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Zechariah was troubled when he saw the angel, and ^(C1)fear ^(F1)gripped him.

But the angel said to him, "^(C1)Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and ^(C2)you shall ^(F1)name him John.

"You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth.

"For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will ^(C1)drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit ^(F1)while still in his mother's womb.

"And he will ^(C1)turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.

"And it is he who will ^(C1)go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of ^(C2)Elijah, ^(C3)TO TURN THE HEARTS OF FATHERS BACK TO THEIR CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to ^(C1)make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

Zechariah said to the angel, "How will I know this? For ^(C1)I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her ^(F1)years."

The angel answered and said to him, "I am ^(C1)Gabriel, who ^(F1)(C2)stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.

"And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time."

And meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and were wondering at his delay in the temple.

But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple, and he repeatedly ^(F1)(C1)made signs to them, and remained speechless.

When the days of his priestly service were concluded, he went back home.

Now after these days his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and she kept herself ^(F1)in seclusion for five months, saying,

"This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to ^(C1)take away my disgrace among people."

Now in the sixth month the angel ^(C1)Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named ^(C2)Nazareth,

to ^(C1)a virgin ^(F1)betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, ^(C2)of the ^(F2)descendants of David; and the virgin's name was ^(F3)Mary.

And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord ^(F1)is with you."

But she ^(C1)was very perplexed at this statement, and was pondering what kind of greeting this was.

And the angel said to her, "^(C1)Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you ^(C1)shall name Him Jesus.

"He will be great and will be called the Son of ^(C1)the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him ^(C2)the throne of His father David;

^(C1)and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, ^(C2)and His kingdom will have no end."

But Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I ^(F1)am a virgin?"

The angel answered and said to her, "^(C1)The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of ^(C2)the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also ^(C3)the ^(F1)holy Child will be called ^(C4)the Son of God.

"And behold, even your relative Elizabeth herself has conceived a son in her old age, and ^(F1)she who was called infertile is now in her sixth month.

"For ^(C1)nothing will be impossible with God."

And Mary said, "Behold, the Lord's bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Now ^(F1)at this time Mary set out and went in a hurry to ^(C1)the hill country, to a city of Judah,

and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was ^(C1)filled with the Holy Spirit.

And she cried out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

"And ^(F1)how has it happened to me that the mother of ^(C1)my Lord would come to me?

"For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.

"And ^(C1)blessed is she who ^(F1)believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her ^(F2)by the Lord."

And Mary said: "^(C1)My soul ^(F1)(C2)exalts the Lord,

And ^(C1)my spirit has rejoiced in ^(C2)God my Savior.

-"For ^(C1)He has had regard for the humble state of His bond-servant; For behold, from now on all generations will ^(F1)call me ^(C2)blessed.

-"For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.

-"^(C1)And His mercy is to generation ^(F1)after generation Toward those who fear Him.

-"^(C1)He has done ^(F1)mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the ^(F2)thoughts of their hearts.

-"He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has ^(C1)exalted those who were humble.