²⁵ “The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace^(A) among the people.”

Gabriel Predicts Jesus’s Birth

²⁶ In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel^(B) was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,^{(C) 27} to a virgin engaged^[a](D) to a man named Joseph, of the house of David.^(E) The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.”^{[b] 29} But she was deeply troubled^(F) by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. ³⁰ Then the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary,^(G) for you have found favor with God.^{(H) 31} Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.^{(I) 32} He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High,^(J) and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.^{(K) 33} He will reign over the house of Jacob^(L) forever, and his kingdom will have no end.” ^(M)

³⁴ Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” ^[c]

³⁵ The angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,^(N) and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.^{(O) 36} And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God.”^(P)

³⁸ “See, I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Mary’s Visit to Elizabeth

³⁹ In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah ⁴⁰ where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.^{(Q) 42} Then she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed!^{[d] 43} How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!”

Mary’s Praise

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

⁵⁶ And Mary stayed with her about three months; then she returned to her home.

The Nativity of the Messiah

¹⁸ The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged^[a] to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit.^{(A) 19} So her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man,^(B) and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.^(C)

²⁰ But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.^{(D) 21} She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus,^(E) because he will save his people from their sins.”^(F)

²² Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

which is translated “God is with us.”^(G)

²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her^{(H) 25} but did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son.^[c] And he named him Jesus.^(I)