The Text of the Diatessaron.

[Section I]

[1] 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God is the [2,3] Word.  2This was in the beginning with God.  3Everything was by his hand, and [4] without him not even one existing thing was made.  4In him was life, and the life [5] is the light of men.  5And the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness apprehended it not.

[6] 67There was in the days of Herod the king a priest whose name was Zacharias, of the family of Abijah; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name [7] was Elizabeth.  8And they were both righteous before God, walking in all his commands, [8] and in the uprightness of God without reproach.  9And they had no son, for [9] Elizabeth was barren, and they had both advanced in age.  10And while he discharged [10] [Arabic, p. 2] the duties of priest in the order of his service before God, 11according to the custom of the priesthood it was his turn to burn incense; so he entered the [11] temple of the Lord.  12And the whole gathering of the people were praying without at the [12] time of the incense.  13And there appeared unto Zacharias the angel of the Lord, standing [13] at the right of the altar of incense; 14and Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, [14] and fear fell upon him.  15But the angel said unto him, Be not agitated,16 Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt [15] call his name John; 17and thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice [16] at his birth.  18And he shall be great before the Lord, and shall not drink wine nor strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit19 while he is in his mother’s [17] womb.  20And he shall turn back many of the children of Israel to the Lord their [18] God.  21And he shall go before him in the spirit, and in the power of Elijah the prophet, to turn back the heart of the fathers to the sons, and those that obey not to the knowledge22 of the righteous; and to prepare for the Lord a perfect people.  [19] 23And Zacharias said unto the angel, How shall I know this, since I am an old man [20] and my wife is advanced in years?  24And the angel answered and said unto him, I am Gabriel, that standeth before God; and I was sent to speak unto thee, and give [21] thee tidings of this.  25Henceforth thou shalt be speechless, and shalt not be able to speak until the day in which this shall come to pass, because thou didst not trust [22] this my word, which shall be accomplished in its time.  26And the people were standing [Arabic, p. 3] awaiting Zacharias, and they were perplexed at his delaying in the temple.  [23]27And when Zacharias went out, he was not able to speak unto them:  so they knew that he had seen in the temple a vision; and he made signs unto them, and [24] continued dumb.  28And when the days of his service were completed, he departed to his dwelling.

[25] 29And after those days Elizabeth his wife conceived; and she hid herself five [26] months, and said, 30This hath the Lord done unto me in the days when he looked upon me, to remove my reproach from among men.

[27] 31And32 in the sixth month Gabriel the angel was sent from God to Galilee33 to a [28] city called Nazareth, 34to a virgin given in marriage to a man named Joseph, of the [29] house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.  35And the angel entered unto her and said unto her, Peace be unto thee, thou who art filled with grace.  Our Lord [30] is with thee, thou blessed amongst women.  36And she, when she beheld, was agitated [31] at his word, and pondered what this salutation could be.  37And the angel said unto [32] her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God.  38Thou shalt now conceive, [33] and bear a son, and call his name Jesus.  39This shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give him the throne of [34] David his father:  and he shall rule over the house of Jacob for ever; 40and to his [35] kingdom there shall be no end.  41Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be to [36] me when no man hath known me?  42The angel answered and said unto her, The [Arabic, p. 4] Holy Spirit will come, and the power of the Most High shall rest upon thee, and therefore shall he that is born of thee be pure, and shall be called the Son [37] of God.  43And lo, Elizabeth thy kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old [38] age; and this is the sixth month with her, her that is called barren.  44For nothing is [39] difficult for God.  45Mary said, Lo, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be unto me according unto thy word.  And the angel departed from her.

[40] 46And then Mary arose in those days and went in haste into the hill country,47 to a48 [41] city of Judah; 49and entered into the house of Zacharias, and asked for the health of [42] Elizabeth.  50And when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in [43] her womb.  51And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit; and cried with a loud voice and said unto Mary, Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the [44] fruit that is in thy womb.  52Whence have I this privilege, that the mother of my [45] Lord should come unto me?  53When the sound of thy salutation reached my ears, [46] with great joy rejoiced the babe in my womb.  54And blessed is she who believed [47] that what was spoken to her from the Lord would be fulfilled.  55And Mary said,

My soul doth magnify the Lord,

[48] 56And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour,

[49] 57Who hath looked upon the low estate of his handmaiden:

Lo, henceforth, all generations58 shall pronounce blessing on me.

[50]