Zechariah’s Prophecy

67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit(A) and prophesied:(B)

68 Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel,(C)
because he has visited
and provided redemption for his people.(D)
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us(E)
in the house of his servant David,(F)
70 just as he spoke by the mouth
of his holy prophets in ancient times;(G)
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of those who hate us.
72 He has dealt mercifully with our ancestors(H)
and remembered his holy covenant(I)
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham,(J)
to grant that we,
74 having been rescued
from the hand of our enemies,
would serve him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness
in his presence all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called
a prophet of the Most High,(K)
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare his ways,(L)
77 to give his people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins.(M)
78 Because of our God’s merciful compassion,
the dawn from on high(N) will visit us
79 to shine on those who live in darkness
and the shadow of death,(O)
to guide our feet into the way of peace.

80 The child grew up and became strong in spirit,[a](P) and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1:80 Or strong in the Spirit

The Praise and Prophecy of Zechariah

67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

68 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has visited to help and has redeemed[a] his people,
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David,
70 just as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from earliest times—
71     salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all those who hate us,
72 to show mercy to our fathers
    and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to Abraham our father,
    to grant us 74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
could serve him without fear 75 in holiness and righteousness
    before him all our days.
76 And so you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High,
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
    by the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the merciful compassion[b] of our God
    by which the dawn will visit to help us from on high,
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to direct our feet into the way of peace.”

80 And the child kept growing and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Luke 1:68 Literally “has done redemption for”
  2. Luke 1:78 Or “heart”