Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Abstinence » Total abstinence » Strong Drink » John the baptist a total abstainer
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb.
Total abstinence » From intoxicating beverages
So then, be careful and do not drink wine or strong drink, and do not eat anything unclean,
[It is] not for the kings, O Lemuel; drinking wine [is] not for the kings, nor [is] strong drink for rulers.
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb.
Then Yahweh spoke to Aaron, saying, "You and your sons with you may not drink wine or strong drink when you come to [the] tent of assembly, so that you will not die--[it is] a lasting statute for your generations-- and to distinguish between the holy and the unholy, as well as between the unclean and the clean,
he will abstain from wine and fermented drink; he will not drink wine vinegar or vinegar of fermented drink; he will not drink the fruit juice of grapes or eat fresh or dry grapes. All the days of his separation you will not eat from anything that is made from the grapevine, from sour grapes to the skin [of grapes].
And the angel of Yahweh said to Manoah, "Let the woman be attentive to all that I said. She should not eat of anything that comes from the vine, or drink wine or strong drink, or eat anything unclean; she should keep all that I commanded."
There were no restrictions on the drinking, for the king had instructed every official of his palace to do as each one pleased.
Do not be among drinkers of wine, among gluttonous eaters of {their meat}.
Do not look at wine when it is red, when it {sparkles} on the cup, going down smoothly. {In the end}, it will bite like a serpent, and it will sting like an adder.
But they answered, "We will not drink wine, for Jonadab, the son of Rechab, our ancestor, commanded us, {saying}, 'You shall not drink wine, you or your children, {forever}. And you shall not build a house, and you shall not sow seed, and you shall not plant a vineyard, and it shall not be for you, but in tents you shall live all your days, so that you may live many days on the surface of the land where you [are] dwelling as aliens.' And we obeyed the voice of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, our ancestor, in all that he commanded us, not to drink wine all our days, ourselves, our wives, our sons, or our daughters,
"The words of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, that he commanded his descendants to not drink, have been carried out, and they have not drunk until this day, for they have obeyed the command of their ancestor. But {I have spoken to you over and over again}, and you have not listened to me.
Total abstinence » Instances of » John the baptist
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon!'
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb.
For John the Baptist has come not eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon!'
Angel (a spirit) » Appearances of » To zacharias
And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was terrified [when he] saw [the angel], and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. read more.
And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!" And the angel answered [and] said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these [things] take place, {because} you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time."
And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!" And the angel answered [and] said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these [things] take place, {because} you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time."
Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee {named} Nazareth, to a virgin legally promised in marriage to a man {named} Joseph of the house of David. And the name of the virgin [was] Mary. And he came to her [and] said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord [is] with you." read more.
But she was greatly perplexed at the statement, and was pondering what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in the womb and will give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus. This 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. And he will reign over the house of Jacob {forever}, and of his kingdom there will be no end. And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?" And 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. And 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. For {nothing will be impossible with God}." So Mary said, "Behold, the Lord's female slave! May it happen to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
But she was greatly perplexed at the statement, and was pondering what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in the womb and will give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus. This 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. And he will reign over the house of Jacob {forever}, and of his kingdom there will be no end. And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?" And 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. And 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. For {nothing will be impossible with God}." So Mary said, "Behold, the Lord's female slave! May it happen to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
Angel (a spirit) » Functions of » Announces the birth of john the baptist
And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was terrified [when he] saw [the angel], and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. read more.
And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!" And the angel answered [and] said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these [things] take place, {because} you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time."
And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!" And the angel answered [and] said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these [things] take place, {because} you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time."
Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Elisabeth
It happened that in the days of Herod, king of Judea, [there was] a certain priest, Zechariah by name, of the division of Abijah. And {he had a wife} from the daughters of Aaron, and her name [was] Elizabeth. And they were both righteous in the sight of God, living blamelessly in all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. And {they did not have} a child, because Elizabeth was barren. And they were both advanced {in years}. read more.
And it happened that [while] he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood he was chosen by lot to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense. And the whole crowd of the people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was terrified [when he] saw [the angel], and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!" And the angel answered [and] said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these [things] take place, {because} you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and began to wonder [when] he was delayed in the temple. And [when he] came out he was not able to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them, and remained unable to speak. And it happened that when the days of his service came to an end, he went away to his home. Now after these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she kept herself in seclusion [for] five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which he has concerned himself with [me], to take away my disgrace among people."
And it happened that [while] he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood he was chosen by lot to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense. And the whole crowd of the people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was terrified [when he] saw [the angel], and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!" And the angel answered [and] said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these [things] take place, {because} you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and began to wonder [when] he was delayed in the temple. And [when he] came out he was not able to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them, and remained unable to speak. And it happened that when the days of his service came to an end, he went away to his home. Now after these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she kept herself in seclusion [for] five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which he has concerned himself with [me], to take away my disgrace among people."
Children » Early piety of » John the baptist
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb.
And the child kept growing and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Elisabeth (elizabeth) » The wife of zacharias and the mother of john the baptist
It happened that in the days of Herod, king of Judea, [there was] a certain priest, Zechariah by name, of the division of Abijah. And {he had a wife} from the daughters of Aaron, and her name [was] Elizabeth. And they were both righteous in the sight of God, living blamelessly in all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. And {they did not have} a child, because Elizabeth was barren. And they were both advanced {in years}. read more.
And it happened that [while] he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood he was chosen by lot to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense. And the whole crowd of the people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was terrified [when he] saw [the angel], and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!" And the angel answered [and] said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these [things] take place, {because} you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and began to wonder [when] he was delayed in the temple. And [when he] came out he was not able to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them, and remained unable to speak. And it happened that when the days of his service came to an end, he went away to his home. Now after these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she kept herself in seclusion [for] five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which he has concerned himself with [me], to take away my disgrace among people." Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee {named} Nazareth, to a virgin legally promised in marriage to a man {named} Joseph of the house of David. And the name of the virgin [was] Mary. And he came to her [and] said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord [is] with you." But she was greatly perplexed at the statement, and was pondering what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in the womb and will give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus. This 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. And he will reign over the house of Jacob {forever}, and of his kingdom there will be no end. And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?" And 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. And 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. For {nothing will be impossible with God}." So Mary said, "Behold, the Lord's female slave! May it happen to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. Now in those days Mary set out [and] traveled with haste into the hill country, to a town of Judah, and entered into the house of Zechariah, and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby in her womb leaped and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud shout and said, "Blessed [are] you among women, and blessed [is] the fruit of your womb! And why [is] this [granted] to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy! And blessed [is] she who believed that [there] will be a fulfillment to what was spoken to her from the Lord!" And Mary said, "My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced greatly in God my Savior, because he has looked upon the humble state of his female slave, for behold, from now on all generations will consider me blessed, because the Mighty [One] has done great [things] for me, and holy [is] his name. And his mercy [is] for generation after generation to those who fear him. He has done a mighty deed with his arm; he has dispersed the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down rulers from [their] thrones, and has exalted the lowly. He has filled those who are hungry with good [things], and those who are rich he has sent away empty-handed. He has helped Israel his servant, remembering [his] mercy, just as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants {forever}." And Mary stayed with her about three months, and returned to her home. Now the time came for Elizabeth that she should give birth, and she gave birth to a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that {the Lord had shown his great mercy to her}, and they rejoiced with her. And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were wanting to name him {after} his father Zechariah. And his mother answered [and] said, "No, but he will be named John."
And it happened that [while] he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood he was chosen by lot to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense. And the whole crowd of the people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was terrified [when he] saw [the angel], and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!" And the angel answered [and] said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these [things] take place, {because} you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and began to wonder [when] he was delayed in the temple. And [when he] came out he was not able to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them, and remained unable to speak. And it happened that when the days of his service came to an end, he went away to his home. Now after these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she kept herself in seclusion [for] five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which he has concerned himself with [me], to take away my disgrace among people." Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee {named} Nazareth, to a virgin legally promised in marriage to a man {named} Joseph of the house of David. And the name of the virgin [was] Mary. And he came to her [and] said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord [is] with you." But she was greatly perplexed at the statement, and was pondering what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in the womb and will give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus. This 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. And he will reign over the house of Jacob {forever}, and of his kingdom there will be no end. And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?" And 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. And 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. For {nothing will be impossible with God}." So Mary said, "Behold, the Lord's female slave! May it happen to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. Now in those days Mary set out [and] traveled with haste into the hill country, to a town of Judah, and entered into the house of Zechariah, and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby in her womb leaped and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud shout and said, "Blessed [are] you among women, and blessed [is] the fruit of your womb! And why [is] this [granted] to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy! And blessed [is] she who believed that [there] will be a fulfillment to what was spoken to her from the Lord!" And Mary said, "My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced greatly in God my Savior, because he has looked upon the humble state of his female slave, for behold, from now on all generations will consider me blessed, because the Mighty [One] has done great [things] for me, and holy [is] his name. And his mercy [is] for generation after generation to those who fear him. He has done a mighty deed with his arm; he has dispersed the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down rulers from [their] thrones, and has exalted the lowly. He has filled those who are hungry with good [things], and those who are rich he has sent away empty-handed. He has helped Israel his servant, remembering [his] mercy, just as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants {forever}." And Mary stayed with her about three months, and returned to her home. Now the time came for Elizabeth that she should give birth, and she gave birth to a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that {the Lord had shown his great mercy to her}, and they rejoiced with her. And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were wanting to name him {after} his father Zechariah. And his mother answered [and] said, "No, but he will be named John."
Gabriel » Appeared to » Zacharias
And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was terrified [when he] saw [the angel], and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. read more.
And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!" And the angel answered [and] said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.
And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!" And the angel answered [and] said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.
God, greatness of » True, general references to
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb.
And the greatest among you will be your servant.
Therefore whoever abolishes one of the least of these commandments and teaches people to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever keeps [them] and teaches [them], this person will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
It will not be like this among you! But whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
Holy spirit » The comforter » Filling saints
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb.
because he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a large number were added to the Lord.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them [ability] to speak out.
But Saul (also called Paul), filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him
And [when] they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven [and] saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders,
And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Holy spirit » Baptism of » Men filled with
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb.
because he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a large number were added to the Lord.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them [ability] to speak out.
But Saul (also called Paul), filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him
And [when] they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven [and] saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders,
And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
John » Mission of
And Paul said, "John baptized [with] a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the one who was to come after him--that is, in Jesus."
as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight! Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be leveled, and the crooked will become straight, and the rough road [will become] smooth, and all flesh will see the salvation of God.'"
Just as it is written in the prophet Isaiah, "Behold, I am sending my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths!'" John was there baptizing in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. read more.
And all the Judean region and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem went out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. And John was dressed in camel's hair and a belt made of leather around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he was preaching, saying, "One [who is] more powerful than I is coming after me, of whom I am not worthy to bend down [and] untie the strap of his sandals. I baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
And all the Judean region and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem went out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. And John was dressed in camel's hair and a belt made of leather around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he was preaching, saying, "One [who is] more powerful than I is coming after me, of whom I am not worthy to bend down [and] untie the strap of his sandals. I baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready."
And so you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go on before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins, because of the merciful compassion of our God by which the dawn will visit to help us from on high, read more.
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct our feet into the way of peace."
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct our feet into the way of peace."
This one came for a witness, in order that he could testify about the light, so that all would believe through him. That one was not the light, but [came] in order that he could testify about the light.
John testified about him and cried out, saying, "This one was [he about] whom I said, 'The one who comes after me is ahead of me, because he existed before me.'"
Then they said to him, "Who are you, so that we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" He said, "I [am] 'the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, "Make straight the way of the Lord," ' just as Isaiah the prophet said." (And they had been sent from the Pharisees.) read more.
And they asked him and said to him, "Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water. In your midst stands [one] whom you do not know-- the one who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy {to untie} the strap of his sandal!" These [things] took place in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
And they asked him and said to him, "Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water. In your midst stands [one] whom you do not know-- the one who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy {to untie} the strap of his sandal!" These [things] took place in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
And I did not know him, but in order that he could be revealed to Israel, because of this I came baptizing with water." And John testified, saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and remaining upon him. And I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water, that one said to me, '[The one] upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him--this one is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' read more.
And I have seen and testify that this one is the Chosen One of God.
And I have seen and testify that this one is the Chosen One of God.
There is another who testifies about me, and I know that the testimony which he testifies about me is true. You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. (And I do not receive testimony from people, but I say these [things] in order that you may be saved.) read more.
That one was the lamp [which was] burning and shining, and you wanted to rejoice for an hour in his light.
That one was the lamp [which was] burning and shining, and you wanted to rejoice for an hour in his light.
Before {his coming} John had publicly proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. But while John was completing [his] mission, he said, 'What do you suppose me to be? I am not [he]! But behold, one is coming after me of whom I am not worthy to untie the sandals of [his] feet!'
John » The baptist » Prophecies concerning
A voice [is] calling in the wilderness, "Clear the way of Yahweh! Make a highway smooth in the desert for our God!
Look! I [am] going to send to you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of Yahweh! And he will bring back [the] hearts of [the] fathers to [the] sons, and the hearts of [the] sons to their fathers, so that I will not come and strike the land [with] a ban."
And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was terrified [when he] saw [the angel], and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. read more.
And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready."
And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready."
John » A nazarite
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon!'
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb.
For John the Baptist has come not eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon!'
John » Miraculous birth of
And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was terrified [when he] saw [the angel], and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. read more.
And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!" And the angel answered [and] said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these [things] take place, {because} you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time."
And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!" And the angel answered [and] said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these [things] take place, {because} you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time."
Now the time came for Elizabeth that she should give birth, and she gave birth to a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that {the Lord had shown his great mercy to her}, and they rejoiced with her. And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were wanting to name him {after} his father Zechariah. read more.
And his mother answered [and] said, "No, but he will be named John." And they said to her, "There is no one of your relatives who is called by this name." So they made signs to his father [asking] what he wanted him to be named, and he asked for a writing tablet [and] wrote, saying, "John is his name." And they were all astonished. And his mouth and his tongue were opened immediately, and he began to speak, praising God. And fear came on all those who lived near them, and in all the hill country of Judea all these events were discussed.
And his mother answered [and] said, "No, but he will be named John." And they said to her, "There is no one of your relatives who is called by this name." So they made signs to his father [asking] what he wanted him to be named, and he asked for a writing tablet [and] wrote, saying, "John is his name." And they were all astonished. And his mouth and his tongue were opened immediately, and he began to speak, praising God. And fear came on all those who lived near them, and in all the hill country of Judea all these events were discussed.
Joy » Instances of » Of elisabeth, when mary visited her
It happened that in the days of Herod, king of Judea, [there was] a certain priest, Zechariah by name, of the division of Abijah. And {he had a wife} from the daughters of Aaron, and her name [was] Elizabeth. And they were both righteous in the sight of God, living blamelessly in all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. And {they did not have} a child, because Elizabeth was barren. And they were both advanced {in years}. read more.
And it happened that [while] he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood he was chosen by lot to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense. And the whole crowd of the people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was terrified [when he] saw [the angel], and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!" And the angel answered [and] said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these [things] take place, {because} you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and began to wonder [when] he was delayed in the temple. And [when he] came out he was not able to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them, and remained unable to speak. And it happened that when the days of his service came to an end, he went away to his home. Now after these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she kept herself in seclusion [for] five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which he has concerned himself with [me], to take away my disgrace among people." Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee {named} Nazareth, to a virgin legally promised in marriage to a man {named} Joseph of the house of David. And the name of the virgin [was] Mary. And he came to her [and] said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord [is] with you." But she was greatly perplexed at the statement, and was pondering what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in the womb and will give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus. This 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. And he will reign over the house of Jacob {forever}, and of his kingdom there will be no end. And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?" And 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. And 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. For {nothing will be impossible with God}." So Mary said, "Behold, the Lord's female slave! May it happen to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. Now in those days Mary set out [and] traveled with haste into the hill country, to a town of Judah, and entered into the house of Zechariah, and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby in her womb leaped and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud shout and said, "Blessed [are] you among women, and blessed [is] the fruit of your womb! And why [is] this [granted] to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy!
And it happened that [while] he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood he was chosen by lot to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense. And the whole crowd of the people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was terrified [when he] saw [the angel], and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!" And the angel answered [and] said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these [things] take place, {because} you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and began to wonder [when] he was delayed in the temple. And [when he] came out he was not able to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them, and remained unable to speak. And it happened that when the days of his service came to an end, he went away to his home. Now after these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she kept herself in seclusion [for] five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which he has concerned himself with [me], to take away my disgrace among people." Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee {named} Nazareth, to a virgin legally promised in marriage to a man {named} Joseph of the house of David. And the name of the virgin [was] Mary. And he came to her [and] said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord [is] with you." But she was greatly perplexed at the statement, and was pondering what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in the womb and will give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus. This 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. And he will reign over the house of Jacob {forever}, and of his kingdom there will be no end. And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?" And 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. And 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. For {nothing will be impossible with God}." So Mary said, "Behold, the Lord's female slave! May it happen to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. Now in those days Mary set out [and] traveled with haste into the hill country, to a town of Judah, and entered into the house of Zechariah, and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby in her womb leaped and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud shout and said, "Blessed [are] you among women, and blessed [is] the fruit of your womb! And why [is] this [granted] to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy!
Nazarite » Instances of » John the baptist
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon!'
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb.
For John the Baptist has come not eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon!'
Nazarites » Different kinds of » From the womb
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb.
because you [will] conceive and bear a son. No razor {will touch} his head, because the boy will be a {Nazirite of God} {from birth}. And it is he who will begin to deliver Israel from [the] hand of [the] Philistines."
Nazarites » Prohibited from » Wine or strong drink
he will abstain from wine and fermented drink; he will not drink wine vinegar or vinegar of fermented drink; he will not drink the fruit juice of grapes or eat fresh or dry grapes.
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb.
Social duties » Total abstinence from strong drink » John the baptist a total abstainer
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb.
Spirit » Filled (men)
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb.
because he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a large number were added to the Lord.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them [ability] to speak out.
But Saul (also called Paul), filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him
And [when] they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven [and] saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders,
And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Temperance » Total abstinence » John the baptist a total abstainer
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb.
Temple » Herod the great's temple » Zacharias, officiating priest in, has a vision of an angel; receives promise of a son
It happened that in the days of Herod, king of Judea, [there was] a certain priest, Zechariah by name, of the division of Abijah. And {he had a wife} from the daughters of Aaron, and her name [was] Elizabeth. And they were both righteous in the sight of God, living blamelessly in all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. And {they did not have} a child, because Elizabeth was barren. And they were both advanced {in years}. read more.
And it happened that [while] he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood he was chosen by lot to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense. And the whole crowd of the people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was terrified [when he] saw [the angel], and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!" And the angel answered [and] said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these [things] take place, {because} you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and began to wonder [when] he was delayed in the temple. And [when he] came out he was not able to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them, and remained unable to speak. And it happened that when the days of his service came to an end, he went away to his home.
And it happened that [while] he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood he was chosen by lot to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense. And the whole crowd of the people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was terrified [when he] saw [the angel], and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!" And the angel answered [and] said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these [things] take place, {because} you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and began to wonder [when] he was delayed in the temple. And [when he] came out he was not able to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them, and remained unable to speak. And it happened that when the days of his service came to an end, he went away to his home.
Now the time came for Elizabeth that she should give birth, and she gave birth to a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that {the Lord had shown his great mercy to her}, and they rejoiced with her. And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were wanting to name him {after} his father Zechariah. read more.
And his mother answered [and] said, "No, but he will be named John." And they said to her, "There is no one of your relatives who is called by this name." So they made signs to his father [asking] what he wanted him to be named, and he asked for a writing tablet [and] wrote, saying, "John is his name." And they were all astonished. And his mouth and his tongue were opened immediately, and he began to speak, praising God.
And his mother answered [and] said, "No, but he will be named John." And they said to her, "There is no one of your relatives who is called by this name." So they made signs to his father [asking] what he wanted him to be named, and he asked for a writing tablet [and] wrote, saying, "John is his name." And they were all astonished. And his mouth and his tongue were opened immediately, and he began to speak, praising God.
Vision » Of zacharias » In the temple
But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. read more.
And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!" And the angel answered [and] said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these [things] take place, {because} you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and began to wonder [when] he was delayed in the temple. And [when he] came out he was not able to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them, and remained unable to speak.
And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!" And the angel answered [and] said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these [things] take place, {because} you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and began to wonder [when] he was delayed in the temple. And [when he] came out he was not able to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them, and remained unable to speak.
Zacharias (zechariah) » The father of john the baptist
in the time of the high priest Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
It happened that in the days of Herod, king of Judea, [there was] a certain priest, Zechariah by name, of the division of Abijah. And {he had a wife} from the daughters of Aaron, and her name [was] Elizabeth. And they were both righteous in the sight of God, living blamelessly in all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. And {they did not have} a child, because Elizabeth was barren. And they were both advanced {in years}. read more.
And it happened that [while] he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood he was chosen by lot to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense. And the whole crowd of the people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was terrified [when he] saw [the angel], and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!" And the angel answered [and] said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these [things] take place, {because} you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and began to wonder [when] he was delayed in the temple. And [when he] came out he was not able to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them, and remained unable to speak. And it happened that when the days of his service came to an end, he went away to his home. Now after these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she kept herself in seclusion [for] five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which he has concerned himself with [me], to take away my disgrace among people." Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee {named} Nazareth, to a virgin legally promised in marriage to a man {named} Joseph of the house of David. And the name of the virgin [was] Mary. And he came to her [and] said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord [is] with you." But she was greatly perplexed at the statement, and was pondering what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in the womb and will give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus. This 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. And he will reign over the house of Jacob {forever}, and of his kingdom there will be no end. And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?" And 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. And 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. For {nothing will be impossible with God}." So Mary said, "Behold, the Lord's female slave! May it happen to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. Now in those days Mary set out [and] traveled with haste into the hill country, to a town of Judah, and entered into the house of Zechariah, and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby in her womb leaped and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud shout and said, "Blessed [are] you among women, and blessed [is] the fruit of your womb! And why [is] this [granted] to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy! And blessed [is] she who believed that [there] will be a fulfillment to what was spoken to her from the Lord!" And Mary said, "My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced greatly in God my Savior, because he has looked upon the humble state of his female slave, for behold, from now on all generations will consider me blessed, because the Mighty [One] has done great [things] for me, and holy [is] his name. And his mercy [is] for generation after generation to those who fear him. He has done a mighty deed with his arm; he has dispersed the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down rulers from [their] thrones, and has exalted the lowly. He has filled those who are hungry with good [things], and those who are rich he has sent away empty-handed. He has helped Israel his servant, remembering [his] mercy, just as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants {forever}." And Mary stayed with her about three months, and returned to her home. Now the time came for Elizabeth that she should give birth, and she gave birth to a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that {the Lord had shown his great mercy to her}, and they rejoiced with her. And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were wanting to name him {after} his father Zechariah. And his mother answered [and] said, "No, but he will be named John." And they said to her, "There is no one of your relatives who is called by this name." So they made signs to his father [asking] what he wanted him to be named, and he asked for a writing tablet [and] wrote, saying, "John is his name." And they were all astonished. And his mouth and his tongue were opened immediately, and he began to speak, praising God. And fear came on all those who lived near them, and in all the hill country of Judea all these events were discussed. And all those who heard kept [these things] in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be? For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him!" And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, "Blessed [be] the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited to help and {has redeemed} his people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, just as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from earliest times-- salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all those who hate us, to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to Abraham our father, to grant us [that] we, being rescued from the hand of [our] enemies, could serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And so you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go on before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins, because of the merciful compassion of our God by which the dawn will visit to help us from on high, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct our feet into the way of peace." And the child kept growing and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
And it happened that [while] he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood he was chosen by lot to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense. And the whole crowd of the people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was terrified [when he] saw [the angel], and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [while he is] still in his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!" And the angel answered [and] said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these [things] take place, {because} you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and began to wonder [when] he was delayed in the temple. And [when he] came out he was not able to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them, and remained unable to speak. And it happened that when the days of his service came to an end, he went away to his home. Now after these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she kept herself in seclusion [for] five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which he has concerned himself with [me], to take away my disgrace among people." Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee {named} Nazareth, to a virgin legally promised in marriage to a man {named} Joseph of the house of David. And the name of the virgin [was] Mary. And he came to her [and] said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord [is] with you." But she was greatly perplexed at the statement, and was pondering what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in the womb and will give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus. This 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. And he will reign over the house of Jacob {forever}, and of his kingdom there will be no end. And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?" And 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. And 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. For {nothing will be impossible with God}." So Mary said, "Behold, the Lord's female slave! May it happen to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. Now in those days Mary set out [and] traveled with haste into the hill country, to a town of Judah, and entered into the house of Zechariah, and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby in her womb leaped and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud shout and said, "Blessed [are] you among women, and blessed [is] the fruit of your womb! And why [is] this [granted] to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy! And blessed [is] she who believed that [there] will be a fulfillment to what was spoken to her from the Lord!" And Mary said, "My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced greatly in God my Savior, because he has looked upon the humble state of his female slave, for behold, from now on all generations will consider me blessed, because the Mighty [One] has done great [things] for me, and holy [is] his name. And his mercy [is] for generation after generation to those who fear him. He has done a mighty deed with his arm; he has dispersed the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down rulers from [their] thrones, and has exalted the lowly. He has filled those who are hungry with good [things], and those who are rich he has sent away empty-handed. He has helped Israel his servant, remembering [his] mercy, just as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants {forever}." And Mary stayed with her about three months, and returned to her home. Now the time came for Elizabeth that she should give birth, and she gave birth to a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that {the Lord had shown his great mercy to her}, and they rejoiced with her. And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were wanting to name him {after} his father Zechariah. And his mother answered [and] said, "No, but he will be named John." And they said to her, "There is no one of your relatives who is called by this name." So they made signs to his father [asking] what he wanted him to be named, and he asked for a writing tablet [and] wrote, saying, "John is his name." And they were all astonished. And his mouth and his tongue were opened immediately, and he began to speak, praising God. And fear came on all those who lived near them, and in all the hill country of Judea all these events were discussed. And all those who heard kept [these things] in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be? For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him!" And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, "Blessed [be] the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited to help and {has redeemed} his people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, just as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from earliest times-- salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all those who hate us, to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to Abraham our father, to grant us [that] we, being rescued from the hand of [our] enemies, could serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And so you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go on before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins, because of the merciful compassion of our God by which the dawn will visit to help us from on high, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct our feet into the way of peace." And the child kept growing and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.