Luke 1:58-79
English Standard Version
58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord (A)had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And (B)on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; (C)he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And (D)they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for (E)a writing tablet and wrote, (F)“His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 (G)And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue (H)loosed, and he spoke, (I)blessing God. 65 And (J)fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all (K)the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them (L)laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For (M)the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah's Prophecy
67 And his father Zechariah (N)was filled with the Holy Spirit and (O)prophesied, saying,
68 (P)“Blessed be the Lord (Q)God of Israel,
for he has (R)visited and (S)redeemed his people
69 and (T)has raised up (U)a horn of salvation for us
(V)in the house of his servant David,
70 (W)as (X)he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 (Y)that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 (Z)to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and (AA)to remember his holy (AB)covenant,
73 (AC)the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him (AD)without fear,
75 (AE)in holiness and righteousness before him (AF)all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called (AG)the prophet of (AH)the Most High;
for (AI)you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
(AJ)in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the (AK)tender mercy of our God,
whereby (AL)the sunrise shall (AM)visit us[a] (AN)from on high
79 to (AO)give light to (AP)those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into (AQ)the way of (AR)peace.”
Footnotes
- Luke 1:78 Or when the sunrise shall dawn upon us; some manuscripts since the sunrise has visited us
Luke 1:58-79
King James Version
58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.
65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
66 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Read full chapterThe ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
