Luke 1:67-80

67Now Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered by Him, and he prophesied, saying,

68“Blessed (praised, glorified) be the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He has visited us and brought redemption to His people,

69And He has raised up a horn of salvation [a mighty and valiant Savior] for us In the house of David His servant—

70Just as He promised by the mouth of His holy prophets from the most ancient times—

71Salvation from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us;

72To show mercy [as He promised] to our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant [the promised blessing],

73The oath which He swore to Abraham our father,

74To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear,

75In holiness [being set apart] and righteousness [being upright] before Him all our days.

76And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord (the Messiah) to prepare His ways;

77To give His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins,

78Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise (the Messiah) from on high will dawn and visit us,

79To shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, To guide our feet [in a straight line] into the way of peace and serenity.”

80The child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel [as John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah].