The Life of Jesus

To a virgin affianced to a man whose name was Ioseph, of the house of Dauid, and the virgins name was Marie.

And the Angel went in vnto her, and said, Haile thou that art freely beloued: the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and thought what maner of salutation that should be.

Then the Angel saide vnto her, Feare not, Marie: for thou hast found fauour with God.

For loe, thou shalt conceiue in thy wobe, and beare a sonne, and shalt call his name Iesus.

He shall be great, and shall be called the Sonne of the most High, and the Lord God shall giue vnto him the throne of his father Dauid.

And hee shall reigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer, and of his kingdome shall bee none ende.

Then sayde Marie vnto the Angel, How shall this be, seeing I knowe not man?

And the Angel answered, and said vnto her, The holy Ghost shall come vpon thee, and the power of the most High shall ouershadowe thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall bee borne of thee, shall be called the Sonne of God.

And behold, thy cousin Elisabet, she hath also conceiued a sonne in her olde age: and this is her sixt moneth, which was called barren.

For with God shall nothing be vnpossible.

Then Marie said, Behold the seruant of the Lord: be it vnto me according to thy woorde. So the Angel departed from her.

And Marie arose in those daies, and went into ye hil countrey with hast to a citie of Iuda,

And entred into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabet.

And it came to passe, as Elisabet heard the salutation of Marie, the babe sprang in her bellie, and Elisabet was filled with the holy Ghost.

And she cried with a loud voice, and saide, Blessed art thou among women, because the fruit of thy wombe is blessed.

And whence commeth this to mee, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

For loe, assoone as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine eares, the babe sprang in my bellie for ioye,

And blessed is shee that beleeued: for those things shall be perfourmed, which were tolde her from the Lord.

Then Marie sayde, My soule magnifieth the Lord,

And my spirite reioyceth in God my Sauiour.

For hee hath looked on the poore degree of his seruaunt: for beholde, from henceforth shall all ages call me blessed,

Because hee that is mightie, hath done for me great things, and holy is his Name.

And his mercie is from generation to generation on them that feare him.

Hee hath shewed strength with his arme: hee hath scattered the proude in the imagination of their hearts.