Luke 1:26-80

26In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,

27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.

28The angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you!”

29But she was greatly troubled by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting.

30So the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God!

31Listen: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.

32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.

33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.”

34Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?”

35The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God.

36“And look, your relative Elizabeth has also become pregnant with a son in her old age – although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month!

37For nothing will be impossible with God.”

38So Mary said, “Yes, I am a servant of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

39In those days Mary got up and went hurriedly into the hill country, to a town of Judah,

40and entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.

41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42She exclaimed with a loud voice, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child in your womb!

43And who am I that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me?

44For the instant the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

45And blessed is she who believed that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

46And Mary said, “My soul exalts the Lord,

47and my spirit has begun to rejoice in God my Savior,

48because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. For from now on all generations will call me blessed,

49because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name;

50from generation to generation he is merciful to those who fear him.

51He has demonstrated power with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance of their hearts.

52He has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position;

53he has filled the hungry with good things, and has sent the rich away empty.

54He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy,

55as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

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

57Now the time came for Elizabeth to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son.

58Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

59On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name him Zechariah after his father.

60But his mother replied, “No! He must be named John.”

61They said to her, “But none of your relatives bears this name.”

62So they made signs to the baby’s father, inquiring what he wanted to name his son.

63He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed.

64Immediately Zechariah’s mouth was opened and his tongue released, and he spoke, blessing God.

65All their neighbors were filled with fear, and throughout the entire hill country of Judea all these things were talked about.

66All who heard these things kept them in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the Lord’s hand was indeed with him.

67Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied,

68“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, because he has come to help and has redeemed his people.

69For he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,

70as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago,

71that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us.

72He has done this to show mercy to our ancestors, and to remember his holy covenant –

73the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham. This oath grants

74that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, may serve him without fear,

75in holiness and righteousness before him for as long as we live.

76And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High. For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

77to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.

78Because of our God’s tender mercy the dawn will break upon us from on high

79to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

80And the child kept growing and becoming strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he was revealed to Israel.