Luke 1:26–56

The Prediction of Jesus’ Birth

²⁶Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named^g Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin legally promised in marriage to a man named^h Joseph of the house of David. And the name of the virgin was Mary. ²⁸And he came to her and^* said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” ²⁹But she was greatly perplexed at the statement, and was pondering what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰And the angel said to her,

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

³¹And behold, you will conceive in the womb and will give birth to a son,

and you will call his name Jesus.

³²This one will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High,

and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.

³³And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever,ⁱ

and of his kingdom there will be no end.

³⁴And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” ³⁵And the angel answered and^* said to her,

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,

and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Therefore also the one to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

³⁶And behold, your relative Elizabeth—she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren. ³⁷For nothing will be impossible with God.”^j

³⁸So Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s female slave! May it happen to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹Now in those days Mary set out and^* traveled with haste into the hill country, to a town of Judah, ⁴⁰and entered into the house of Zechariah, and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹And it happened that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby in her womb leaped and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴²And she cried out with a loud shout and said,

“Blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

⁴³And why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy! ⁴⁵And blessed is she who believed that there will be a fulfillment to what was spoken to her from the Lord!”

Mary’s Hymn of Praise to God

⁴⁶And Mary said,

“My soul exalts the Lord,

⁴⁷and my spirit has rejoiced greatly in God my Savior,

⁴⁸because he has looked upon the humble state of his female slave,

for behold, from now on all generations will consider me blessed,

⁴⁹because the Mighty One has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

⁵⁰And his mercy is for generation after generation

to those who fear him.

⁵¹He has done a mighty deed with his arm;

he has dispersed the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

⁵²He has brought down rulers from their thrones,

and has exalted the lowly.

⁵³He has filled those who are hungry with good things,

and those who are rich he has sent away empty-handed.

⁵⁴He has helped Israel his servant,

remembering his mercy,

⁵⁵just as he spoke to our fathers,

to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”^k

⁵⁶And Mary stayed with her about three months, and returned to her home.