68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,(A)
    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.(B)
69 He has raised up a horn[a](C) of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David(D)
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),(E)
71 salvation from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us—
72 to show mercy to our ancestors(F)
    and to remember his holy covenant,(G)
73     the oath he swore to our father Abraham:(H)
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
    and to enable us to serve him(I) without fear(J)
75     in holiness and righteousness(K) before him all our days.

76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet(L) of the Most High;(M)
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,(N)
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,(O)
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun(P) will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,(Q)
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”(R)

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 1:69 Horn here symbolizes a strong king.

67-79 Then Zachariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied,

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
    he came and set his people free.
He set the power of salvation in the center of our lives,
    and in the very house of David his servant,
Just as he promised long ago
    through the preaching of his holy prophets:
Deliverance from our enemies
    and every hateful hand;
Mercy to our fathers,
    as he remembers to do what he said he’d do,
What he swore to our father Abraham—
    a clean rescue from the enemy camp,
So we can worship him without a care in the world,
    made holy before him as long as we live.

And you, my child, “Prophet of the Highest,”
    will go ahead of the Master to prepare his ways,
Present the offer of salvation to his people,
    the forgiveness of their sins.
Through the heartfelt mercies of our God,
    God’s Sunrise will break in upon us,
Shining on those in the darkness,
    those sitting in the shadow of death,
Then showing us the way, one foot at a time,
    down the path of peace.

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68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; because he hath visited and wrought the redemption of his people:

69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us, in the house of David his servant:

70 As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who are from the beginning:

71 Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us:

72 To perform mercy to our fathers, and to remember his holy testament,

73 The oath, which he swore to Abraham our father, that he would grant to us,

74 That being delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him without fear,

75 In holiness and justice before him, all our days.

76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways:

77 To give knowledge of salvation to his people, unto the remission of their sins:

78 Through the bowels of the mercy of our God, in which the Orient from on high hath visited us:

79 To enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death: to direct our feet into the way of peace.

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68 “·Let us praise [L Blessed be] the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has ·come to help his people and has given them freedom [L visited and accomplished redemption for his people].
69 He has ·given us a powerful Savior [L raised up a horn of salvation for us; C referring to the horn of a powerful animal—a metaphor for strength; 1 Sam. 2:1, 10; Ps. 132:17; Ezek. 29:21]
    ·from the family [L in the house] of God’s servant David.
70 [L …just as] He said that he would do this
    through [L the mouth of] his holy prophets who lived long ago:
71 He promised he would save us from our enemies
    and from the ·power [L hand; C indicating controlling power or oppression] of all those who hate us.
72 He said he would give mercy to our ·ancestors [forefathers]
    and that he would remember his holy ·promise [covenant].
73 ·God promised [L The oath that he swore to] Abraham, our father [Gen. 22:16–18],
74     that he would ·save [rescue] us from the ·power [hand; v. 71] of our enemies
    so we could serve him without fear,
75 being holy and ·good [righteous] before God as long as we live.
76 “Now you, child, will be called ·a [or the] prophet of the Most High God.
    [L For] You will go before the Lord to prepare his ·way [or paths; Mal. 3:1].
77 You will ·make his people know that they will be saved [L give his people the knowledge of salvation]
    by having their sins forgiven [Jer. 31:34].
78 ·With [or Because of] the ·loving [tender] mercy of our God,
    ·a new day from heaven will dawn upon us [L the sunrise/dawn from heaven will visit us; C a metaphor for the Messiah; Mal. 4:2].
79 It will shine on those who ·live [dwell; sit] in darkness,
    in the shadow of death [Is. 9:2].
It will guide ·us [L our feet] into the path of peace [Is. 59:8].”

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