Luke 1:16-23

New International Version

¹⁶ He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord,^(A) in the spirit and power of Elijah,^(B) to turn the hearts of the parents to their children^(C) and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”^(D)

¹⁸ Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this?^(E) I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”^(F)

¹⁹ The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel.^(G) I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. ²⁰ And now you will be silent and not able to speak^(H) until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

²¹ Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. ²² When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs^(I) to them but remained unable to speak.

²³ When his time of service was completed, he returned home.