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.