1:18 Zechariah 6 said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? 7 For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well.” 8 1:19 The 9 angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands 10 in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring 11 you this good news. 1:20 And now, 12 because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, 13 you will be silent, unable to speak, 14 until the day these things take place.”
1:21 Now 15 the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they began to wonder 16 why he was delayed in the holy place. 17 1:22 When 18 he came out, he was not able to speak to them. They 19 realized that he had seen a vision 20 in the holy place, 21 because 22 he was making signs to them and remained unable to speak. 23 1:23 When his time of service was over, 24 he went to his home.
1:24 After some time 25 his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, 26 and for five months she kept herself in seclusion. 27 She said, 28 1:25 “This is what 29 the Lord has done for me at the time 30 when he has been gracious to me, 31 to take away my disgrace 32 among people.” 33
1:26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, 34 the angel Gabriel 35 was sent by 36 God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, 37 1:27 to a virgin engaged 38 to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, 39 and the virgin’s name was Mary. 1:28 The 40 angel 41 came 42 to her and said, “Greetings, favored one, 43 the Lord is with you!” 44 1:29 But 45 she was greatly troubled 46 by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting. 47 1:30 So 48 the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, 49 Mary, for you have found favor 50 with God! 1:31 Listen: 51 You will become pregnant 52 and give birth to 53 a son, and you will name him 54 Jesus. 55 1:32 He 56 will be great, 57 and will be called the Son of the Most High, 58 and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father 59 David. 1:33 He 60 will reign over the house of Jacob 61 forever, and his kingdom will never end.” 1:34 Mary 62 said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with 63 a man?” 1:35 The angel replied, 64 “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow 65 you. Therefore the child 66 to be born 67 will be holy; 68 he will be called the Son of God.
1:36 “And look, 69 your relative 70 Elizabeth has also become pregnant with 71 a son in her old age – although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month! 72 1:37 For nothing 73 will be impossible with God.” 1:38 So 74 Mary said, “Yes, 75 I am a servant 76 of the Lord; let this happen to me 77 according to your word.” 78 Then 79 the angel departed from her.
1:39 In those days 80 Mary got up and went hurriedly into the hill country, to a town of Judah, 81 1:40 and entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 1:41 When 82 Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped 83 in her 84 womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 85 1:42 She 86 exclaimed with a loud voice, 87 “Blessed are you among women, 88 and blessed is the child 89 in your womb! 1:43 And who am I 90 that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me? 1:44 For the instant 91 the sound of your greeting reached my ears, 92 the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 93 1:45 And blessed 94 is she who believed that 95 what was spoken to her by 96 the Lord would be fulfilled.” 97
1:46 And Mary 98 said, 99
“My soul exalts 100 the Lord, 101
1:47 and my spirit has begun to rejoice 102 in God my Savior,
1:48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. 103
For 104 from now on 105 all generations will call me blessed, 106
1:49 because he who is mighty 107 has done great things for me, and holy is his name;
1:50 from 108 generation to generation he is merciful 109 to those who fear 110 him.
1:51 He has demonstrated power 111 with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance 112 of their hearts.
1:52 He has brought down the mighty 113 from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; 114
1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things, 115 and has sent the rich away empty. 116
1:54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering 117 his mercy, 118
1:55 as he promised 119 to our ancestors, 120 to Abraham and to his descendants 121 forever.”
1:56 So 122 Mary stayed with Elizabeth 123 about three months 124 and then returned to her home.
1:57 Now the time came 125 for Elizabeth to have her baby, 126 and she gave birth to a son. 1:58 Her 127 neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown 128 great mercy to her, and they rejoiced 129 with her.
1:59 On 130 the eighth day 131 they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name 132 him Zechariah after his father. 1:60 But 133 his mother replied, 134 “No! He must be named 135 John.” 136 1:61 They 137 said to her, “But 138 none of your relatives bears this name.” 139 1:62 So 140 they made signs to the baby’s 141 father, 142 inquiring what he wanted to name his son. 143 1:63 He 144 asked for a writing tablet 145 and wrote, 146 “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 147 1:64 Immediately 148 Zechariah’s 149 mouth was opened and his tongue 150 released, 151 and he spoke, blessing God. 1:65 All 152 their neighbors were filled with fear, and throughout the entire hill country of Judea all these things were talked about. 1:66 All 153 who heard these things 154 kept them in their hearts, 155 saying, “What then will this child be?” 156 For the Lord’s hand 157 was indeed with him.
1:67 Then 158 his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, 159
1:68 “Blessed 160 be the Lord God of Israel,
because he has come to help 161 and has redeemed 162 his people.
1:69 For 163 he has raised up 164 a horn of salvation 165 for us in the house of his servant David, 166
1:70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago, 167
1:71 that we should be saved 168 from our enemies, 169
and from the hand of all who hate us.
1:72 He has done this 170 to show mercy 171 to our ancestors, 172
and to remember his holy covenant 173 –
1:73 the oath 174 that he swore to our ancestor 175 Abraham.
This oath grants 176
1:74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our 177 enemies,
may serve him without fear, 178
1:75 in holiness and righteousness 179 before him for as long as we live. 180
1:76 And you, child, 181 will be called the prophet 182 of the Most High. 183
For you will go before 184 the Lord to prepare his ways, 185
1:77 to give his people knowledge of salvation 186 through the forgiveness 187 of their sins.
1:78 Because of 188 our God’s tender mercy 189
the dawn 190 will break 191 upon us from on high
1:79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, 192
to guide our feet into the way 193 of peace.”
1:80 And the child kept growing 194 and becoming strong 195 in spirit, and he was in the wilderness 196 until the day he was revealed 197 to Israel.