Luke 1:5-25 - The Prediction Of John The Baptist's Birth

⁵ In the reign of Herod, King of Judea, there was a certain priest, named Zachariah, belonging to the class of Abijah. He had a wife named Elizabeth, ⁶ who was a descendant of Aaron. They were both righteous in the sight of the Lord, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the law, blameless. ⁷ Now they had no child, for Elizabeth was barren, and both were far advanced in years.

⁸ Now while Zachariah was acting as priest before God in the due course of his class, it fell to his lot, according to the custom of priesthood, ⁹ to enter into the sanctuary of the Lord and to burn incense. ¹⁰ And the whole multitude of the people were without, praying at the hour of incense. ¹¹ Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² And as he saw him Zachariah was troubled, and fear fell upon him. ¹³ But the Angel said to him. "Do not be afraid, Zachariah, because your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. ¹⁴ "And he shall be to you a joy and an exultation, and many shall rejoice over his birth. ¹⁵ "For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, "He shall drink neither wine nor strong drink, "He shall be filled with the Holy Spirit from the hour of his birth, ¹⁶ "And shall win many of the sons of Israel to the Lord, their God. ¹⁷ "He shall go before Him in the wisdom and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, and so to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him."

¹⁸ "How shall I be sure of this?" said Zachariah to the Angel. "For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years."

¹⁹ "I am Gabriel," answered the angel, "who stand in the presence of God; and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring and to bring you this good news. ²⁰ "And now you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day the day when this has taken place; because you did not believe my words??ords which will be fulfilled at their appointed time."

²¹ Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zachariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the sanctuary. ²² And when he came out he could not speak to them, and then they knew that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept making signs to them and remained dumb. ²³ As soon as his term of priestly service was ended he went home;

²⁴ and after those days Elizabeth, his wife, Conceived, and she hid herself five months, saying. ²⁵ "This has the Lord done for me. He has now deigned to take the away my reproach among men."