1:18 Zechariah 26 said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? 27 For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well.” 28 1:19 The 29 angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands 30 in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring 31 you this good news. 1:20 And now, 32 because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, 33 you will be silent, unable to speak, 34 until the day these things take place.”
1:21 Now 35 the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they began to wonder 36 why he was delayed in the holy place. 37 1:22 When 38 he came out, he was not able to speak to them. They 39 realized that he had seen a vision 40 in the holy place, 41 because 42 he was making signs to them and remained unable to speak. 43 1:23 When his time of service was over, 44 he went to his home.
1:24 After some time 45 his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, 46 and for five months she kept herself in seclusion. 47 She said, 48 1:25 “This is what 49 the Lord has done for me at the time 50 when he has been gracious to me, 51 to take away my disgrace 52 among people.” 53
1:26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, 54 the angel Gabriel 55 was sent by 56 God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, 57 1:27 to a virgin engaged 58 to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, 59 and the virgin’s name was Mary. 1:28 The 60 angel 61 came 62 to her and said, “Greetings, favored one, 63 the Lord is with you!” 64 1:29 But 65 she was greatly troubled 66 by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting. 67 1:30 So 68 the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, 69 Mary, for you have found favor 70 with God! 1:31 Listen: 71 You will become pregnant 72 and give birth to 73 a son, and you will name him 74 Jesus. 75 1:32 He 76 will be great, 77 and will be called the Son of the Most High, 78 and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father 79 David. 1:33 He 80 will reign over the house of Jacob 81 forever, and his kingdom will never end.” 1:34 Mary 82 said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with 83 a man?” 1:35 The angel replied, 84 “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow 85 you. Therefore the child 86 to be born 87 will be holy; 88 he will be called the Son of God.
1:36 “And look, 89 your relative 90 Elizabeth has also become pregnant with 91 a son in her old age – although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month! 92 1:37 For nothing 93 will be impossible with God.” 1:38 So 94 Mary said, “Yes, 95 I am a servant 96 of the Lord; let this happen to me 97 according to your word.” 98 Then 99 the angel departed from her.
1:39 In those days 100 Mary got up and went hurriedly into the hill country, to a town of Judah, 101 1:40 and entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 1:41 When 102 Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped 103 in her 104 womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 105 1:42 She 106 exclaimed with a loud voice, 107 “Blessed are you among women, 108 and blessed is the child 109 in your womb! 1:43 And who am I 110 that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me? 1:44 For the instant 111 the sound of your greeting reached my ears, 112 the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 113 1:45 And blessed 114 is she who believed that 115 what was spoken to her by 116 the Lord would be fulfilled.” 117
1:46 And Mary 118 said, 119
“My soul exalts 120 the Lord, 121
1:47 and my spirit has begun to rejoice 122 in God my Savior,
1:48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. 123
For 124 from now on 125 all generations will call me blessed, 126
1:49 because he who is mighty 127 has done great things for me, and holy is his name;
1:50 from 128 generation to generation he is merciful 129 to those who fear 130 him.
1:51 He has demonstrated power 131 with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance 132 of their hearts.
1:52 He has brought down the mighty 133 from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; 134
1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things, 135 and has sent the rich away empty. 136
1:54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering 137 his mercy, 138
1:55 as he promised 139 to our ancestors, 140 to Abraham and to his descendants 141 forever.”
1:56 So 142 Mary stayed with Elizabeth 143 about three months 144 and then returned to her home.
1:57 Now the time came 145 for Elizabeth to have her baby, 146 and she gave birth to a son. 1:58 Her 147 neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown 148 great mercy to her, and they rejoiced 149 with her.
1:59 On 150 the eighth day 151 they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name 152 him Zechariah after his father. 1:60 But 153 his mother replied, 154 “No! He must be named 155 John.” 156 1:61 They 157 said to her, “But 158 none of your relatives bears this name.” 159 1:62 So 160 they made signs to the baby’s 161 father, 162 inquiring what he wanted to name his son. 163 1:63 He 164 asked for a writing tablet 165 and wrote, 166 “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 167 1:64 Immediately 168 Zechariah’s 169 mouth was opened and his tongue 170 released, 171 and he spoke, blessing God. 1:65 All 172 their neighbors were filled with fear, and throughout the entire hill country of Judea all these things were talked about. 1:66 All 173 who heard these things 174 kept them in their hearts, 175 saying, “What then will this child be?” 176 For the Lord’s hand 177 was indeed with him.
1:67 Then 178 his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, 179
1:68 “Blessed 180 be the Lord God of Israel,
because he has come to help 181 and has redeemed 182 his people.
1:69 For 183 he has raised up 184 a horn of salvation 185 for us in the house of his servant David, 186
1:70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago, 187
1:71 that we should be saved 188 from our enemies, 189
and from the hand of all who hate us.
1:72 He has done this 190 to show mercy 191 to our ancestors, 192
and to remember his holy covenant 193 –
1:73 the oath 194 that he swore to our ancestor 195 Abraham.
This oath grants 196
1:74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our 197 enemies,
may serve him without fear, 198
1:75 in holiness and righteousness 199 before him for as long as we live. 200
1:76 And you, child, 201 will be called the prophet 202 of the Most High. 203
For you will go before 204 the Lord to prepare his ways, 205
1:77 to give his people knowledge of salvation 206 through the forgiveness 207 of their sins.
1:78 Because of 208 our God’s tender mercy 209
the dawn 210 will break 211 upon us from on high
1:79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, 212
to guide our feet into the way 213 of peace.”
1:80 And the child kept growing 214 and becoming strong 215 in spirit, and he was in the wilderness 216 until the day he was revealed 217 to Israel.