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

⁵ In the days of Herod king of Judaea there was a priest called Zechariah, who belonged to the division of Abijah; he had a wife who belonged to the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶ They were both just in the sight of God, blameless in their obedience to all the commands and regulations of God; ⁷ but they had no child, for Elizabeth was barren. Both of them were advanced in years.

⁸ Now while he was officiating before God in the due course of his division, ⁹ it fell to him by lot, as was the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense, ¹⁰ the mass of the people all remaining in prayer outside at the hour of incense. ¹¹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² When Zechariah saw him he was troubled, and fear fell on him; ¹³ but the angel said to him, "Fear not, Zechariah, your prayer has been heard; your wife Elizabeth will bear a son to you, and you must call his name John. ¹⁴ It will be joy and gladness for you, and many will rejoice over his birth: ¹⁵ for he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, he will drink neither wine nor strong drink, he will be filled with the holy Spirit from his very birth; ¹⁶ he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God, ¹⁷ he will go in front of Him with the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, turning the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make a people ready and prepared for the Lord."

¹⁸ Zechariah said to the angel, "But how am I to be sure of this? I am an old man myself, and my wife is advanced in years."

¹⁹ The angel replied, "I am Gabriel, I stand before God; I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. ²⁰ But you will be silent and unable to speak till the day this happens, because you have not believed what I told you; it will be accomplished, for all that, in due time."

²¹ Now the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering that he stayed so long inside the sanctuary. ²² When he did come out he could not speak to them, so they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary; he made signs to them and remained dumb. ²³ Then, after his term of service had elapsed, he went home.

²⁴ After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and for five months she concealed herself. ²⁵ "The Lord has done this for me," she said, "he has now deigned to remove my reproach among men."