Luke 1:8-20

⁸Zechariah belonged to that group that did the Jewish ceremonies, and the time came for them to do those ceremonies in God’s ceremony house in Jerusalem city.

⁹One day it was Zechariah’s turn to go into the special room in that house and burn some stuff to make a good smell.

¹⁰While he was doing that a big mob of people were outside, and they were praying.

¹¹Then God sent one of his angel messengers to that room, and he stood beside the metal table where that stuff was burning.

¹²Zechariah saw the angel there and got a big shock. He was really frightened.

¹³But the angel told him, “Don’t be frightened, Zechariah. God has heard what you have been asking him, and he will give you what you want. Your wife, Elizabeth, will have a baby boy, and you will name him John.

¹⁴You will be really happy, and a lot of other people will be happy with you.

¹⁵God will say that this kid is important, so you have to make sure he never drinks any kind of wine or grog at all. You see, the Holy Spirit will come into this kid while he is still inside his mother, before he gets born.

¹⁶And after he grows up he will get lots of you Israel people to turn away from bad things and turn back to God.

¹⁷Do you remember the story about God’s man called Elijah, that lived a long time ago? He had God’s spirit in him and he did powerful things. Well, in the same way, John will have God’s spirit and his power. He will come to this world ahead of the special man that God will send. John will get men that are fathers to love their kids. You know, there are some people now that don’t want God, but John will get them to listen to the sensible words of good people. In that way he will get people ready for the special man that God will send.”

¹⁸Zechariah said to the angel, “Just a minute. Is this message true? I am an old man, and my wife is old too. We are too old to have a baby. How can I be sure that this message is true?”

¹⁹The angel said, “Look, I am Gabriel. I am always close to God, and I do special jobs for him. And he sent me to tell you this good message.

²⁰And everything I said will happen at the right time. But you didn’t believe me, so now God will shut you up. You will not be able to talk until this kid gets born.”