Luke 1:57-80

57Upon Elizabeth’s full term to deliver, she gave birth to a son.

58Her neighbors and relatives heard how Adonai had shown her His great mercy, and they began to rejoice with her.

59Now on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they kept trying to call him by his father’s name, Zechariah.

60But his mother declared, “No, he will be called John.”

61But they said to her, “No one among your relatives is called by this name.”

62So they began making signs to his father, as to what he wanted him named.

63Asking for a small tablet, he wrote, “John is his name.” They were all astonished!

64And his mouth was immediately unlocked as well as his tongue, and he began to speak, praising God.

65Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these matters were talked about throughout the hill country of Judah.

66Everyone who heard pondered these things in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child become?” For the hand of Adonai was on him.

67His father Zechariah was filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh and prophesied, saying,

68“Blessed be Adonai, God of Israel, for He has looked after His people and brought them redemption.

69He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David,

70just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ages past,

71salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us!

72So He shows mercy to our fathers and remembers His holy covenant,

73the vow which He swore to Abraham our father, to grant us—

74rescued fearlessly from the hand of our enemies—to serve Him,

75in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.

76And you, child, will be called a prophet of Elyon. For you will go before Adonai to prepare His ways,

77to give knowledge of salvation to His people through removal of their sins.

78Through our God’s heart of mercy, the Sunrise from on high will come upon us,

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

80And the child kept growing and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.