Lukas 1:5-25

At the time of Herod king of Yehudah, there was a certain kohen by the name Zecharyah, who belonged to the Aviyah division. His isha was of the banot Aharon, name of Elisheva. And they were both tzaddikim before HASHEM, walking a derech tamim in all the mitzvos and chukkim of the Torah of Adoneinu. But they had no ben, because Elisheva was barren, and they were both advanced in their yamim. And it came to pass in the performance of his avodas kodesh sherut as a kohen before HASHEM in the appointed order of his division, According to the minhag (custom) of the kehunah, Zecharyah was chosen by lot to enter the Beis Hamikdash and to offer ketoret (incense). And when the hour of the offering of the ketoret came, all the multitude were davening outside. And there appeared to Zecharyah a malach HASHEM, standing on the right side of the Mizbeach of ketoret. And, seeing the malach, Zecharyah was terrified, and pachad (fear) fell on him. But the malach said to him, Do not have pachad (fear), Zecharyah. Your tefillah (prayer) was heard and your isha, Elisheva, will bear a ben to you and you will call his shem Yochanan. And he will be a simcha to you and sasson (joy), and there will be sasson rav (great joy) at his huledet (birth). And he will be gadol before HASHEM, and he will not drink yayin or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Ruach Hakodesh from the womb of his Em (mother), And many of the Bnei Yisroel he will turn back in teshuva to HASHEM Eloheihem. And he will go forth before Adonoi in the ruach (spirit) and koach (power) of Eliyahu HaNavi, VEHESHIV LEV AVOT AL BANIM (And he will turn the heart of the fathers to the children) and those without mishmaat (obedience) he will turn to the chochmah of the tzaddikim to prepare for Adonoi an Am (People) having been made ready. And Zecharyah said to the malach, Just how will I have daas that this is so? For I am old and my isha is advanced in her yamim (days). And in reply, the malach said to Zecharyah, I am Gavriel, I stand before HASHEM. And I was sent to speak to you and to announce these things to you. And hinei! You will be illem (mute) and not be able to speak, until the yom (day) when these things come to pass, because you did not have emunah in my devarim (words), which will be fulfilled in their time. And the people were expecting Zecharyah and they were bewildered at his delay in the Beis HaMikdash. And when he came out, he was illem (mute) and not able to speak to them, and they had daas that he had seen a chazon in the Heikhal. He kept motioning to them and he remained illem. And it came about as the yamim of his sherut (service in the Beis HaMikdash) as a kohen were fulfilled, he went to his bais (house). And after these yamim, Elisheva, his isha, became with child, and she kept herself in hitbodedut for chamesh chodashim, saying, HASHEM has done this for me. In these yamim he looked with Chen vChesed (favor and mercy, loving kindness) on me to take away my reproach among Bnei Adam.