Luke 1:24-62

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?

⁴⁴For see, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb jumped for joy.

⁴⁵Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were told her from the Lord.”

⁴⁶Mary said, “My soul praises the Lord,

⁴⁷and my spirit has rejoiced in God my savior.

⁴⁸For he has looked at the low condition of his female servant. For see, from now on all generations will call me blessed.

⁴⁹For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and his name is holy.

⁵⁰His mercy lasts from generation to generation for those who fear him.

⁵¹He has displayed strength with his arm; he has scattered those who were proud about the thoughts of their hearts.

⁵²He has thrown down princes from their thrones and he has raised up those of low condition.

⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things, but the rich he has sent away empty.

⁵⁴He has given help to Israel his servant, so as to remember to show mercy

⁵⁵(as he said to our fathers) to Abraham and his descendants forever.”

⁵⁶Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her house.

⁵⁷Now the time had come for Elizabeth to deliver her baby and she gave birth to a son.

⁵⁸Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

⁵⁹Now it happened on the eighth day that they came to circumcise the child. They would have called him “Zechariah,” after the name of his father.

⁶⁰But his mother answered and said, “No. He will be called John.”

⁶¹They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”

⁶²They made signs to his father as to how he wanted him to be named.