1:57 Now the time came 1 for Elizabeth to have her baby, 2 and she gave birth to a son. 1:58 Her 3 neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown 4 great mercy to her, and they rejoiced 5 with her.
1:59 On 6 the eighth day 7 they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name 8 him Zechariah after his father. 1:60 But 9 his mother replied, 10 “No! He must be named 11 John.” 12 1:61 They 13 said to her, “But 14 none of your relatives bears this name.” 15 1:62 So 16 they made signs to the baby’s 17 father, 18 inquiring what he wanted to name his son. 19 1:63 He 20 asked for a writing tablet 21 and wrote, 22 “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 23 1:64 Immediately 24 Zechariah’s 25 mouth was opened and his tongue 26 released, 27 and he spoke, blessing God. 1:65 All 28 their neighbors were filled with fear, and throughout the entire hill country of Judea all these things were talked about. 1:66 All 29 who heard these things 30 kept them in their hearts, 31 saying, “What then will this child be?” 32 For the Lord’s hand 33 was indeed with him.
1:67 Then 34 his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, 35
1:68 “Blessed 36 be the Lord God of Israel,
because he has come to help 37 and has redeemed 38 his people.
1:69 For 39 he has raised up 40 a horn of salvation 41 for us in the house of his servant David, 42
1:70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago, 43
1:71 that we should be saved 44 from our enemies, 45
and from the hand of all who hate us.
1:72 He has done this 46 to show mercy 47 to our ancestors, 48
and to remember his holy covenant 49 –
1:73 the oath 50 that he swore to our ancestor 51 Abraham.
This oath grants 52
1:74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our 53 enemies,
may serve him without fear, 54
1:75 in holiness and righteousness 55 before him for as long as we live. 56
1:76 And you, child, 57 will be called the prophet 58 of the Most High. 59
For you will go before 60 the Lord to prepare his ways, 61
1:77 to give his people knowledge of salvation 62 through the forgiveness 63 of their sins.
1:78 Because of 64 our God’s tender mercy 65
the dawn 66 will break 67 upon us from on high
1:79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, 68
to guide our feet into the way 69 of peace.”
1:80 And the child kept growing 70 and becoming strong 71 in spirit, and he was in the wilderness 72 until the day he was revealed 73 to Israel.