Luke 1:35-80 The angel answered, "The holy Spirit will come over you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. For that reason your child will be called holy, and the Son of God.

Goodspeed⁽ⁱ⁾ ³⁵ The angel answered, "The holy Spirit will come over you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. For that reason your child will be called holy, and the Son of God. ³⁶ And your relative, Elizabeth, although she is old, is going to give birth to a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was said to be barren. ³⁷ For nothing is ever impossible for God." ³⁸ And Mary said, "I am the Lord's slave. Let it be as you say." Then the angel left her. ³⁹ In those days Mary set out and hurried to the hill-country, to a town in Judah, ⁴⁰ and she went to Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the babe stirred within her. And Elizabeth was filled with the holy Spirit ⁴² and she gave a great cry, and said, "You are the most favored of women, And blessed is your child! ⁴³ Who am I, To have the mother of my Lord come to me? ⁴⁴ "For the moment your greeting reached my ears, The child stirred with joy within me! ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed, For what the Lord has promised her will be fulfilled!" ⁴⁶ And Mary said, "My heart extols the Lord, ⁴⁷ My spirit exults in God my Savior. ⁴⁸ For he has noticed his slave in her humble station, For from this time all the ages will think me favored! ⁴⁹ "For the Almighty has done wonders for me, How holy his name is! ⁵⁰ He shows his mercy age after age To those who fear him. ⁵¹ "He has done mighty deeds with his arm, He has routed the proud-minded, ⁵² He has dethroned monarchs and exalted the poor, ⁵³ He has satisfied the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty-handed. ⁵⁴ "He has helped his servant Israel, Remembering his mercy, ⁵⁵ As he promised our forefathers To have mercy on Abraham and his descendants forever!" ⁵⁶ So Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned home. ⁵⁷ Now the time came for Elizabeth's child to be born, and she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸ Her neighbors and relatives heard of the great mercy the Lord had shown her, and they came and congratulated her. ⁵⁹ On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. ⁶⁰ But his mother said, "No! He is to be named John." ⁶¹ They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who bears that name." ⁶² But they made signs to the child's father and asked him what he wished to have the child named. ⁶³ He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." ⁶⁴ And they were all amazed. Then his voice and the use of his tongue were immediately restored, and he blessed God aloud. ⁶⁵ And all their neighbors were overcome with fear, and all over the hill-country of Judea all these stories were told, ⁶⁶ and everyone who heard them kept them in mind, and said, "What is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him. ⁶⁷ And his father Zechariah was filled with the holy Spirit and he uttered a divine message, saying, ⁶⁸ "Blessings on the Lord, the God of Israel, Because he has turned his attention to his people, and brought about their deliverance, ⁶⁹ And he has produced a mighty Savior for us In the house of his servant David. ⁷⁰ "By the lips of his holy prophets he promised of old to do this— ⁷¹ To save us from our enemies and from the hands of all who hate us, ⁷² Thus showing mercy to our forefathers, And keeping his sacred agreement, ⁷³ "And the oath that he swore to our forefather Abraham, ⁷⁴ That we should be delivered from the hands of our enemies, ⁷⁵ And should serve him in holiness and uprightness, unafraid, In his own presence all our lives. ⁷⁶ "And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, For you will go before the Lord to make his way ready, ⁷⁷ Bringing his people the knowledge of salvation Through the forgiveness of their sins. ⁷⁸ "Because the heart of our God is merciful, And so the day will dawn upon us from on high, ⁷⁹ To shine on men who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, And guide our feet into the way of peace." ⁸⁰ And the child grew up and became strong in the Spirit, and he lived in the desert until the day when he proclaimed himself to Israel.