Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁵ When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah. He was one of a group of priests, and Abijah was their leader. Zechariah's wife Elizabeth came from the family of Aaron.

⁶ Both of them were good people as God saw them. They obeyed all the laws and the things that the Lord said they should do.

⁷ But they had no children. Elizabeth was not able to have a baby and they were both very old.

⁸ Zechariah was doing his work one day as a priest to God. It was time for his group to do the work in the temple.

⁹ The priests had a certain way of dividing their work. This day it was Zechariah's turn to go into the temple of the Lord and burn the incense [that smells sweet when it is burned].

¹⁰ All the people were talking to God outside the temple at this time.

¹¹ An angel of the Lord came to Zechariah. He was standing on the right side of the incense table.

¹² When Zechariah saw him, he was surprised and afraid.

¹³ But the angel said, `Do not be afraid, Zechariah. You have been talking to God. He has heard you. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son. Name him John.

¹⁴ `You will be glad and happy. Many people will be glad when he is born.

¹⁵ He will be great in the way the Lord calls people great. He must not drink wine or any strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the time he is born.

¹⁶ He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.

¹⁷ He will go ahead of the Lord. He will have the spirit and power of Elijah. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children. And he will bring back the people who do not obey, so that they will want to do what good people do. He will make people ready for the Lord.'