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But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.
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He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,
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for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.
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He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.
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And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
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And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
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Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple.
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“The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
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You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.
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He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
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and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
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“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
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The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
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For no word from God will ever fail.”
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In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!
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for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,
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He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
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All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.
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“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
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And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
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to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
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because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
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But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
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This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
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a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”
