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Birth Announcement of John the Baptist
During the reign of Herod king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and he had a wife named Elizabeth, who was a descendant of Aaron.
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Now while Zechariah was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty,
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And Zechariah, visibly shaken when he saw the angel, was seized with fear.
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But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you will name him John.
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Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well.”
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Now the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they began to wonder why he was delayed in the Holy Place.
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and entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.
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On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name him Zechariah after his father.
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Immediately Zechariah’s mouth was opened and his tongue released, and he spoke, blessing God.
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Zechariah’s Praise and Prediction
Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied,
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during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
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from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation.