Luke 1:24-45

New International Version

²⁴ After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. ²⁵ “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace^(A) among the people.”

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel^(B) to Nazareth,^(C) a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph,^(D) a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid,^(E) Mary; you have found favor with God.^{(F) 31} You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.^{(G) 32} He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.^(H) The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,^{(I) 33} and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom^(J) will never end.”^(K)

³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you,^(L) and the power of the Most High^(M) will overshadow you. So the holy one^(N) to be born will be called^[a] the Son of God.^{(O) 36} Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child^(P) in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. ³⁷ For no word from God will ever fail.”^(Q)

³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹ At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,^{(R) 40} where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.^{(S) 42} In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women,^(T) and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³ But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord^(U) should come to me? ⁴⁴ As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”