Luke 1:27-76

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.

⁶³His father asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” They all were astonished at this.

⁶⁴Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was freed. He spoke and praised God.

⁶⁵Fear came on all who lived around them. All these matters were spread throughout all the hill country of Judea.

⁶⁶All who heard them stored them in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child become?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

⁶⁷His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

⁶⁸“Praised be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to help and he has accomplished redemption for his people.

⁶⁹He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David

⁷⁰(as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago),

⁷¹salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.

⁷²He will do this to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,

⁷³the oath that he spoke to Abraham our father.

⁷⁴He swore to grant to us that we, having been delivered out of the hand of our enemies, would serve him without fear,

⁷⁵in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

⁷⁶Yes, and you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his paths, to prepare people for his coming,