Luke 1:26-80 (New International Version)

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel¹ to Nazareth,² a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph,³ a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid,⁴ Mary, you have found favor with God.⁵ 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.⁶ 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.⁷ The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,⁸ 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom⁹ will never end."¹⁰ 34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you,¹¹ and the power of the Most High¹² will overshadow you. So the holy one¹³ to be born will be called^a the Son of God.¹⁴ 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child¹⁵ in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God."¹⁶ 38 "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,¹⁷ 40 where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.¹⁸ 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women,¹⁹ and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord²⁰ should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

Mary's Song

1:46-53pp -- 1Sa 2:1-10

46 And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord²¹ 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,²² 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.²³ From now on all generations will call me blessed,²⁴ 49 for the Mighty One has done great things²⁵ for me-- holy is his name.²⁶ 50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.²⁷ 51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;²⁸ he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.²⁹ 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.³⁰ 53 He has filled the hungry with good things³¹ but has sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful³² 55 to Abraham and his descendants³³ forever, even as he said to our fathers." 56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

The Birth of John the Baptist

57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. 59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise³⁴ the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John."³⁵ 61 They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name." 62 Then they made signs³⁶ to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John."³⁷ 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak,³⁸ praising God. 65 The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea³⁹ people were talking about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him.⁴⁰

Zechariah's Song

67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit⁴¹ and prophesied:⁴² 68 "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,⁴³ because he has come and has redeemed his people.⁴⁴ 69 He has raised up a horn^b45 of salvation for us in the house of his servant David⁴⁶ 70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),⁴⁷ 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us-- 72 to show mercy to our fathers⁴⁸ and to remember his holy covenant,⁴⁹ 73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:⁵⁰ 74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him⁵¹ without fear⁵² 75 in holiness and righteousness⁵³ before him all our days. 76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet⁵⁴ of the Most High;⁵⁵ for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,⁵⁶ 77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,⁵⁷ 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun⁵⁸ will come to us from heaven 79 to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death,⁵⁹ to guide our feet into the path of peace."⁶⁰ 80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit;⁶¹ and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.