Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Elizabeth Bears a Son, Who Is Named John. People Wonder What This Child Will Be
57 Now for Elizabeth, the time was fulfilled that she might give-birth, and she bore a son. 58 And the neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord magnified His mercy with her, and they were rejoicing-with her. 59 And it came about that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they[a] were calling[b] him Zechariah, on the basis of the name of his father. 60 And having responded, his mother said, “No! Instead he will be called John”. 61 And they said to her that “There is no one from your relatives who is called by this name”. 62 And they were motioning to his father as to what he would wish him to be called. 63 And having asked-for a tablet, he wrote, saying “John is his name”. And they all marveled. 64 And at-once his mouth was opened, and his tongue loosed. And he was speaking, blessing God. 65 And awe came over all the ones living around them. And all these things were being talked-over in the whole hill country of Judea. 66 And all the ones having heard it put these matters in their heart, saying, “What then will this child be?” For[c] indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah Prophesies That John Will Prepare The Way For The Messiah
67 And Zechariah, his father, was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying 68 “Blessed be the Lord God[d] of Israel, because He visited us and accomplished[e] redemption for His people, 69 and raised-up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant (70 just as He spoke through the mouth of His holy prophets from the past age[f]), 71 a salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all the ones hating us, 72 so as to show mercy to[g] our fathers and remember[h] His holy covenant (73 the oath which He swore to Abraham our father)— that He might grant to us that 74 having been delivered from the hand of our enemies, we might be serving[i] Him fearlessly 75 in holiness and righteousness before Him for all our days. 76 And indeed you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most-High. For you will go before the Lord so as to prepare His ways[j], 77 that you might give[k] His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins 78 because of the deep-feelings-of mercy of our God, with which[l] the rising[m] Sun from on-high will visit us 79 so as to shine-upon the ones sitting in darkness and a shadow of death, that He might direct[n] our feet into the way of peace”.
John Remains In Seclusion Until His Public Appearance To Israel
80 And the child was growing and becoming-strong in spirit. And he was in the desolate places until the day of his public-appearance[o] to Israel.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing