Luke 1:5-80

51In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the 2division of 3Abijah; and he had a wife 4from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6They were both 5righteous in the sight of God, walking 6blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7And yet they had no child, because Elizabeth was infertile, and they were both advanced in 7years.

8Now it happened that while 8he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, 9according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot 9to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer 10outside at the hour of the incense offering. 11Now 11an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12Zechariah was troubled when he saw the angel, and 12fear 13gripped him. 13But the angel said to him, “14Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and 15you shall 16name him John. 14You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth. 15For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will 17drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit 18while still in his mother’s womb. 16And he will 19turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17And it is he who will 20go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of 21Elijah, 22to turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to 23make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

18Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this? For 24I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her 25years.” 19The angel answered and said to him, “I am 26Gabriel, who 2728stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”

21And meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple, and he repeatedly 2930made signs to them, and remained speechless. 23When the days of his priestly service were concluded, he went back home.

24Now after these days his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and she kept herself 31in seclusion for five months, saying, 25“This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to 32take away my disgrace among people.”

26Now in the sixth month the angel 33Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named 34Nazareth, 27to 35a virgin 36betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, 37of the 38descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was 39Mary. 28And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord 40is with you.” 29But she 41was very perplexed at this statement, and was pondering what kind of greeting this was. 30And the angel said to her, “42Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you 43shall name Him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of 44the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him 45the throne of His father David; 3346and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, 47and His kingdom will have no end.” 34But Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I 48am a virgin?” 35The angel answered and said to her, “49The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of 50the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also 51the 52holy Child will be called 53the Son of God. 36And behold, even your relative Elizabeth herself has conceived a son in her old age, and 54she who was called infertile is now in her sixth month. 37For 55nothing 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 56at this time Mary set out and went in a hurry to 57the 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 58filled 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 59how has it happened to me that the mother of 60my 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 61blessed is she who 62believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her 63by the Lord.”

46And Mary said: “64My soul 6566exalts the Lord,47And 67my spirit has rejoiced in 68God my Savior.48For 69He has had regard for the humble state of His bond-servant; For behold, from now on all generations will 70call me 71blessed.49For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.5072And His mercy is to generation 73after generation Toward those who fear Him.5174He has done 75mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the 76thoughts of their hearts.52He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has 77exalted those who were humble.5378He has filled the hungry with good things, And sent the rich away empty-handed.54He has given help to His servant Israel, 79In remembrance of His mercy,5580Just as He spoke to our fathers, 81To Abraham and his 82descendants forever.”

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

57Now the time 83had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. 58Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had 8485displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.

59And it happened that on 86the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zechariah, 87after his father. 60And yet his mother responded and said, “No indeed; but 88he shall be called John.” 61And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62And they 8990made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. 63And he asked for a tablet and wrote 91as follows, “92His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 6493And 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 94the 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 95the hand of the Lord was with him.

67And his father Zechariah 96was filled with the Holy Spirit and 97prophesied, saying:68“98Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished 99redemption for His people,69And has raised up a 100horn of salvation for us In the house of 101His servant David--70102Just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets 103from ancient times--71104105Salvation 106from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us;72107To show mercy to our fathers, 108And to remember His holy covenant,73109The 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,75110In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.76And you, child, also will be called the 111prophet of 112the Most High; For you will go on 113before the Lord to 114prepare His ways;77To give His people the knowledge of salvation 115By 116the forgiveness of their sins,78Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which 117the Sunrise from on high will visit us,79118To shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the 119way of peace.”

80120Now the child grew and was becoming strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.