Study Desk

But the angel said, Have no fear, Zacharias, for your prayer has come to the ears of God, and your wife Elisabeth will have a son, and his name will be John.

For he will be great in the eyes of the Lord; he will not take wine or strong drink; and he will be full of the Spirit of God from his birth.

And through him great numbers of the children of Israel will be turned to the Lord their God.

And the angel, answering, said, I am Gabriel, whose place is before God; I have been sent to say these words to you and to give you this good news.

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee, named Nazareth,

He will be great, and will be named the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God will give him the kingdom of David, his father:

And the angel in answer said to her, The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will come to rest on you, and so that which will come to birth will be named holy, Son of God.

For there is nothing which God is not able to do.

And Mary said: My soul gives glory to God;

My spirit is glad in God my Saviour.

And straight away his mouth was open and his tongue was free and he gave praise to God.

Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and made them free,

Because of the loving mercies of our God, by which the dawn from heaven has come to us,

And suddenly there was with the angel a great band of spirits from heaven, giving praise to God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on the earth peace among men with whom he is well pleased.

Then the keepers of the sheep went back, giving glory and praise to God for all the things which had come to their ears and which they had seen, as it had been said to them.

And there was then in Jerusalem a man whose name was Simeon; and he was an upright man, fearing God and waiting for the comfort of Israel: and the Holy Spirit was on him.

Then he took him in his arms and gave praise to God and said,

And coming up at that time, she gave praise to God, talking of him to all those who were waiting for the freeing of Jerusalem.

And the child became tall and strong and full of wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.