John the Baptist Is Born
¹ Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, ²just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, ³it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.


John's Birth Announced to Zacharias
⁵ There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. ⁷But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.
⁸So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, ⁹according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. ¹⁰And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. ¹¹Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹²And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
¹³But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. ¹⁴And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. ¹⁶And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, "to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
¹⁸And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."
¹⁹And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. ²⁰But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time."
²¹And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. ²²But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.
²³So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. ²⁴Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, ²⁵"Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."


Christ's Birth Announced to Mary
²⁶ Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. ²⁸And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"
²⁹But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. ³⁰Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. ³²He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. ³³And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
³⁴Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"
³⁵And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. ³⁷For with God nothing will be impossible."
³⁸Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.


Mary Visits Elizabeth
³⁹ Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, ⁴⁰and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴²Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. ⁴⁵Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."


The Song of Mary
⁴⁶ And Mary said:

        "My soul magnifies the Lord,
        ⁴⁷And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
        ⁴⁸For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
        For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
        ⁴⁹For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
        And holy is His name.
        ⁵⁰And His mercy is on those who fear Him
        From generation to generation.
        ⁵¹He has shown strength with His arm;
        He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
        ⁵²He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
        And exalted the lowly.
        ⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things,
        And the rich He has sent away empty.
        ⁵⁴He has helped His servant Israel,
        In remembrance of His mercy,
        ⁵⁵As He spoke to our fathers,
        To Abraham and to his seed forever."

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

Birth of John the Baptist
⁵⁷ Now Elizabeth's full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. ⁵⁸When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.

Circumcision of John the Baptist
⁵⁹ So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. ⁶⁰His mother answered and said, "No; he shall be called John."
⁶¹But they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name." ⁶²So they made signs to his father--what he would have him called.
⁶³And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, "His name is John." So they all marveled. ⁶⁴Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. ⁶⁵Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. ⁶⁶And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, "What kind of child will this be?" And the hand of the Lord was with him.

Zacharias' Prophecy
⁶⁷ Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:

        ⁶⁸"Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,
        For He has visited and redeemed His people,
        ⁶⁹And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
        In the house of His servant David,
        ⁷⁰As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
        Who have been since the world began,
        ⁷¹That we should be saved from our enemies
        And from the hand of all who hate us,
        ⁷²To perform the mercy promised to our fathers
        And to remember His holy covenant,
        ⁷³The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
        ⁷⁴To grant us that we,
        Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
        Might serve Him without fear,
        ⁷⁵In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.

        ⁷⁶"And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
        For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
        ⁷⁷To give knowledge of salvation to His people
        By the remission of their sins,
        ⁷⁸Through the tender mercy of our God,
        With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
        ⁷⁹To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
        To guide our feet into the way of peace."

⁸⁰So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.