰ And 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!”

³⁴ But Mary said to the Angel, “Hoo sal this be, sin a husband I ken‐na?”

³⁵ And 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!”

³⁸ And Mary said, “Lo! I am the handmaid oʼ the Lord. Be it eʼen to me, conform to thy word!” And the Angel gaed awa frae her.

³⁹ And iʼ thae days, Mary raise, and gaed intil the hill‐kintra wiʼ haste, intil a citie oʼ Judah;

⁴⁰ And enterʼt intil the hoose oʼ Zechariah, and salutit Elizabeth.

⁴¹ And it cam aboot that as Elizabeth heard Maryʼs salutation, the bairn in her womb rejoiced; and Elizabeth was fuʼ oʼ the Holie Spirit,

⁴² And 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.”

⁴⁶ And 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!”

⁵⁶ And Mary bidit wiʼ her for aboot thrie months; and returnʼt to her ain hoose.

⁵⁷ Noo Elizabethʼs time oʼ bringin‐forth was come; and she bure a son.

⁵⁸ And her neebors and kin heard hoo the Lord had multiplyʼt his mercies to her, and they rejoiced wiʼ her.

⁵⁹ And 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.

⁶⁰ And his mither answerʼt, “Na, but he sal be caʼd John! ”

⁶¹ And they said to her, “Nane oʼ yer kin is caʼd by this name!”

⁶² And they made signs to his faither, “Hoo wad ye hae him caʼd?”

⁶³ And he wad hae a writin‐tablet, and wrate, “His name is John!” And aʼ ferlied.

⁶⁴ And his mouʼ was unsteekit at ance, and his tongue lowsed; and he spak, and praised God.

⁶⁵ And fear fell on aʼ the neebors; and this was noised abreid ower the hill‐pairt of Judea.

⁶⁶ And 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.

⁶⁷ And 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!”

⁸⁰ And the bairn grew, and waxʼd sterk in spirit, and was iʼ the deserts to the day he was made kent to Israʼl.