21  And the people were awaiting Zacharias, and they wondered at his delaying in the temple. 22  But when he came out he could not speak to them, and they recognised that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was making signs to them, and continued dumb. 23  And it came to pass, when the days of his service were completed, he departed to his house. 24  Now after these days, Elizabeth his wife conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, 25  Thus has the Lord done to me in these days in which he looked upon me to take away my reproach among men.

26  But in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent of God to a city of Galilee, of which the name was Nazareth, 27  to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28  And the angel came in to her, and said, Hail, thou favoured one! the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou amongst women. 29  But she, seeing the angel, was troubled at his word, and reasoned in her mind what this salutation might be. 30  And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God; 31  and behold, thou shalt conceive in the womb and bear a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. 32  He shall be great, and shall be called Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give him the throne of David his father; 33  and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for the ages, and of his kingdom there shall not be an end. 34  But Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I know not a man? 35  And the angel answering said to her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and power of the Highest overshadow thee, wherefore the holy thing also which shall be born shall be called Son of God. 36  And behold, Elizabeth, thy kinswoman, she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month to her that was called barren: 37  for nothing shall be impossible with God. 38  And Mary said, Behold the bondmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

39  And Mary, rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40  and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elizabeth. 41  And it came to pass, as Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42  and cried out with a loud voice and said, Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed the fruit of thy womb. 43  And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44  For behold, as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped with joy in my womb. 45  And blessed is she that has believed, for there shall be a fulfilment of the things spoken to her from the Lord. 46  And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, 47  and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48  For he has looked upon the low estate of his bondmaid; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49  For the Mighty One has done to me great things, and holy is his name; 50  and his mercy is to generations and generations to them that fear him. 51  He has wrought strength with his arm; he has scattered haughty ones in the thought of their heart. 52  He has put down rulers from thrones, and exalted the lowly. 53  He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent away the rich empty. 54  He 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. 56  And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her house.