Luke 1:39-80

New Life Version

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹ At once Mary went from there to a town in the hill country of Judea. ⁴⁰ She went to the house of Zacharias to see Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary speak, the baby moved in her body. At the same time Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

⁴² Elizabeth spoke in a loud voice, “You are honored among women! Your Child is honored! ⁴³ Why has this happened to me? Why has the mother of my Lord come to me? ⁴⁴ As soon as I heard your voice, the baby in my body moved for joy. ⁴⁵ You are happy because you believed. Everything will happen as the Lord told you it would happen.”

Mary’s Song of Thanks

⁴⁶ Then Mary said, “My heart sings with thanks for my Lord. ⁴⁷ And my spirit is happy in God, the One Who saves from the punishment of sin. ⁴⁸ The Lord has looked on me, His servant-girl and one who is not important. But from now on all people will honor me. ⁴⁹ He Who is powerful has done great things for me. His name is holy. ⁵⁰ The loving-kindness of the Lord is given to the people of all times who honor Him. ⁵¹ He has done powerful works with His arm. He has divided from each other those who have pride in their hearts. ⁵² He has taken rulers down from their thrones. He has put those who are in a place that is not important to a place that is important. ⁵³ He has filled those who are hungry with good things. He has sent the rich people away with nothing. ⁵⁴ He has helped Israel His servant. This was done to remember His loving-kindness. ⁵⁵ He promised He would do this to our early fathers and to Abraham and to his family forever.” ⁵⁶ Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months. Then she went to her own home.

The Birth of John the Baptist

⁵⁷ When the time came, Elizabeth gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸ Her neighbors and family heard how the Lord had shown loving-kindness to her. They were happy for her. ⁵⁹ On the eighth day they did the religious act of the Jews on the child. They named him Zacharias, after his father. ⁶⁰ But his mother said, “No! His name is John.” ⁶¹ They said to her, “No one in your family has that name.”

⁶² Then they talked to his father with their hands to find out what he would name the child. ⁶³ He asked for something to write on. He wrote, “His name is John.” They were all surprised and wondered about it. ⁶⁴ Zacharias was able to talk from that time on and he gave thanks to God.

⁶⁵ All those who lived near them were afraid. The news of what had happened was told through all the hill country of Judea. ⁶⁶ And all who heard those words remembered them and said, “What is this child going to be?” For the hand of the Lord was on him.

Zacharias’ Song of Thanks to God

⁶⁷ Zacharias, the father of John, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He told what was going to happen, saying, ⁶⁸ “Let us thank the Lord God of Israel. He has bought His people and made them free. ⁶⁹ He has raised up from the family of David One Who saves people from the punishment of their sins. ⁷⁰ His holy early preachers told us this long ago. ⁷¹ God told us that we should be saved from those who hate us and from all those who work against us. ⁷² He would show loving-kindness to our early fathers. He would remember His holy promise. ⁷³ God promised this to our early father Abraham. ⁷⁴ He promised that we would be saved from those who hate us and that we might worship Him without being afraid. ⁷⁵ We can be holy and right with God all the days of our life.

⁷⁶ “And you, my son, will be the one who speaks for the Most High. For you will go before the Lord to make the way ready for Him. ⁷⁷ You will tell His people how to be saved from the punishment of sin by being forgiven of their sins. ⁷⁸ Because the heart of our God is full of loving-kindness for us, a light from heaven will shine on us. ⁷⁹ It will give light to those who live in darkness and are under the shadow of death. It will lead our feet in the way of peace.”

⁸⁰ The child grew and became strong in spirit. He lived in a desert until the day he started to preach to the Jews.