Luke 1:8-16

⁸One day, when Zechariah was officiating as priest before God, during the turn of his division,

⁹it fell to him by lot, in accordance with the practise amongst the priests, to go into the Temple of the Lord and burn incense;

¹⁰and, as it was the Hour of Incense, the people were all praying outside.

¹¹And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the Altar of Incense.

¹²Zechariah was startled at the sight and was awe-struck.

¹³But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, whom you will call by the name John.

¹⁴He will be to you a joy and a delight; and many will rejoice over his birth.

¹⁵For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he will not drink any wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the very hour of his birth,

¹⁶and will reconcile many of the Israelites to the Lord their God.