1:18 Zechariah 3 said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? 4 For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well.” 5 1:19 The 6 angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands 7 in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring 8 you this good news. 1:20 And now, 9 because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, 10 you will be silent, unable to speak, 11 until the day these things take place.”
1:21 Now 12 the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they began to wonder 13 why he was delayed in the holy place. 14 1:22 When 15 he came out, he was not able to speak to them. They 16 realized that he had seen a vision 17 in the holy place, 18 because 19 he was making signs to them and remained unable to speak. 20 1:23 When his time of service was over, 21 he went to his home.
1:24 After some time 22 his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, 23 and for five months she kept herself in seclusion. 24 She said, 25 1:25 “This is what 26 the Lord has done for me at the time 27 when he has been gracious to me, 28 to take away my disgrace 29 among people.” 30
1:26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, 31 the angel Gabriel 32 was sent by 33 God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, 34 1:27 to a virgin engaged 35 to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, 36 and the virgin’s name was Mary. 1:28 The 37 angel 38 came 39 to her and said, “Greetings, favored one, 40 the Lord is with you!” 41 1:29 But 42 she was greatly troubled 43 by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting. 44 1:30 So 45 the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, 46 Mary, for you have found favor 47 with God! 1:31 Listen: 48 You will become pregnant 49 and give birth to 50 a son, and you will name him 51 Jesus. 52 1:32 He 53 will be great, 54 and will be called the Son of the Most High, 55 and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father 56 David. 1:33 He 57 will reign over the house of Jacob 58 forever, and his kingdom will never end.” 1:34 Mary 59 said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with 60 a man?” 1:35 The angel replied, 61 “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow 62 you. Therefore the child 63 to be born 64 will be holy; 65 he will be called the Son of God.
1:36 “And look, 66 your relative 67 Elizabeth has also become pregnant with 68 a son in her old age – although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month! 69 1:37 For nothing 70 will be impossible with God.” 1:38 So 71 Mary said, “Yes, 72 I am a servant 73 of the Lord; let this happen to me 74 according to your word.” 75 Then 76 the angel departed from her.
1:39 In those days 77 Mary got up and went hurriedly into the hill country, to a town of Judah, 78 1:40 and entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 1:41 When 79 Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped 80 in her 81 womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 82 1:42 She 83 exclaimed with a loud voice, 84 “Blessed are you among women, 85 and blessed is the child 86 in your womb! 1:43 And who am I 87 that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me? 1:44 For the instant 88 the sound of your greeting reached my ears, 89 the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 90 1:45 And blessed 91 is she who believed that 92 what was spoken to her by 93 the Lord would be fulfilled.” 94
1:46 And Mary 95 said, 96
“My soul exalts 97 the Lord, 98
1:47 and my spirit has begun to rejoice 99 in God my Savior,
1:48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. 100
For 101 from now on 102 all generations will call me blessed, 103
1:49 because he who is mighty 104 has done great things for me, and holy is his name;
1:50 from 105 generation to generation he is merciful 106 to those who fear 107 him.
1:51 He has demonstrated power 108 with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance 109 of their hearts.
1:52 He has brought down the mighty 110 from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; 111
1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things, 112 and has sent the rich away empty. 113
1:54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering 114 his mercy, 115
1:55 as he promised 116 to our ancestors, 117 to Abraham and to his descendants 118 forever.”
1:56 So 119 Mary stayed with Elizabeth 120 about three months 121 and then returned to her home.
1:57 Now the time came 122 for Elizabeth to have her baby, 123 and she gave birth to a son. 1:58 Her 124 neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown 125 great mercy to her, and they rejoiced 126 with her.
1:59 On 127 the eighth day 128 they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name 129 him Zechariah after his father. 1:60 But 130 his mother replied, 131 “No! He must be named 132 John.” 133 1:61 They 134 said to her, “But 135 none of your relatives bears this name.” 136 1:62 So 137 they made signs to the baby’s 138 father, 139 inquiring what he wanted to name his son. 140 1:63 He 141 asked for a writing tablet 142 and wrote, 143 “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 144 1:64 Immediately 145 Zechariah’s 146 mouth was opened and his tongue 147 released, 148 and he spoke, blessing God. 1:65 All 149 their neighbors were filled with fear, and throughout the entire hill country of Judea all these things were talked about. 1:66 All 150 who heard these things 151 kept them in their hearts, 152 saying, “What then will this child be?” 153 For the Lord’s hand 154 was indeed with him.
1:67 Then 155 his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, 156
1:68 “Blessed 157 be the Lord God of Israel,
because he has come to help 158 and has redeemed 159 his people.
1:69 For 160 he has raised up 161 a horn of salvation 162 for us in the house of his servant David, 163
1:70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago, 164
1:71 that we should be saved 165 from our enemies, 166
and from the hand of all who hate us.
1:72 He has done this 167 to show mercy 168 to our ancestors, 169
and to remember his holy covenant 170 –
1:73 the oath 171 that he swore to our ancestor 172 Abraham.
This oath grants 173
1:74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our 174 enemies,
may serve him without fear, 175
1:75 in holiness and righteousness 176 before him for as long as we live. 177
1:76 And you, child, 178 will be called the prophet 179 of the Most High. 180
For you will go before 181 the Lord to prepare his ways, 182
1:77 to give his people knowledge of salvation 183 through the forgiveness 184 of their sins.
1:78 Because of 185 our God’s tender mercy 186
the dawn 187 will break 188 upon us from on high
1:79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, 189
to guide our feet into the way 190 of peace.”
1:80 And the child kept growing 191 and becoming strong 192 in spirit, and he was in the wilderness 193 until the day he was revealed 194 to Israel.