Luke 1:39-80

Common English Bible

Mary visits Elizabeth

³⁹Mary got up and hurried to a city in the Judean highlands. ⁴⁰She entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴²With a loud voice she blurted out, “God has blessed you above all women, and he has blessed the child you carry. ⁴³Why do I have this honor, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴As soon as I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. ⁴⁵Happy is she who believed that the Lord would fulfill the promises he made to her.”

Mary praises God

⁴⁶Mary said,

“With all my heart I glorify the Lord!
⁴⁷    In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior.
⁴⁸He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant.
    Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored
⁴⁹        because the mighty one has done great things for me.
Holy is his name.
⁵⁰    He shows mercy to everyone,
        from one generation to the next,
        who honors him as God.
⁵¹He has shown strength with his arm.
    He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations.
⁵²    He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones
        and lifted up the lowly.
⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things
    and sent the rich away empty-handed.
⁵⁴He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,
        remembering his mercy,
⁵⁵    just as he promised to our ancestors,
        to Abraham and to Abraham’s descendants forever.”

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

⁵⁷When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a boy. ⁵⁸Her neighbors and relatives celebrated with her because they had heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy. ⁵⁹On the eighth day, it came time to circumcise the child. They wanted to name him Zechariah because that was his father’s name. ⁶⁰But his mother replied, “No, his name will be John.”

⁶¹They said to her, “None of your relatives have that name.” ⁶²Then they began gesturing to his father to see what he wanted to call him.

⁶³After asking for a tablet, he surprised everyone by writing, “His name is John.” ⁶⁴At that moment, Zechariah was able to speak again, and he began praising God.

⁶⁵All their neighbors were filled with awe, and everyone throughout the Judean highlands talked about what had happened. ⁶⁶All who heard about this considered it carefully. They said, “What then will this child be?” Indeed, the Lord’s power was with him.

Zechariah’s prophecy

⁶⁷John’s father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied,

⁶⁸“Bless the Lord God of Israel
    because he has come to help and has delivered his people.
⁶⁹He has raised up a mighty savior for us in his servant David’s house,
⁷⁰    just as he said through the mouths of his holy prophets long ago.
⁷¹He has brought salvation from our enemies
    and from the power of all those who hate us.
⁷²He has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
    and remembered his holy covenant,
⁷³        the solemn pledge he made to our ancestor Abraham.
He has granted ⁷⁴that we would be rescued
        from the power of our enemies
    so that we could serve him without fear,
⁷⁵        in holiness and righteousness in God’s eyes,
            for as long as we live.
⁷⁶You, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High,
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.
⁷⁷You will tell his people how to be saved
    through the forgiveness of their sins.
⁷⁸Because of our God’s deep compassion,
    the dawn from heaven will break upon us,
⁷⁹    to give light to those who are sitting in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,
        to guide us on the path of peace.”