Luke 1:48-77

⁴⁸For he has looked upon the low estate of his bondmaid; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

⁴⁹For the Mighty One has done to me great things, and holy is his name;

⁵⁰and his mercy is to generations and generations to them that fear him.

⁵¹He has wrought strength with his arm; he has scattered haughty ones in the thought of their heart.

⁵²He has put down rulers from thrones, and exalted the lowly.

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

⁵⁴He has helped Israel his servant, in order to remember mercy,

⁵⁵(as he spoke to our fathers,) to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

⁵⁶And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her house.

⁵⁷But the time was fulfilled for Elizabeth that she should bring forth, and she gave birth to a son.

⁵⁸And her neighbours and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her.

⁵⁹And it came to pass on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they called it after the name of his father, Zacharias.

⁶⁰And his mother answering said, No; but he shall be called John.

⁶¹And they said to her, There is no one among thy kinsfolk who is called by this name.

⁶²And they made signs to his father as to what he might wish it to be called.

⁶³And having asked for a writing-table, he wrote saying, John is his name. And they all wondered.

⁶⁴And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue, and he spake, blessing God.

⁶⁵And fear came upon all who dwelt round about them; and in the whole hill-country of Judaea all these things were the subject of conversation.

⁶⁶And all who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then will this child be? And the Lord's hand was with him.

⁶⁷And Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,

⁶⁸Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, because he has visited and wrought redemption for his people,

⁶⁹and raised up a horn of deliverance for us in the house of David his servant;

⁷⁰as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who have been since the world began;

⁷¹deliverance from our enemies and out of the hand of all who hate us;

⁷²to fulfil mercy with our fathers and remember his holy covenant,

⁷³the oath which he swore to Abraham our father,

⁷⁴to give us, that, saved out of the hand of our enemies, we should serve him without fear

⁷⁵in piety and righteousness before him all our days.

⁷⁶And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to make ready his ways;

⁷⁷to give knowledge of deliverance to his people by the remission of their sins