The Part-Time Classicist: Christmas, by Luke

Full of festive cheer, I translated the nativity story from Luke (1.26-2.20). I'll be posting it in letters, with the original Greek alongside, over the next couple of weeks.

Merry advent,

Sean.

PART I : GABRIEL APPEARS TO MARY

When Elizabeth had been pregnant for six months, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a town in Galilee, called Nazareth. He went to speak with a virgin who was engaged to a man called Joseph (related to David, no less). The virgin’s name was Mary, and, entering her house, he announced himself, “Greetings, you blessed child! The Lord is certainly with you!” His words stunned Mary. What kind of person was this, barging into her house with such a greeting? But the angel said to her, “Don't be afraid, Mary; the grace of God is upon you. It's true! Look here, you will conceive, and when your child is born you will give him the name Jesus. That child will be great - the son of the Highest! And the lord God will give him the throne of his father David; he will be king of the people of Jacob, and his reign will never end.” Mary said to the angel, “But how, as I haven't known a man?” So the angel answered her, “A holy spirit will come upon you, and you will be enveloped in shadow by the power of the Highest; and because of that, the child shall be called holy, the son of God. Look, even your cousin Elizabeth is pregnant with a son in her old age. People called her sterile, but now she is six months pregnant. With god, everything that can be said is possible.” And Mary said, “I truly behold the servant of the lord; Please, let it be exactly as you have said.”

And the angel left.

1.26 Ἐν δὲ τῷ μηνὶ τῷ ἕκτῳ ἀπεστάλη ὁ ἄγγελος Γαβριὴλ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς πόλιν τῆς Γαλιλαίας ᾗ ὄνομα Ναζαρὲθ 1.27 πρὸς παρθένον ἐμνηστευμένην ἀνδρὶ ᾧ ὄνομα Ἰωσὴφ ἐξ οἴκου Δαυείδ, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τῆς παρθένου Μαριάμ. 1.28 καὶ εἰσελθὼν πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁ ἄγγελος εἶπεν· χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, ὁ κύριος μετὰ σοῦ. 1.29 ἡ δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ λόγῳ διεταράχθη, καὶ διελογίζετο ποταπὸς εἴη ὁ ἀσπασμὸς οὗτος. 1.30 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ἄγγελος αὐτῇ· μὴ φοβοῦ, Μαριάμ· εὗρες γὰρ χάριν παρὰ τῷ θεῷ· 1.31 καὶ ἰδοὺ συλλήμψῃ ἐν γαστρὶ καὶ τέξῃ υἱόν, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν. 1.32 οὗτος ἔσται μέγας καὶ υἱὸς ὑψίστου κληθήσεται, καὶ δώσει αὐτῷ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τὸν θρόνον Δαυῒδ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, 1.33 καὶ βασιλεύσει ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰακὼβ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, καὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔσται τέλος. 1.34 εἶπεν δὲ Μαριὰμ πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον· πῶς ἔσται τοῦτο, ἐπεὶ ἄνδρα οὐ γινώσκω; 1.35 καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ ἄγγελος εἶπεν αὐτῇ, πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐπελεύσεται ἐπὶ σέ, καὶ δύναμις ὑψίστου ἐπισκιάσει σοι· διὸ καὶ τὸ γεννώμενον ἅγιον κληθήσεται, υἱὸς θεοῦ. 1.36 καὶ ἰδοὺ Ἐλισάβετ ἡ συγγενίς σου καὶ αὐτὴ συνειληφυῖα υἱὸν ἐν γήρει αὐτῆς, καὶ οὗτος μὴν ἕκτος ἐστὶν αὐτῇ τῇ καλουμένῃ στείρᾳ· 1.37 ὅτι οὐκ ἀδυνατήσει παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ πᾶν ῥῆμα. 1.38 εἶπεν δὲ Μαριάμ· ἰδοὺ ἡ δούλη κυρίου· γένοιτό μοι κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου. καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἀπ’ αὐτῆς ὁ ἄγγελος.