Luke 1:57-80

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.