Mary Visits Elizabeth

39 Now [a]at this time Mary set out and went in a hurry to (A)the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was (B)filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And [b]how has it happened to me that the mother of (C)my Lord would come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 45 And (D)blessed is she who [c]believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her [d]by the Lord.”

Mary’s Song: The Magnificat

46 And Mary said:

(E)My soul [e](F)exalts the Lord,
47 And (G)my spirit has rejoiced in (H)God my Savior.
48 For (I)He has had regard for the humble state of His bond-servant;
For behold, from now on all generations will [f]call me (J)blessed.
49 For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.
50 (K)And His mercy is to generation [g]after generation
Toward those who fear Him.
51 (L)He has done [h]mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the [i]thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has (M)exalted those who were humble.
53 (N)He has filled the hungry with good things,
And sent the rich away empty-handed.
54 He has given help to His servant Israel,
[j]In remembrance of His mercy,
55 (O)Just as He spoke to our fathers,
(P)To Abraham and his [k]descendants forever.”

56 Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.

John the Baptist Is Born

57 Now the time [l]had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had [m](Q)displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.

59 And it happened that on (R)the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zechariah, [n]after his father. 60 And yet his mother responded and said, “No indeed; but (S)he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 And they [o](T)made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. 63 And he asked for a tablet and wrote [p]as follows, “(U)His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 64 (V)And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began speaking in praise of God. 65 And fear came on all those who lived around them; and all these matters were being talked about in (W)the entire hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For indeed (X)the hand of the Lord was with him.

Zechariah’s Prophecy

67 And his father Zechariah (Y)was filled with the Holy Spirit and (Z)prophesied, saying:

68 (AA)Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited us and accomplished (AB)redemption for His people,
69 And has raised up a (AC)horn of salvation for us
In the house of (AD)His servant David—
70 (AE)Just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets (AF)from ancient times—
71 [q](AG)Salvation (AH)from our enemies,
And from the hand of all who hate us;
72 (AI)To show mercy to our fathers,
(AJ)And to remember His holy covenant,
73 (AK)The oath which He swore to our father Abraham,
74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
Would serve Him without fear,
75 (AL)In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
76 And you, child, also will be called the (AM)prophet of (AN)the Most High;
For you will go on (AO)before the Lord to (AP)prepare His ways;
77 To give His people the knowledge of salvation
[r]By (AQ)the forgiveness of their sins,
78 Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which (AR)the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
79 (AS)To shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the (AT)way of peace.”

80 (AU)Now the child grew and was becoming strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 1:39 Lit in these days
  2. Luke 1:43 Lit from where this to me
  3. Luke 1:45 Or believed, because there will be
  4. Luke 1:45 Lit from
  5. Luke 1:46 Lit makes great
  6. Luke 1:48 Or consider
  7. Luke 1:50 Lit and
  8. Luke 1:51 Lit might
  9. Luke 1:51 Lit thought, attitude
  10. Luke 1:54 Lit So as to remember
  11. Luke 1:55 Lit seed
  12. Luke 1:57 Lit was fulfilled
  13. Luke 1:58 Lit magnified His mercy with her
  14. Luke 1:59 Lit after the name of
  15. Luke 1:62 I.e., gestured or nodded
  16. Luke 1:63 Lit saying
  17. Luke 1:71 Or Deliverance
  18. Luke 1:77 Or Consisting in

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