Luke 1:4–22

⁴so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been ^1ataught.

Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

^5aIn the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named ¹Zacharias, of the ^bdivision of ²Abijah; and he had a wife ³from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

⁶They were both ^arighteous in the sight of God, walking ^bblamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.

⁷But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in ¹years.

⁸Now it happened that while ^ahe was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division,

⁹according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot ^ato enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

¹⁰And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer ^aoutside at the hour of the incense offering.

¹¹And ^aan angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.

¹²Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and ^afear ¹gripped him.

¹³But the angel said to him, “^aDo not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and ^byou will ¹give him the name John.

¹⁴“You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

¹⁵“For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will ^adrink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit ¹while yet in his mother’s womb.

¹⁶“And he will ^aturn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.

¹⁷“It is he who will ^ago as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of ^bElijah, ^cto turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

¹⁸Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For ^aI am an old man and my wife is advanced in ¹years.”

¹⁹The angel answered and said to him, “I am ^aGabriel, who ^1bstands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.

²⁰“And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

²¹The people were waiting for Zacharias, and were wondering at his delay in the temple.

²²But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he ^akept ¹making signs to them, and remained mute.