The Birth of John the Baptist

57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

59 On the eighth day they came to circumciseo the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”p

61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

62 Then they made signsq to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”r 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak,s praising God. 65 All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judeat people were talking about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.u

Zechariah’s Song

67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spiritv and prophesied:w

68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,x

because he has come to his people and redeemed them.y

69 He has raised up a hornc z of salvation for us

in the house of his servant Davida

70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),b

71 salvation from our enemies

and from the hand of all who hate us—

72 to show mercy to our ancestorsc

and to remember his holy covenant,d

73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:e

74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,

and to enable us to serve himf without fearg

75 in holiness and righteousnessh before him all our days.

76 And you, my child, will be called a propheti of the Most High;j

for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,k

77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation

through the forgiveness of their sins,l

78 because of the tender mercy of our God,

by which the rising sunm will come to us from heaven

79 to shine on those living in darkness

and in the shadow of death,n

to guide our feet into the path of peace.”o

80 And the child grew and became strong in spiritd;p and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.