Luke 1:17

¹⁵ For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.

¹⁶ And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

¹⁸ And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

¹⁹ And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
KJV: And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
WEB: He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to prepare a people prepared for the Lord.”
ASV: And he shall go before his face in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient [to walk] in the wisdom of the just; to make ready for the Lord a people prepared [for him].
DARBY: And *he* shall go before him in [the] spirit and power of Elias, to turn hearts of fathers to children, and disobedient ones to [the] thoughts of just [men], to make ready for [the] Lord a prepared people.
BLB: And he will go on before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

ÅB: og han skal gå i forveien for ham i Elias' ånd og kraft, for å vende fedres hjerter til barn og ulydige til rettferdiges sinnelag, for å berede Herren et velskikket folk.
OTB: Og han skal gå foran ham i Elias' ånd og kraft, for å vende fedrenes hjerter til barna og de ulydige til de rettferdiges visdom, for å gjøre et folk rede for Herren.”
B1930: og han skal gå i forveien for ham i Elias' ånd og kraft, for å vende fedres hjerter til barn og ulydige til rettferdiges sinnelag, for å berede Herren et velskikket folk.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Malachi 4:5–6
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
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Matthew 11:14
And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
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Luke 1:76
And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
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John 1:21–30
And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
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Matthew 17:11–12
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
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Mark 9:11–13
And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?
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1 Chronicles 29:18
O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee:
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Psalms 78:8
And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
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