Luke 1:38-80

³⁸“Here I am, ready to be the Lord's servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me just as you said.” Then the angel left her.

³⁹A little while later, Mary got herself ready and hurried up into the hills of Judea, to the town where

⁴⁰Zechariah's house was. She called out to Elizabeth as she went in.

⁴¹As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's voice, the baby jumped for joy inside her. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,

⁴²and cried out in a loud voice, “How blessed you are among women, and how blessed will be the child born to you!

⁴³Why am I so honored that the mother of my Lord should visit me?

⁴⁴As soon as I heard you call out in greeting, my baby jumped for joy inside me.

⁴⁵How fortunate you are, because you are convinced that the Lord will do what he has promised you!”

⁴⁶Mary replied, “How I praise the Lord!

⁴⁷I am so happy with God my Savior,

⁴⁸because he decided that I, his servant, was worthy of his consideration, despite my humble background. From now on every generation will say I was blessed.

⁴⁹God Almighty has done great things for me; his name is holy.

⁵⁰His mercy lasts for generation after generation to those who respect him.

⁵¹With his power he has broken to pieces those who arrogantly think they're so clever.

⁵²He tears the powerful down from their thrones, and elevates those who are humble.

⁵³He fills the hungry with good things to eat, and he sends the rich away empty-handed.

⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel, remembering him in mercy,

⁵⁵just as he promised our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants for ever.”

⁵⁶Mary stayed with her for three months and then returned home.

⁵⁷The time came for Elizabeth to have her baby and she gave birth to a son.

⁵⁸Her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had showed her great kindness, and they celebrated together with her.

⁵⁹Eight days later they came to circumcise the boy. They planned to call him Zechariah after his father.

⁶⁰“No,” Elizabeth said. “He shall be called John.”

⁶¹“But there's nobody among your relatives who has this name,” they told her.

⁶²Through gestures they asked Zechariah, the boy's father, what he wanted to call his son.

⁶³Zechariah motioned for something to write on. To everyone's surprise he wrote, “His name is John.”

⁶⁴Immediately he could speak again, and he started praising God.

⁶⁵All those living nearby were in awe at what had happened, and the news spread throughout the hill country of Judea.

⁶⁶Everyone who heard the news wondered what it meant. “What will the little boy grow up to be?” they asked, for it was clear he was very special to God.

⁶⁷Zechariah, his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke this prophecy:

⁶⁸“The Lord, the God of Israel, he is wonderful, for he has come to his people and set them free.

⁶⁹He has given us a great Savior from the line of his servant David,

⁷⁰as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.

⁷¹He promised to save us from our enemies, from those who hate us.

⁷²He was merciful to our fathers, remembering his holy agreement—

⁷³the promise that he made to our father Abraham.

⁷⁴He gives us freedom from fear and rescues us from our enemies,

⁷⁵so we can serve him by doing what is good and right for our whole lives.

⁷⁶Even though you are only a small child, you will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go ahead of the Lord to prepare his way,

⁷⁷providing knowledge of salvation to his people through the forgiveness of their sins.

⁷⁸Through God's caring kindness to us, heaven's dawn will break upon us

⁷⁹to shine on those who live in darkness and under the shadow of death, and to guide us along the path of peace.”

⁸⁰The boy John grew and became spiritually strong. He lived in the desert until the time came for his public ministry to Israel.