Luke 1:35-80 The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Highest will overshadow you. For that reason the child that is begotten will be called holy, Son of God.

Riverside⁽ⁱ⁾ ³⁵ The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Highest will overshadow you. For that reason the child that is begotten will be called holy, Son of God. ³⁶ And, indeed, Elizabeth your relative, even she, has conceived a son, in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. ³⁷ For "no word that comes from God will fail." ³⁸ Mary said, "Here I am, the Lord's handmaid. Let it be to me according to your word." Then the angel left her. ³⁹ In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill-country to a city of Judah, ⁴⁰ and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the babe leapt in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit ⁴² and spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³ But why do I have the honor of having the mother of my Lord come to me? ⁴⁴ For, indeed, when the sound of your greeting fell upon my ears, the babe leapt for joy in my womb. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a complete fulfillment of the things spoken to her from the Lord!" ⁴⁶ Then Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, ⁴⁷ And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; ⁴⁸ Because he has looked upon the low estate of his handmaid. Indeed, from this time all generations will call me blessed. ⁴⁹ Because the Mighty One has done great things for me. Holy is his name. ⁵⁰ His kindness is from generation to generation upon those who fear him. ⁵¹ He shows strength with his arm; He scatters the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. ⁵² He casts down princes from their thrones and raises up the lowly. ⁵³ The hungry he fills with good things and the affluent he sends away empty. ⁵⁴ He brings help to Israel his servant, mindful of kindness, ⁵⁵ just as he promised our fathers, Abraham and his descendants, forever." ⁵⁶ Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home. ⁵⁷ When Elizabeth's due time came, she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸ Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great kindness to her, and they rejoiced with her. ⁵⁹ On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they called him by the name of his father Zacharias. ⁶⁰ But his mother said, "No, but he shall be called John." ⁶¹ They said to her, "There is no one of your family who is called by that name." ⁶² Then they made signs to his father to know what he wanted him called. ⁶³ He asked for a tablet and wrote, "His name is John." They all wondered. ⁶⁴ At once Zacharias's mouth was opened and his tongue loosed and he spoke, praising God. ⁶⁵ Awe fell on all their neighbors, and in the whole hill-country of Judaea all these matters were talked about. ⁶⁶ All who heard them laid them up in their minds, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him. ⁶⁷ Zacharias, his father, was filled with the Holy Spirit and said prophetically: ⁶⁸ "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel! For he has looked upon his people, and made deliverance for them. ⁶⁹ He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David his servant, ⁷⁰ As he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets of old, ⁷¹ Salvation from our enemies and from the hands of all those that hate us, ⁷² Dealing kindly with our forefathers, mindful of his holy covenant, ⁷³ The oath which he swore to Abraham our father, ⁷⁴ To grant that we, saved from the hands of our enemies, may serve him Without fear ⁷⁵ in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. ⁷⁶ And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High. You will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, ⁷⁷ To give the knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins, ⁷⁸ Through the tender compassion of our God, With which the sunrise from on high will shine upon us; ⁷⁹ To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the path of peace." ⁸⁰ The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he lived in the wilds until the day of his appearance before Israel.