¹⁴ He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,^{(A) 15} for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink,^(B) and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit^(C) even before he is born.^{(D) 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,^(E) in the spirit and power of Elijah,^(F) to turn the hearts of the parents to their children^(G) and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”^(H)

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

¹⁹ The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel.^(K) I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.