Luke 1:18-43

¹⁸Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I know this? For I am an old man and my wife is very old.”

¹⁹The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you, to bring you this good news.

²⁰Behold! You will be silent, unable to speak, until the day these things take place. This is because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at the right time.”

²¹Now the people were waiting for Zechariah. They were surprised that he was spending so much time in the temple.

²²But when he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized that he had seen a vision while he was in the temple. He kept on making signs to them and remained silent.

²³It came about that when the days of his service were over, he went to his house.

²⁴After these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived and for five months she kept herself hidden. She said,

²⁵“This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked at me with favor in order to take away my shame before people.”

²⁶In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth,

²⁷to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph. He belonged to the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary.

²⁸He came to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹But she was very confused by his words and she wondered what kind of greeting this could be.

³⁰The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

³¹See, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son. You will call his name 'Jesus.'

³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.

³³He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end to his kingdom.”

³⁴Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen, since I have not slept with any man?”

³⁵The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will come over you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

³⁶See, your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age. This is the sixth month for her, she who was called barren.

³⁷For nothing will be impossible for God.”

³⁸Mary said, “See, I am the female servant of the Lord. Let it be for me according to your message.” Then the angel left her.

³⁹Then Mary arose in those days and quickly went into the hill country, to a city in Judea.

⁴⁰She went into the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

⁴¹Now it happened that when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby in her womb jumped, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

⁴²She raised her voice and said loudly, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

⁴³Why has it happened to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?