Luke 1:39–80

Mary’s Visit to Elizabeth

³⁹In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah ⁴⁰where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, ^eand Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ^f42Then she exclaimed with a loud cry:

“You are the most blessed of women,

and your child will be blessed! ^g

⁴³How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me! ^h45She who has believed is blessed because what was spoken to her by the Lord will be fulfilled!”

Mary’s Praise

⁴⁶And Mary said:

My soul proclaims the greatness of ⁱthe Lord, ^j

⁴⁷and my spirit has rejoiced ^kin God my Savior, ^l

⁴⁸because He has looked with favor

on the humble condition of His slave.

Surely, from now on all generations

will call me blessed, ^m

⁴⁹because the Mighty One ⁿ

has done great things for me, ^o

and His name ^pis holy.

⁵⁰His mercy is from generation to generation ^q

on those who fear Him.

⁵¹He has done a mighty deed with His arm; ^r

He has scattered the proud

because of the thoughts of their hearts; ^s

⁵²He has toppled the mighty from their thrones

and exalted the lowly. ^t

⁵³He has satisfied the hungry with good things ^u

and sent the rich away empty.

⁵⁴He has helped His servant Israel,

mindful of His mercy, ^v

⁵⁵just as He spoke to our ancestors,

to Abraham and his descendants ^wforever. ^x

⁵⁶And Mary stayed with her about three months; then she returned to her home.

The Birth and Naming of John

⁵⁷Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son. ⁵⁸Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her His great mercy, ^yzand they rejoiced with her.

⁵⁹When they came to circumcise the child on the eighth day, ^athey were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. ⁶⁰But his mother responded, “No! He will be called John.” ^b

⁶¹Then they said to her, “None of your relatives has that name.” ⁶²So they motioned to his father ^cto find out what he wanted him to be called. ⁶³He asked for a writing tablet and wrote:

HIS NAME IS JOHN.

And they were all amazed. ⁶⁴Immediately his mouth was opened ^dand his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. ⁶⁵Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. ⁶⁶All who heard about him ^etook it to heart, saying, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the Lord’s hand was with him.

Zechariah’s Prophecy

⁶⁷Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit ^fand prophesied: ^g

⁶⁸Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, ^h

because He has visited

and provided redemption for His people. ⁱ

⁶⁹He has raised up a horn of salvation ^jfor us ^k

in the house of His servant David, ^l

⁷⁰just as He spoke by the mouth

of His holy prophets in ancient times; ^m

⁷¹salvation from our enemies

and from the clutches ⁿof those who hate us.

⁷²He has dealt mercifully with our fathers ^o

and remembered His holy covenant ^p—

⁷³the oath that He swore to our father Abraham. ^q

He has given us the privilege,

⁷⁴since we have been rescued

from our enemies’ clutches, ^r

to serve Him without fear

⁷⁵in holiness and righteousness

in His presence all our days.

⁷⁶And child, you will be called

a prophet of the Most High, ^s

for you will go before the Lord

to prepare His ways, ^t

⁷⁷to give His people knowledge of salvation

through the forgiveness of their sins. ^u

⁷⁸Because of our God’s merciful compassion,

the Dawn from on high ^vwill visit us

⁷⁹to shine on those who live in darkness

and the shadow of death, ^w

to guide our feet into the way of peace.

⁸⁰The child grew up and became spiritually strong, ^xand he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.