1:36 “And look, 10 your relative 11 Elizabeth has also become pregnant with 12 a son in her old age – although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month! 13 1:37 For nothing 14 will be impossible with God.” 1:38 So 15 Mary said, “Yes, 16 I am a servant 17 of the Lord; let this happen to me 18 according to your word.” 19 Then 20 the angel departed from her.
1:39 In those days 21 Mary got up and went hurriedly into the hill country, to a town of Judah, 22 1:40 and entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 1:41 When 23 Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped 24 in her 25 womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 26 1:42 She 27 exclaimed with a loud voice, 28 “Blessed are you among women, 29 and blessed is the child 30 in your womb! 1:43 And who am I 31 that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me? 1:44 For the instant 32 the sound of your greeting reached my ears, 33 the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 34 1:45 And blessed 35 is she who believed that 36 what was spoken to her by 37 the Lord would be fulfilled.” 38
1:46 And Mary 39 said, 40
“My soul exalts 41 the Lord, 42
1:47 and my spirit has begun to rejoice 43 in God my Savior,
1:48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. 44
For 45 from now on 46 all generations will call me blessed, 47
1:49 because he who is mighty 48 has done great things for me, and holy is his name;
1:50 from 49 generation to generation he is merciful 50 to those who fear 51 him.
1:51 He has demonstrated power 52 with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance 53 of their hearts.
1:52 He has brought down the mighty 54 from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; 55
1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things, 56 and has sent the rich away empty. 57
1:54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering 58 his mercy, 59
1:55 as he promised 60 to our ancestors, 61 to Abraham and to his descendants 62 forever.”
1:56 So 63 Mary stayed with Elizabeth 64 about three months 65 and then returned to her home.
1:57 Now the time came 66 for Elizabeth to have her baby, 67 and she gave birth to a son. 1:58 Her 68 neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown 69 great mercy to her, and they rejoiced 70 with her.
1:59 On 71 the eighth day 72 they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name 73 him Zechariah after his father. 1:60 But 74 his mother replied, 75 “No! He must be named 76 John.” 77 1:61 They 78 said to her, “But 79 none of your relatives bears this name.” 80 1:62 So 81 they made signs to the baby’s 82 father, 83 inquiring what he wanted to name his son. 84 1:63 He 85 asked for a writing tablet 86 and wrote, 87 “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 88 1:64 Immediately 89 Zechariah’s 90 mouth was opened and his tongue 91 released, 92 and he spoke, blessing God. 1:65 All 93 their neighbors were filled with fear, and throughout the entire hill country of Judea all these things were talked about. 1:66 All 94 who heard these things 95 kept them in their hearts, 96 saying, “What then will this child be?” 97 For the Lord’s hand 98 was indeed with him.
1:67 Then 99 his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, 100
1:68 “Blessed 101 be the Lord God of Israel,
because he has come to help 102 and has redeemed 103 his people.
1:69 For 104 he has raised up 105 a horn of salvation 106 for us in the house of his servant David, 107
1:70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago, 108
1:71 that we should be saved 109 from our enemies, 110
and from the hand of all who hate us.
1:72 He has done this 111 to show mercy 112 to our ancestors, 113
and to remember his holy covenant 114 –
1:73 the oath 115 that he swore to our ancestor 116 Abraham.
This oath grants 117
1:74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our 118 enemies,
may serve him without fear, 119
1:75 in holiness and righteousness 120 before him for as long as we live. 121
1:76 And you, child, 122 will be called the prophet 123 of the Most High. 124
For you will go before 125 the Lord to prepare his ways, 126
1:77 to give his people knowledge of salvation 127 through the forgiveness 128 of their sins.
1:78 Because of 129 our God’s tender mercy 130
the dawn 131 will break 132 upon us from on high
1:79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, 133
to guide our feet into the way 134 of peace.”
1:80 And the child kept growing 135 and becoming strong 136 in spirit, and he was in the wilderness 137 until the day he was revealed 138 to Israel.