Mary’s Visit to Elizabeth

39 In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah 40 where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her,[a] and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.(A) 42 Then she exclaimed with a loud cry:

“You are the most blessed of women,
and your child will be blessed![b]

43 How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me![c] 45 She who has believed is blessed because what was spoken to her by the Lord will be fulfilled!”

Mary’s Praise

46 And Mary said:

My soul proclaims the greatness of[d] the Lord,(B)
47 and my spirit has rejoiced(C) in God my Savior,(D)
48 because He has looked with favor
on the humble condition of His slave.
Surely, from now on all generations
will call me blessed,(E)
49 because the Mighty One(F)
has done great things for me,(G)
and His name(H) is holy.
50 His mercy is from generation to generation(I)
on those who fear Him.
51 He has done a mighty deed with His arm;(J)
He has scattered the proud
because of the thoughts of their hearts;
52 He has toppled the mighty from their thrones
and exalted the lowly.
53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things(K)
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped His servant Israel,
mindful of His mercy,[e]
55 just as He spoke to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his descendants[f] forever.

56 And Mary stayed with her about three months; then she returned to her home.

The Birth and Naming of John

57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son. 58 Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her His great mercy,[g](L) and they rejoiced with her.

59 When they came to circumcise the child on the eighth day,(M) they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But his mother responded, “No! He will be called John.”(N)

61 Then they said to her, “None of your relatives has that name.” 62 So they motioned to his father(O) to find out what he wanted him to be called. 63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote:

HIS NAME IS JOHN.

And they were all amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened(P) and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard about him(Q) took it to heart, saying, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the Lord’s hand was with him.

Zechariah’s Prophecy

67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit(R) and prophesied:(S)

68 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,(T)
because He has visited
and provided redemption for His people.(U)
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation[h] for us(V)
in the house of His servant David,(W)
70 just as He spoke by the mouth
of His holy prophets in ancient times;(X)
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the clutches[i] of those who hate us.
72 He has dealt mercifully with our fathers(Y)
and remembered His holy covenant(Z)
73 the oath that He swore to our father Abraham.(AA)
He has given us the privilege,
74 since we have been rescued
from our enemies’ clutches,[j]
to serve Him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness
in His presence all our days.
76 And child, you will be called
a prophet of the Most High,(AB)
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare His ways,(AC)
77 to give His people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins.(AD)
78 Because of our God’s merciful compassion,
the Dawn from on high(AE) will visit us
79 to shine on those who live in darkness
and the shadow of death,(AF)
to guide our feet into the way of peace.

80 The child grew up and became spiritually strong,(AG) and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 1:41 Lit leaped in her abdomen or womb
  2. Luke 1:42 Lit and the fruit of your abdomen (or womb) is blessed
  3. Luke 1:44 Lit in my abdomen or womb
  4. Luke 1:46 Or soul magnifies
  5. Luke 1:54 Because He remembered His mercy; Ps 98:3
  6. Luke 1:55 Or offspring; lit seed
  7. Luke 1:58 Lit the Lord magnified His mercy with her
  8. Luke 1:69 = a strong Savior
  9. Luke 1:71 Lit the hand
  10. Luke 1:74 Lit from the hand of enemies

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,(A) 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.(B) 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women,(C) and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord(D) 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!”

Mary’s Song(E)

46 And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord(F)
47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,(G)
48 for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.(H)
From now on all generations will call me blessed,(I)
49     for the Mighty One has done great things(J) for me—
    holy is his name.(K)
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.(L)
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;(M)
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.(N)
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.(O)
53 He has filled the hungry with good things(P)
    but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful(Q)
55 to Abraham and his descendants(R) forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors.”

56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

The Birth of John the Baptist

57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise(S) the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”(T)

61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

62 Then they made signs(U) to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”(V) 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak,(W) praising God. 65 All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea(X) people were talking about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.(Y)

Zechariah’s Song

67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit(Z) and prophesied:(AA)

68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,(AB)
    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.(AC)
69 He has raised up a horn[a](AD) of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David(AE)
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),(AF)
71 salvation from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us—
72 to show mercy to our ancestors(AG)
    and to remember his holy covenant,(AH)
73     the oath he swore to our father Abraham:(AI)
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
    and to enable us to serve him(AJ) without fear(AK)
75     in holiness and righteousness(AL) before him all our days.

76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet(AM) of the Most High;(AN)
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,(AO)
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,(AP)
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun(AQ) will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,(AR)
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”(AS)

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit[b];(AT) and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 1:69 Horn here symbolizes a strong king.
  2. Luke 1:80 Or in the Spirit