Luke 1:35-80

35The angel answered and said to her, “1The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of 2the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also 3the 4holy Child will be called 5the Son of God. 36And behold, even your relative Elizabeth herself has conceived a son in her old age, and 6she who was called infertile is now in her sixth month. 37For 7nothing will be impossible with God.” 38And Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

39Now 8at this time Mary set out and went in a hurry to 9the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was 10filled with the Holy Spirit. 42And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43And 11how has it happened to me that the mother of 12my Lord would come to me? 44For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 45And 13blessed is she who 14believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her 15by the Lord.”

46And Mary said: “16My soul 1718exalts the Lord,47And 19my spirit has rejoiced in 20God my Savior.48For 21He has had regard for the humble state of His bond-servant; For behold, from now on all generations will 22call me 23blessed.49For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.5024And His mercy is to generation 25after generation Toward those who fear Him.5126He has done 27mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the 28thoughts of their hearts.52He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has 29exalted those who were humble.5330He has filled the hungry with good things, And sent the rich away empty-handed.54He has given help to His servant Israel, 31In remembrance of His mercy,5532Just as He spoke to our fathers, 33To Abraham and his 34descendants forever.”

56Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.

57Now the time 35had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. 58Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had 3637displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.

59And it happened that on 38the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zechariah, 39after his father. 60And yet his mother responded and said, “No indeed; but 40he shall be called John.” 61And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62And they 4142made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. 63And he asked for a tablet and wrote 43as follows, “44His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 6445And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began speaking in praise of God. 65And fear came on all those who lived around them; and all these matters were being talked about in 46the entire hill country of Judea. 66All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For indeed 47the hand of the Lord was with him.

67And his father Zechariah 48was filled with the Holy Spirit and 49prophesied, saying:68“50Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished 51redemption for His people,69And has raised up a 52horn of salvation for us In the house of 53His servant David--7054Just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets 55from ancient times--715657Salvation 58from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us;7259To show mercy to our fathers, 60And to remember His holy covenant,7361The oath which He swore to our father Abraham,74To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Would serve Him without fear,7562In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.76And you, child, also will be called the 63prophet of 64the Most High; For you will go on 65before the Lord to 66prepare His ways;77To give His people the knowledge of salvation 67By 68the forgiveness of their sins,78Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which 69the Sunrise from on high will visit us,7970To shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the 71way of peace.”

8072Now the child grew and was becoming strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.