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