12Zechariah saw the angel there and got a big shock. He was really frightened.
13But the angel told him, “Don’t be frightened, Zechariah. God has heard what you have been asking him, and he will give you what you want. Your wife, Elizabeth, will have a baby boy, and you will name him John.
14You will be really happy, and a lot of other people will be happy with you.
15God will say that this kid is important, so you have to make sure he never drinks any kind of wine or grog at all. You see, the Holy Spirit will come into this kid while he is still inside his mother, before he gets born.
16And after he grows up he will get lots of you Israel people to turn away from bad things and turn back to God.