²⁴ “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.^{(A) 25} I will sprinkle^(B) clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse^(C) you from all your impurities^(D) and from all your idols.^{(E) 26} I will give you a new heart^(F) and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone^(G) and give you a heart of flesh.^{(H) 27} And I will put my Spirit^(I) in you and move you to follow my decrees^(J) and be careful to keep my laws.^{(K) 28} Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people,^(L) and I will be your God.^(M)

³⁷ “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Once again I will yield to Israel’s plea^(A) and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep,^{(B) 38} as numerous as the flocks for offerings^(C) at Jerusalem during her appointed festivals. So will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.^(D)”

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel^(A) to Nazareth,^(B) a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph,^(C) a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid,^(D) Mary; you have found favor with God.^{(E) 31} You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.^{(F) 32} He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.^(G) The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,^{(H) 33} and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom^(I) will never end.”^(J)

³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you,^(K) and the power of the Most High^(L) will overshadow you. So the holy one^(M) to be born will be called^[a] the Son of God.^{(N) 36} Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child^(O) in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. ³⁷ For no word from God will ever fail.”^(P)

³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹ At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,^{(Q) 40} where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.^{(R) 42} In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women,^(S) and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³ But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord^(T) should come to me? ⁴⁴ As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Mary’s Song^(U)

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

⁵⁶ Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.