⁶⁰ but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”^(A)

⁶¹ They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

⁶² Then they made signs^(B) to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. ⁶³ He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”^{(C) 64} Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak,^(D) praising God. ⁶⁵ All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea^(E) people were talking about all these things. ⁶⁶ Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.^(F)