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The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.
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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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Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
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When his time of service was completed, he returned home.
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After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.
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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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Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
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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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Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
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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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for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.
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His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
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He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
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He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
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to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
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On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah,
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but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”
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Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.
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He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”
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Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.
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Zechariah’s Song
His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
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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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He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
