¹³ But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid,^(A) Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.^{(B) 14} He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,^{(C) 15} for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink,^(D) and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit^(E) even before he is born.^{(F) 16} He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord,^(G) in the spirit and power of Elijah,^(H) to turn the hearts of the parents to their children^(I) and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”^(J)

¹⁸ Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this?^(K) I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”^(L)

¹⁹ The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel.^(M) I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. ²⁰ And now you will be silent and not able to speak^(N) until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

²¹ Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. ²² When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs^(O) to them but remained unable to speak.