Old/New Testament

²¹ the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the temple. They were surprised that he stayed in so long.

²² When he came out, he could not talk to them. They knew that he had seen something in the temple. He made signs to them with his hands and did not talk.

²³ When his time for doing the work of a priest was finished, Zechariah went home.

²⁴ After that, his wife Elizabeth found she was going to have a baby. For five months she stayed away from people.

²⁵ She said to herself, `The Lord has done this for me. At this time he has remembered me so that I need not be ashamed among people anymore.'

²⁶ Elizabeth was now in her sixth month. God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee.

²⁷ The angel was sent to a young woman there. Her name was Mary. She was promised to a man named Joseph, to be his wife. He was of David's family line.

²⁸ The angel went into the house and said to her, `Be happy! God has blessed you more than other women. The Lord is with you!'

²⁹ What the angel said troubled Mary. She wondered what this greeting meant.

³⁰ The angel said to her, `Do not be afraid, Mary. God has blessed you.

³¹ You will have a baby son. Name him Jesus.

³² He will be a great man. He will be called the Son of the Highest One [a name for God]. The Lord God will make him king where his father David was king.

³³ He will be king over the people of Israel for ever. He will never stop being king.'

³⁴ Then Mary said to the angel, `How can this happen? I have no husband.'

³⁵ The angel answered, `The Holy Spirit will come to you. The power of the Highest One will be over you. That is why the holy child who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

³⁶ `Your cousin Elizabeth is also going to have a baby son, though she is an old woman. This is the sixth month for her. She is one whom people said would not have a baby.

³⁷ But God can do anything.'

³⁸ Mary said, `I am the Lord's servant. Let it be as you have said.' Then the angel left her.