Luke 1:5-13

English Standard Version

Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

⁵^(A)In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,^[a] ^(B)of ^(C)the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶And they were both ^(D)righteous before God, walking ^(E)blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. ⁷But they had no child, because ^(F)Elizabeth was barren, and ^(G)both were advanced in years.

⁸Now ^(H)while he was serving as priest before God when ^(I)his division was on duty, ⁹according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot ^(J)to enter ^(K)the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰And the whole multitude of the people ^(L)were praying ^(M)outside at the hour of incense. ¹¹And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of ^(N)the altar of incense. ¹²And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and ^(O)fear fell upon him. ¹³But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for ^(P)your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and ^(Q)you shall call his name John.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Luke 1:5 Greek Zacharias

Luke 1:16

English Standard Version

¹⁶And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God,

Read full chapter

Luke 1:16 in all English translations

Luke 1:59-79

English Standard Version

⁵⁹And ^(A)on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, ⁶⁰but his mother answered, “No; ^(B)he shall be called John.” ⁶¹And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” ⁶²And ^(C)they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. ⁶³And he asked for ^(D)a writing tablet and wrote, ^(E)“His name is John.” And they all wondered. ⁶⁴^(F)And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue ^(G)loosed, and he spoke, ^(H)blessing God. ⁶⁵And ^(I)fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all ^(J)the hill country of Judea, ⁶⁶and all who heard them ^(K)laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For ^(L)the hand of the Lord was with him.

Zechariah's Prophecy

⁶⁷And his father Zechariah ^(M)was filled with the Holy Spirit and ^(N)prophesied, saying,

⁶⁸^(O)“Blessed be the Lord ^(P)God of Israel,
    for he has ^(Q)visited and ^(R)redeemed his people
⁶⁹and ^(S)has raised up ^(T)a horn of salvation for us
    ^(U)in the house of his servant David,
⁷⁰^(V)as ^(W)he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
⁷¹^(X)that we should be saved from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us;
⁷²^(Y)to show the mercy promised to our fathers
    and ^(Z)to remember his holy ^(AA)covenant,
⁷³^(AB)the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
⁷⁴    that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him ^(AC)without fear,
⁷⁵    ^(AD)in holiness and righteousness before him ^(AE)all our days.
⁷⁶And you, child, will be called ^(AF)the prophet of ^(AG)the Most High;
    for ^(AH)you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
⁷⁷to give knowledge of salvation to his people
    ^(AI)in the forgiveness of their sins,
⁷⁸because of the ^(AJ)tender mercy of our God,
    whereby ^(AK)the sunrise shall ^(AL)visit us^[a] ^(AM)from on high
⁷⁹to ^(AN)give light to ^(AO)those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into ^(AP)the way of ^(AQ)peace.”