Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

(A)In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,[a] (B)of (C)the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both (D)righteous before God, walking (E)blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because (F)Elizabeth was barren, and (G)both were advanced in years.

Now (H)while he was serving as priest before God when (I)his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot (J)to enter (K)the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people (L)were praying (M)outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of (N)the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and (O)fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for (P)your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and (Q)you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will (R)rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be (S)great before the Lord. And (T)he must not drink wine or strong (U)drink, and (V)he will be (W)filled with the Holy Spirit, (X)even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and (Y)he will go before him (Z)in the spirit and power of Elijah, (AA)to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and (AB)the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, (AC)to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

18 And Zechariah said to the angel, (AD)“How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am (AE)Gabriel. (AF)I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, (AG)you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in (AH)the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in (AI)the temple. And (AJ)he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And (AK)when his time of (AL)service was ended, he went to his home.

24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, (AM)to take away my reproach among people.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 1:5 Greek Zacharias

41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth (A)was filled with the Holy Spirit,

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The Birth of John the Baptist

57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord (A)had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And (B)on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; (C)he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And (D)they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for (E)a writing tablet and wrote, (F)“His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 (G)And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue (H)loosed, and he spoke, (I)blessing God. 65 And (J)fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all (K)the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them (L)laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For (M)the hand of the Lord was with him.

Zechariah's Prophecy

67 And his father Zechariah (N)was filled with the Holy Spirit and (O)prophesied, saying,

68 (P)“Blessed be the Lord (Q)God of Israel,
    for he has (R)visited and (S)redeemed his people
69 and (T)has raised up (U)a horn of salvation for us
    (V)in the house of his servant David,
70 (W)as (X)he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 (Y)that we should be saved from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 (Z)to show the mercy promised to our fathers
    and (AA)to remember his holy (AB)covenant,
73 (AC)the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74     that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him (AD)without fear,
75     (AE)in holiness and righteousness before him (AF)all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called (AG)the prophet of (AH)the Most High;
    for (AI)you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
    (AJ)in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the (AK)tender mercy of our God,
    whereby (AL)the sunrise shall (AM)visit us[a] (AN)from on high
79 to (AO)give light to (AP)those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into (AQ)the way of (AR)peace.”

80 (AS)And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was (AT)in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 1:78 Or when the sunrise shall dawn upon us; some manuscripts since the sunrise has visited us

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