Mark 13 - Luke 1

New King James Version

Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple^(A)

13 Then ^(B)as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!”

² And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? ^(C)Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age^(D)

³ Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, ^(E)Peter, ^(F)James, ^(G)John, and ^(H)Andrew asked Him privately, ^4 (I)“Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”

⁵ And Jesus, answering them, began to say: ^(J)“Take heed that no one deceives you. ⁶ For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. ⁷ But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. ⁸ For nation will rise against nation, and ^(K)kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines ^[a]and troubles. ^(L)These are the beginnings of ^[b]sorrows.

⁹ “But ^(M)watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will ^[c]be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. ¹⁰ And ^(N)the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. ^11 (O)But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, ^[d]or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, ^(P)but the Holy Spirit. ¹² Now ^(Q)brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. ^13 (R)And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But ^(S)he who ^[e]endures to the end shall be saved.

The Great Tribulation^(T)

^14 (U)“So when you see the ^(V)‘abomination of desolation,’ ^[f]spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then ^(W)let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁵ Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house. ¹⁶ And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. ^17 (X)But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! ¹⁸ And pray that your flight may not be in winter. ^19 (Y)For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. ²⁰ And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

^21 (Z)“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it. ²² For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and ^(AA)wonders to deceive, if possible, even the ^[g]elect. ²³ But ^(AB)take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.

The Coming of the Son of Man^(AC)

^24 (AD)“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; ²⁵ the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be ^(AE)shaken. ^26 (AF)Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷ And then He will send His angels, and gather together His ^[h]elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.

The Parable of the Fig Tree^(AG)

^28 (AH)“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ So you also, when you see these things happening, know that ^[i]it is near—at the doors! ³⁰ Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. ³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away, but ^(AI)My words will by no means pass away.

No One Knows the Day or Hour^(AJ)

³² “But of that day and hour ^(AK)no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the ^(AL)Father. ^33 (AM)Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. ^34 (AN)It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave ^(AO)authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. ^35 (AP)Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— ³⁶ lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. ³⁷ And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”

The Plot to Kill Jesus^(AQ)

14 After ^(AR)two days it was the Passover and ^(AS)the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by ^[j]trickery and put Him to death. ² But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.”

The Anointing at Bethany^(AT)

^3 (AU)And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly ^[k]oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. ⁴ But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? ⁵ For it might have been sold for more than three hundred ^(AV)denarii and given to the poor.” And they ^(AW)criticized^[l] her sharply.

⁶ But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. ^7 (AX)For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; ^(AY)but Me you do not have always. ⁸ She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. ⁹ Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is ^(AZ)preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus^(BA)

^10 (BB)Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. ¹¹ And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.

Jesus Celebrates the Passover with His Disciples^(BC)

^12 (BD)Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they ^[m]killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?”

¹³ And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him. ¹⁴ Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’ ¹⁵ Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.”

¹⁶ So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover.

^17 (BE)In the evening He came with the twelve. ¹⁸ Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, ^(BF)one of you who eats with Me will betray Me.”

¹⁹ And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, “Is it I?” ^[n]And another said, “Is it I?”

²⁰ He answered and said to them, “It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish. ^21 (BG)The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.”

Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper^(BH)

^22 (BI)And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, ^[o]eat; this is My ^(BJ)body.”

²³ Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. ²⁴ And He said to them, “This is My blood of the ^[p]new covenant, which is shed for many. ²⁵ Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

^26 (BK)And when they had sung ^[q]a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial^(BL)

^27 (BM)Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble ^[r]because of Me this night, for it is written:

²⁸ “But ^(BO)after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”

^29 (BP)Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to ^[s]stumble, yet I will not be.”

³⁰ Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”

³¹ But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”

And they all said likewise.

The Prayer in the Garden^(BQ)

^32 (BR)Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” ³³ And He ^(BS)took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. ³⁴ Then He said to them, ^(BT)“My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”

³⁵ He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. ³⁶ And He said, ^(BU)“Abba, Father, ^(BV)all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; ^(BW)nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”

³⁷ Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? ^38 (BX)Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. ^(BY)The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

³⁹ Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. ⁴⁰ And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.

⁴¹ Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! ^(BZ)The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. ^42 (CA)Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane^(CB)

^43 (CC)And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. ⁴⁴ Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I ^(CD)kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely.”

⁴⁵ As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, “Rabbi, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

⁴⁶ Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him. ⁴⁷ And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

^48 (CE)Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? ⁴⁹ I was daily with you in the temple ^(CF)teaching, and you did not seize Me. But ^(CG)the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”

^50 (CH)Then they all forsook Him and fled.

A Young Man Flees Naked

⁵¹ Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him, ⁵² and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin^(CI)

^53 (CJ)And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were ^(CK)assembled all the ^(CL)chief priests, the elders, and the scribes. ⁵⁴ But ^(CM)Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.

^55 (CN)Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. ⁵⁶ For many bore ^(CO)false witness against Him, but their testimonies ^[t]did not agree.

⁵⁷ Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, ⁵⁸ “We heard Him say, ^(CP)‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’ ” ⁵⁹ But not even then did their testimony agree.

^60 (CQ)And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” ⁶¹ But ^(CR)He kept silent and answered nothing.

^(CS)Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”

⁶² Jesus said, “I am. ^(CT)And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

⁶³ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? ⁶⁴ You have heard the ^(CU)blasphemy! What do you think?”

And they all condemned Him to be deserving of ^(CV)death.

⁶⁵ Then some began to ^(CW)spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers ^[u]struck Him with the palms of their hands.

Peter Denies Jesus, and Weeps^(CX)

^66 (CY)Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. ⁶⁷ And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with ^(CZ)Jesus of Nazareth.”

⁶⁸ But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.

^69 (DA)And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.” ⁷⁰ But he denied it again.

^(DB)And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; ^(DC)for you are a Galilean, ^[v]and your ^[w]speech shows it.”

⁷¹ Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”

^72 (DD)A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.

Jesus Faces Pilate^(DE)

15 Immediately, ^(DF)in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and ^(DG)delivered Him to Pilate. ^2 (DH)Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

He answered and said to him, “It is as you say.”

³ And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He ^(DI)answered nothing. ^4 (DJ)Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things ^[x]they testify against You!” ^5 (DK)But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.

Taking the Place of Barabbas^(DL)

⁶ Now ^(DM)at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. ⁷ And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. ⁸ Then the multitude, ^[y]crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. ⁹ But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” ¹⁰ For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.

¹¹ But ^(DN)the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. ¹² Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the ^(DO)King of the Jews?”

¹³ So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”

¹⁴ Then Pilate said to them, “Why, ^(DP)what evil has He done?”

But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”

^15 (DQ)So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be ^(DR)crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus^(DS)

^16 (DT)Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called ^[z]Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison. ¹⁷ And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, ¹⁸ and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ¹⁹ Then they ^(DU)struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. ²⁰ And when they had ^(DV)mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

The King on a Cross^(DW)

^21 (DX)Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross. ^22 (DY)And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. ^23 (DZ)Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it. ²⁴ And when they crucified Him, ^(EA)they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take.

²⁵ Now ^(EB)it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. ²⁶ And ^(EC)the inscription of His ^[aa]accusation was written above:

THE KING OF THE JEWS.

^27 (ED)With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. ^28 [ab]So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ^(EE)“And He was numbered with the transgressors.”

²⁹ And ^(EF)those who passed by blasphemed Him, ^(EG)wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! ^(EH)You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, ³⁰ save Yourself, and come down from the cross!”

³¹ Likewise the chief priests also, ^(EI)mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved ^(EJ)others; Himself He cannot save. ³² Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and ^[ac]believe.”

Even ^(EK)those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.

Jesus Dies on the Cross^(EL)

³³ Now ^(EM)when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. ³⁴ And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, ^(EN)“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

³⁵ Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, “Look, He is calling for Elijah!” ³⁶ Then ^(EO)someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and ^(EP)offered it to Him to drink, saying, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.”

^37 (EQ)And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.

³⁸ Then ^(ER)the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ³⁹ So ^(ES)when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that ^[ad]He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”

^40 (ET)There were also women looking on ^(EU)from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, ⁴¹ who also ^(EV)followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb^(EW)

^42 (EX)Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who ^(EY)was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁴⁴ Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. ⁴⁵ So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. ^46 (EZ)Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. ⁴⁷ And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.

He Is Risen^(FA)

16 Now ^(FB)when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome ^(FC)bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. ^2 (FD)Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. ³ And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” ⁴ But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. ^5 (FE)And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.

^6 (FF)But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. ⁷ But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going ^[ae]before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, ^(FG)as He said to you.”

⁸ So they went out ^[af]quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. ^(FH)And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Mary Magdalene Sees the Risen Lord^(FI)

^9 [ag]Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, ^(FJ)out of whom He had cast seven demons. ^10 (FK)She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. ^11 (FL)And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples^(FM)

¹² After that, He appeared in another form ^(FN)to two of them as they walked and went into the country. ¹³ And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

The Great Commission^(FO)

^14 (FP)Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. ^15 (FQ)And He said to them, “Go into all the world ^(FR)and preach the gospel to every creature. ^16 (FS)He who believes and is baptized will be saved; ^(FT)but he who does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷ And these ^(FU)signs will follow those who ^[ah]believe: ^(FV)In My name they will cast out demons; ^(FW)they will speak with new tongues; ^18 (FX)they^[ai] will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; ^(FY)they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Christ Ascends to God’s Right Hand^(FZ)

¹⁹ So then, ^(GA)after the Lord had spoken to them, He was ^(GB)received up into heaven, and ^(GC)sat down at the right hand of God. ²⁰ And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them ^(GD)and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

Dedication to Theophilus

1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those ^(GE)things which ^[aj]have been fulfilled among us, ² just as those who ^(GF)from the beginning were ^(GG)eyewitnesses and ministers of the word ^(GH)delivered them to us, ³ it seemed good to me also, having ^[ak]had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, ^(GI)most excellent Theophilus, ^4 (GJ)that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

John’s Birth Announced to Zacharias

⁵ There was ^(GK)in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, ^(GL)of the division of ^(GM)Abijah. His ^(GN)wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶ And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. ⁷ But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

⁸ So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, ⁹ according to the custom of the priesthood, ^[al]his lot fell ^(GO)to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. ^10 (GP)And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. ¹¹ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of ^(GQ)the altar of incense. ¹² And when Zacharias saw him, ^(GR)he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

¹³ But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and ^(GS)you shall call his name John. ¹⁴ And you will have joy and gladness, and ^(GT)many will rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵ For he will be ^(GU)great in the sight of the Lord, and ^(GV)shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, ^(GW)even from his mother’s womb. ¹⁶ And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. ^17 (GX)He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

¹⁸ And Zacharias said to the angel, ^(GY)“How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”

¹⁹ And the angel answered and said to him, “I am ^(GZ)Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you ^[am]these glad ^(HA)tidings. ²⁰ But behold, ^(HB)you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”

²¹ And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. ²² But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.

²³ So it was, as soon as ^(HC)the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. ²⁴ Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, ²⁵ “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to ^(HD)take away my reproach among people.”

Christ’s Birth Announced to Mary

²⁶ Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin ^(HE)betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And having come in, the angel said to her, ^(HF)“Rejoice, highly favored one, ^(HG)the Lord is with you; ^[an]blessed are you among women!”

²⁹ But ^[ao]when she saw him, ^(HH)she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. ³⁰ Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found ^(HI)favor with God. ^31 (HJ)And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and ^(HK)shall call His name Jesus. ³² He will be great, ^(HL)and will be called the Son of the Highest; and ^(HM)the Lord God will give Him the ^(HN)throne of His ^(HO)father David. ^33 (HP)And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

³⁴ Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I ^[ap]do not know a man?”

³⁵ And the angel answered and said to her, ^(HQ)“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called ^(HR)the Son of God. ³⁶ Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. ³⁷ For ^(HS)with God nothing will be impossible.”

³⁸ Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹ Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, ^(HT)to a city of Judah, ⁴⁰ and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was ^(HU)filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, ^(HV)“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³ But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. ^45 (HW)Blessed is she who ^[aq]believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

The Song of Mary

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

⁵⁶ And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

Birth of John the Baptist

⁵⁷ Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. ⁵⁸ When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they ^(IO)rejoiced with her.

Circumcision of John the Baptist

⁵⁹ So it was, ^(IP)on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. ⁶⁰ His mother answered and said, ^(IQ)“No; he shall be called John.”

⁶¹ But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” ⁶² So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called.

⁶³ And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled. ⁶⁴ Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. ⁶⁵ Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. ⁶⁶ And all those who heard them ^(IR)kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And ^(IS)the hand of the Lord was with him.

Zacharias’ Prophecy

⁶⁷ Now his father Zacharias ^(IT)was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:

⁸⁰ So ^(JI)the child grew and became strong in spirit, and ^(JJ)was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.