1:39 In those days 8 Mary got up and went hurriedly into the hill country, to a town of Judah, 9 1:40 and entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 1:41 When 10 Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped 11 in her 12 womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 13 1:42 She 14 exclaimed with a loud voice, 15 “Blessed are you among women, 16 and blessed is the child 17 in your womb! 1:43 And who am I 18 that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me? 1:44 For the instant 19 the sound of your greeting reached my ears, 20 the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 21 1:45 And blessed 22 is she who believed that 23 what was spoken to her by 24 the Lord would be fulfilled.” 25
1:46 And Mary 26 said, 27
“My soul exalts 28 the Lord, 29
1:47 and my spirit has begun to rejoice 30 in God my Savior,
1:48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. 31
For 32 from now on 33 all generations will call me blessed, 34
1:49 because he who is mighty 35 has done great things for me, and holy is his name;
1:50 from 36 generation to generation he is merciful 37 to those who fear 38 him.
1:51 He has demonstrated power 39 with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance 40 of their hearts.
1:52 He has brought down the mighty 41 from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; 42
1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things, 43 and has sent the rich away empty. 44
1:54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering 45 his mercy, 46
1:55 as he promised 47 to our ancestors, 48 to Abraham and to his descendants 49 forever.”
1:56 So 50 Mary stayed with Elizabeth 51 about three months 52 and then returned to her home.
1:57 Now the time came 53 for Elizabeth to have her baby, 54 and she gave birth to a son. 1:58 Her 55 neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown 56 great mercy to her, and they rejoiced 57 with her.
1:59 On 58 the eighth day 59 they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name 60 him Zechariah after his father. 1:60 But 61 his mother replied, 62 “No! He must be named 63 John.” 64 1:61 They 65 said to her, “But 66 none of your relatives bears this name.” 67 1:62 So 68 they made signs to the baby’s 69 father, 70 inquiring what he wanted to name his son. 71 1:63 He 72 asked for a writing tablet 73 and wrote, 74 “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 75 1:64 Immediately 76 Zechariah’s 77 mouth was opened and his tongue 78 released, 79 and he spoke, blessing God. 1:65 All 80 their neighbors were filled with fear, and throughout the entire hill country of Judea all these things were talked about. 1:66 All 81 who heard these things 82 kept them in their hearts, 83 saying, “What then will this child be?” 84 For the Lord’s hand 85 was indeed with him.
1:67 Then 86 his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, 87
1:68 “Blessed 88 be the Lord God of Israel,
because he has come to help 89 and has redeemed 90 his people.
1:69 For 91 he has raised up 92 a horn of salvation 93 for us in the house of his servant David, 94
1:70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago, 95
1:71 that we should be saved 96 from our enemies, 97
and from the hand of all who hate us.
1:72 He has done this 98 to show mercy 99 to our ancestors, 100
and to remember his holy covenant 101 –
1:73 the oath 102 that he swore to our ancestor 103 Abraham.
This oath grants 104
1:74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our 105 enemies,
may serve him without fear, 106
1:75 in holiness and righteousness 107 before him for as long as we live. 108
1:76 And you, child, 109 will be called the prophet 110 of the Most High. 111
For you will go before 112 the Lord to prepare his ways, 113
1:77 to give his people knowledge of salvation 114 through the forgiveness 115 of their sins.
1:78 Because of 116 our God’s tender mercy 117
the dawn 118 will break 119 upon us from on high
1:79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, 120
to guide our feet into the way 121 of peace.”
1:80 And the child kept growing 122 and becoming strong 123 in spirit, and he was in the wilderness 124 until the day he was revealed 125 to Israel.