Luke 1:8

Now ¹  while Zechariah ²  was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, ³ 

Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,

Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division,

One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week.

It so happened that as Zachariah was carrying out his priestly duties before God, working the shift assigned to his regiment,

Now it came about that in his turn he was acting as priest before God,

Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty,

So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,

Now ¹  while Zechariah ²  was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, ³ 

¹ tn Grk “Now it happened that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ tn Grk “serving as priest in the order of his division before God.”

sn Zechariah’s division would be on duty twice a year for a week at a time.