⁵ “See, I will send the prophet Elijah^(A) to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.^(B)

⁶ He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children,^(A) and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike^(B) the land with total destruction.”^(C)

¹¹ Then an angel^(A) of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.^{(B) 12} When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.^{(C) 13} But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid,^(D) Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.^{(E) 14} He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,^{(F) 15} for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink,^(G) and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit^(H) even before he is born.^{(I) 16} He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord,^(J) in the spirit and power of Elijah,^(K) to turn the hearts of the parents to their children^(L) and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”^(M)