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

⁵ There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. ⁶ And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. ⁷ And they had no child, because Elisabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.

⁸ And while he executed the priest's office before God, ⁹ in the order of his course, According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn the incense, going into the temple of the Lord. ¹⁰ And the whole multitude of the people were praying without, at the time of incense. ¹¹ And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² And Zacharias seeing him was troubled, and fear fell upon him. ¹³ But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. ¹⁴ And thou shalt have joy and exultation, and many shall rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵ For he shall be great before the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. ¹⁶ And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ 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.

¹⁸ And Zacharias said to the angel, Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife advanced in years.

¹⁹ And the angel answering, said to him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God, and am sent to speak to thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. ²⁰ And behold, thou shalt be deaf, and not able to speak, till the day that these things are done, because thou believedst not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

²¹ And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. ²² And coming out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived, that he had seen a vision; for he beckoned to them, and remained speechless. ²³ And when the days of his ministration were accomplished, he went to his own house.

²⁴ And after these days, his wife Elisabeth conceived, ²⁵ and hid herself five months, saying, Thus hath the Lord done to me, in the days wherein he looked upon me, to take away my reproach among men.