1As a number of attempts have been made to put together in order an account of those events which took place among us,
2As they were handed down to us by those who saw them from the first and were preachers of the word,
3It seemed good to me, having made observation, with great care, of the direction of events in their order, to put the facts in writing for you, most noble Theophilus;
4So that you might have certain knowledge of those things about which you were given teaching.
5In the days of Herod, king of Judaea, there was a certain priest, by name Zacharias, of the order of Abijah; and he had a wife of the family of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
6They were upright in the eyes of God, keeping all the rules and orders of God, and doing no wrong.
7And they were without children, because Elisabeth had never given birth, and they were at that time very old.
