Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible





And now, please take heed, and do not drink wine nor strong drink, and do not eat any unclean thing.

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes to lust for strong drink;


And Jehovah spoke to Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest you die, a statute forever throughout your generations. Even for a distinction between the holy and unholy, and between the unclean and clean

he shall separate from wine and strong drink and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink; neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes or dried. All the days of his Nazariteship he shall eat nothing that is made of the grapevine, from grape seeds even to a stem.

And the Angel of Jehovah said to Manoah, Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful. She may not eat of all that comes from the vine, neither let her drink wine nor strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. Let her do all that I commanded her.

And the drinking was according to the law, no one compelling, for so the king had commanded every chief of his house that they should do according to every man's pleasure.


Do not look upon the wine when it is red, when it gives its color in the cup, when it goes down smoothly At the last it bites like an asp and stings like an adder.

But they said, We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, You shall drink no wine, you nor your sons forever. Nor shall you build houses, nor sow seed, nor plant a vineyard, nor have anything; but all your days you shall live in tents, so that you may live many days in the land where you are strangers. So we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he has commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters;

The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are done. For to this day they do not drink, but obey their father's commandment. But I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, but you did not listen to Me.






And an angel of the Lord appeared to him as he was standing on the right of the altar of incense. And seeing this, Zacharias was troubled, and fear fell on him. But the angel said to him, Do not fear, Zacharias. For your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. read more.
And you shall have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall neither drink wine nor strong drink. And he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he shall turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he shall go 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 just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zacharias said to the angel, By what shall I know this? For I am old, and my wife is advanced in her days. And answering, the angel said to him, I am Gabriel, who stands before God. And I am sent to speak to you and to show you these glad tidings. And behold, you shall be silent and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because you did not believe my words which shall be fulfilled in their time.

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in to her and said, Hail, one receiving grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women. read more.
And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what kind of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, Do not fear, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold! You shall conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name JESUS. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God shall give Him the throne of His father David. And He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end. Then Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I do not know a man? And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit shall come on you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you. Therefore also that Holy One which will be born of you shall be called Son of God. And behold, your cousin Elizabeth also conceived a son in her old age. And this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her.


And an angel of the Lord appeared to him as he was standing on the right of the altar of incense. And seeing this, Zacharias was troubled, and fear fell on him. But the angel said to him, Do not fear, Zacharias. For your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. read more.
And you shall have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall neither drink wine nor strong drink. And he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he shall turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he shall go 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 just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zacharias said to the angel, By what shall I know this? For I am old, and my wife is advanced in her days. And answering, the angel said to him, I am Gabriel, who stands before God. And I am sent to speak to you and to show you these glad tidings. And behold, you shall be silent and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because you did not believe my words which shall be fulfilled in their time.


In the days of Herod, the king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah. And his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blameless in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren. And both were advanced in their days. read more.
And it happened in his serving in the order of his course, before God, according to the custom of the priests, it was his lot to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And all the multitude of the people were praying outside at the time of incense. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him as he was standing on the right of the altar of incense. And seeing this, Zacharias was troubled, and fear fell on him. But the angel said to him, Do not fear, Zacharias. For your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you shall have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall neither drink wine nor strong drink. And he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he shall turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he shall go 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 just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zacharias said to the angel, By what shall I know this? For I am old, and my wife is advanced in her days. And answering, the angel said to him, I am Gabriel, who stands before God. And I am sent to speak to you and to show you these glad tidings. And behold, you shall be silent and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because you did not believe my words which shall be fulfilled in their time. And the people waited for Zacharias and marveled that he stayed so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak to them. And they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was making signs to them, and remained speechless. And as soon as the days of his service were accomplished, he departed to his own house. And after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived and hid herself five months, saying, So the Lord has dealt with me in the days in which He looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.





In the days of Herod, the king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah. And his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blameless in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren. And both were advanced in their days. read more.
And it happened in his serving in the order of his course, before God, according to the custom of the priests, it was his lot to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And all the multitude of the people were praying outside at the time of incense. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him as he was standing on the right of the altar of incense. And seeing this, Zacharias was troubled, and fear fell on him. But the angel said to him, Do not fear, Zacharias. For your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you shall have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall neither drink wine nor strong drink. And he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he shall turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he shall go 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 just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zacharias said to the angel, By what shall I know this? For I am old, and my wife is advanced in her days. And answering, the angel said to him, I am Gabriel, who stands before God. And I am sent to speak to you and to show you these glad tidings. And behold, you shall be silent and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because you did not believe my words which shall be fulfilled in their time. And the people waited for Zacharias and marveled that he stayed so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak to them. And they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was making signs to them, and remained speechless. And as soon as the days of his service were accomplished, he departed to his own house. And after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived and hid herself five months, saying, So the Lord has dealt with me in the days in which He looked on me, to take away my reproach among men. And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in to her and said, Hail, one receiving grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what kind of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, Do not fear, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold! You shall conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name JESUS. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God shall give Him the throne of His father David. And He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end. Then Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I do not know a man? And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit shall come on you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you. Therefore also that Holy One which will be born of you shall be called Son of God. And behold, your cousin Elizabeth also conceived a son in her old age. And this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her. And Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah. And she entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened as Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and cried out with a loud voice and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And from where is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For lo, as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believes, for there shall be a perfecting of those things which were told her from the Lord. And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He looked on the humiliation of His slave woman. For, behold, from now on all generations shall count me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has worked power with His arm, He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart. He has put down rulers from their seats and exalted the lowly, He has filled the hungry with good things, and He has sent away the rich empty. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever. And Mary stayed with her about three months, and returned to her own house. And the time was fulfilled to Elizabeth for her to bear. And she bore a son. And her neighbors and her kinsfolk heard how the Lord had magnified His mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her. And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and were calling it Zacharias, after his father's name. And his mother answered and said, No, but he shall be called John.


And an angel of the Lord appeared to him as he was standing on the right of the altar of incense. And seeing this, Zacharias was troubled, and fear fell on him. But the angel said to him, Do not fear, Zacharias. For your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. read more.
And you shall have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall neither drink wine nor strong drink. And he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he shall turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he shall go 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 just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zacharias said to the angel, By what shall I know this? For I am old, and my wife is advanced in her days. And answering, the angel said to him, I am Gabriel, who stands before God. And I am sent to speak to you and to show you these glad tidings.




Therefore whoever shall relax one of these commandments, the least, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven. But whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.

However, it shall not be so among you. But whoever desires to be great among you, let him be your servant.








And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness










And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness




And Paul said, John truly baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe into Him coming after him, that is, into Jesus Christ.

as it is written in the book of the Words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth. And all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

And answering Jesus said to them, Elijah truly shall come first and restore all things.

as it is written in the Prophets, "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who shall prepare Your way before You. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight." John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. read more.
And all the land of Judea, and those of Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a leather girdle about his loin. And he ate locusts and wild honey. And he proclaimed, saying, There is One coming after me who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down to loosen. I indeed have baptized you in water, but He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall neither drink wine nor strong drink. And he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he shall turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he shall go 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 just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest, for you shall go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; by which the Dayspring from on high has visited us, read more.
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

This one came as a witness, to bear witness concerning the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.


Then they said to him, Who are you so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say of yourself? He said, I am "the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord," as the prophet Isaiah said. And they who were sent were from the Pharisees. read more.
And they asked him and said, Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor that Prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water, but One stands among you whom you do not know. He it is who, coming after me, who has been before me; of whom I am not worthy to loosen the thong of His sandal. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

And I did not know Him, but that He be revealed to Israel, therefore I have come baptizing with water. And John bore record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven like a dove, and He abode on Him. And I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water, that One said to me, Upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending, and remaining upon Him, He is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. read more.
And I saw and bore record that this is the Son of God.

There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. You sent to John, and he bore witness to the truth. But I do not receive testimony from man, but these things I say so that you might be saved. read more.
He was a burning and shining light, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.

John having before proclaimed the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel, before His coming. And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Who do you think that I am? I am not He. But behold, One comes after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.



Behold, I am sending you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of Jehovah. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the sons, and the heart of the sons to their fathers, that I not come and strike the earth with utter destruction.

And an angel of the Lord appeared to him as he was standing on the right of the altar of incense. And seeing this, Zacharias was troubled, and fear fell on him. But the angel said to him, Do not fear, Zacharias. For your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. read more.
And you shall have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall neither drink wine nor strong drink. And he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he shall turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he shall go 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 just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.






And an angel of the Lord appeared to him as he was standing on the right of the altar of incense. And seeing this, Zacharias was troubled, and fear fell on him. But the angel said to him, Do not fear, Zacharias. For your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. read more.
And you shall have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall neither drink wine nor strong drink. And he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he shall turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he shall go 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 just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zacharias said to the angel, By what shall I know this? For I am old, and my wife is advanced in her days. And answering, the angel said to him, I am Gabriel, who stands before God. And I am sent to speak to you and to show you these glad tidings. And behold, you shall be silent and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because you did not believe my words which shall be fulfilled in their time.

And the time was fulfilled to Elizabeth for her to bear. And she bore a son. And her neighbors and her kinsfolk heard how the Lord had magnified His mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her. And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and were calling it Zacharias, after his father's name. read more.
And his mother answered and said, No, but he shall be called John. And they said to her, There is none of your kindred that is called by this name. And they made signs to his father as to how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they all marveled. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosened. And he spoke and praised God. And fear came on all who lived all around them. And all these things were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea.


In the days of Herod, the king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah. And his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blameless in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren. And both were advanced in their days. read more.
And it happened in his serving in the order of his course, before God, according to the custom of the priests, it was his lot to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And all the multitude of the people were praying outside at the time of incense. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him as he was standing on the right of the altar of incense. And seeing this, Zacharias was troubled, and fear fell on him. But the angel said to him, Do not fear, Zacharias. For your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you shall have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall neither drink wine nor strong drink. And he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he shall turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he shall go 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 just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zacharias said to the angel, By what shall I know this? For I am old, and my wife is advanced in her days. And answering, the angel said to him, I am Gabriel, who stands before God. And I am sent to speak to you and to show you these glad tidings. And behold, you shall be silent and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because you did not believe my words which shall be fulfilled in their time. And the people waited for Zacharias and marveled that he stayed so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak to them. And they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was making signs to them, and remained speechless. And as soon as the days of his service were accomplished, he departed to his own house. And after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived and hid herself five months, saying, So the Lord has dealt with me in the days in which He looked on me, to take away my reproach among men. And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in to her and said, Hail, one receiving grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what kind of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, Do not fear, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold! You shall conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name JESUS. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God shall give Him the throne of His father David. And He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end. Then Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I do not know a man? And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit shall come on you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you. Therefore also that Holy One which will be born of you shall be called Son of God. And behold, your cousin Elizabeth also conceived a son in her old age. And this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her. And Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah. And she entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened as Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and cried out with a loud voice and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And from where is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For lo, as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.







For lo, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head. For the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb. And he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.


he shall separate from wine and strong drink and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink; neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes or dried.











And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness






In the days of Herod, the king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah. And his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blameless in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren. And both were advanced in their days. read more.
And it happened in his serving in the order of his course, before God, according to the custom of the priests, it was his lot to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And all the multitude of the people were praying outside at the time of incense. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him as he was standing on the right of the altar of incense. And seeing this, Zacharias was troubled, and fear fell on him. But the angel said to him, Do not fear, Zacharias. For your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you shall have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall neither drink wine nor strong drink. And he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he shall turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he shall go 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 just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zacharias said to the angel, By what shall I know this? For I am old, and my wife is advanced in her days. And answering, the angel said to him, I am Gabriel, who stands before God. And I am sent to speak to you and to show you these glad tidings. And behold, you shall be silent and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because you did not believe my words which shall be fulfilled in their time. And the people waited for Zacharias and marveled that he stayed so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak to them. And they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was making signs to them, and remained speechless. And as soon as the days of his service were accomplished, he departed to his own house.

And the time was fulfilled to Elizabeth for her to bear. And she bore a son. And her neighbors and her kinsfolk heard how the Lord had magnified His mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her. And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and were calling it Zacharias, after his father's name. read more.
And his mother answered and said, No, but he shall be called John. And they said to her, There is none of your kindred that is called by this name. And they made signs to his father as to how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they all marveled. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosened. And he spoke and praised God.


But the angel said to him, Do not fear, Zacharias. For your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you shall have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall neither drink wine nor strong drink. And he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. read more.
And he shall turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he shall go 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 just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zacharias said to the angel, By what shall I know this? For I am old, and my wife is advanced in her days. And answering, the angel said to him, I am Gabriel, who stands before God. And I am sent to speak to you and to show you these glad tidings. And behold, you shall be silent and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because you did not believe my words which shall be fulfilled in their time. And the people waited for Zacharias and marveled that he stayed so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak to them. And they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was making signs to them, and remained speechless.


Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests-- the Word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

In the days of Herod, the king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah. And his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blameless in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren. And both were advanced in their days. read more.
And it happened in his serving in the order of his course, before God, according to the custom of the priests, it was his lot to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And all the multitude of the people were praying outside at the time of incense. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him as he was standing on the right of the altar of incense. And seeing this, Zacharias was troubled, and fear fell on him. But the angel said to him, Do not fear, Zacharias. For your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you shall have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall neither drink wine nor strong drink. And he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he shall turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he shall go 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 just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zacharias said to the angel, By what shall I know this? For I am old, and my wife is advanced in her days. And answering, the angel said to him, I am Gabriel, who stands before God. And I am sent to speak to you and to show you these glad tidings. And behold, you shall be silent and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because you did not believe my words which shall be fulfilled in their time. And the people waited for Zacharias and marveled that he stayed so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak to them. And they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was making signs to them, and remained speechless. And as soon as the days of his service were accomplished, he departed to his own house. And after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived and hid herself five months, saying, So the Lord has dealt with me in the days in which He looked on me, to take away my reproach among men. And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in to her and said, Hail, one receiving grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what kind of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, Do not fear, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold! You shall conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name JESUS. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God shall give Him the throne of His father David. And He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end. Then Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I do not know a man? And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit shall come on you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you. Therefore also that Holy One which will be born of you shall be called Son of God. And behold, your cousin Elizabeth also conceived a son in her old age. And this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her. And Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah. And she entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened as Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and cried out with a loud voice and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And from where is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For lo, as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believes, for there shall be a perfecting of those things which were told her from the Lord. And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He looked on the humiliation of His slave woman. For, behold, from now on all generations shall count me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has worked power with His arm, He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart. He has put down rulers from their seats and exalted the lowly, He has filled the hungry with good things, and He has sent away the rich empty. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever. And Mary stayed with her about three months, and returned to her own house. And the time was fulfilled to Elizabeth for her to bear. And she bore a son. And her neighbors and her kinsfolk heard how the Lord had magnified His mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her. And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and were calling it Zacharias, after his father's name. And his mother answered and said, No, but he shall be called John. And they said to her, There is none of your kindred that is called by this name. And they made signs to his father as to how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they all marveled. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosened. And he spoke and praised God. And fear came on all who lived all around them. And all these things were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea. And all those who heard laid them up in their hearts, saying, What kind of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him. And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from eternity; that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to our father Abraham, that He would grant to us, that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest, for you shall go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; by which the Dayspring from on high has visited us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. And the child grew and became strong in spirit and was in the deserts until the day of his showing to Israel.