5 There was in the days of Herod the king of Judaea 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 that Elisabeth was barren and they both were now well stricken in years
8 And it came to pass that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course 9 According to the custom of the priest's office his lot was to burn incense when he went 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 unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense 12 And when Zacharias saw him he was troubled and fear fell upon him 13 But the angel said unto 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 gladness and many shall rejoice at his birth 15 For he shall be great in the sight of 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 Elias 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 unto the angel Whereby __ shall I know this for I am an old man and my wife well stricken in years __ 19 And the angel answering said unto him I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God and am sent to speak unto thee and to shew thee these glad tidings 20 And behold thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed because __ thou believest not my words which shall be fulfilled in their season
21 And the people waited __ for Zacharias and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple 22 And when he came out he could not speak unto them and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple for he beckoned __ unto them and remained speechless 23 And it came to pass that as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished he departed to his own house
24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived and hid herself five months saying 25 ">Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me to take away my reproach among men
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named __ Nazareth 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David and the virgin's name was Mary 28 And the angel came in unto her and said Hail thou that art highly favoured the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among women 29 And when she saw him she was troubled at his saying and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be 30 And the angel said unto her Fear not Mary for thou hast found favour with God 31 And behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son and shalt call his name JESUS 32 He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of his kingdom there shall be no end 34 Then said Mary unto the angel How shall this be seeing I know not a man 35 And the angel answered and said unto her The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God 36 And behold thy cousin Elisabeth she hath also conceived a son in her old age and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren 37 For with God nothing __ __ shall be impossible 38 And Mary said Behold the handmaid of the Lord be it unto me according to thy word And the angel departed from her
39 And Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda 40 And entered into the house of Zacharias and saluted Elisabeth 41 And it came to pass that when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary the babe leaped in her womb and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost 42 And she spake out with a loud voice and said Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb 43 And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me 44 For lo as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears the babe leaped in my womb for joy 45 And blessed is she that believed for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord
46 And Mary said My soul doth magnify the Lord
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour
48 For he hath regarded __ the low estate of his handmaiden for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things and holy is his name
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich he hath sent empty away
54 He hath holpen his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy
55 As he spake to our fathers to Abraham and to his seed for ever
56 And Mary abode with her about three months and returned to her own house
57 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered and she brought forth a son 58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy __ upon her and they rejoiced with her
59 And it came to pass that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child and they called him Zacharias after the name of his father 60 And his mother answered and said Not so but he shall be called John 61 And they said unto her __ There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name 62 And they made signs to his father how __ he would have him called 63 And he asked for a writing table and wrote saying His name is John And they marvelled all 64 And his mouth was opened immediately and his tongue loosed and he spake and praised God 65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea 66 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts saying What manner of child shall this be And the hand of the Lord was with him
67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesied saying
68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people __
69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets which have been since the world began
71 That we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant
73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham
74 That he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear
75 In holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life
76 And thou child shalt be called the prophet of the Highest for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins
78 Through the tender mercy of our God whereby __ the dayspring from on high hath visited us
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death to guide our feet into the way of peace
80 And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel
