Luke 1:39-80

And Mary, rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elizabeth. And it came to pass, as Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and cried out with a loud voice and said, Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped with joy in my womb. And blessed is she that has believed, for there shall be a fulfilment of the things spoken to her from the Lord. And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he has looked upon the low estate of his bondmaid; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For the Mighty One has done to me great things, and holy is his name; and his mercy is to generations and generations to them that fear him. He has wrought strength with his arm; he has scattered haughty ones in the thought of their heart. He has put down rulers from thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent away the rich empty. He has helped Israel his servant, in order to remember mercy, (as he spoke to our fathers,) to Abraham and to his seed for ever. And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her house. But the time was fulfilled for Elizabeth that she should bring forth, and she gave birth to a son. And her neighbours and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and they rejoiced with her. And it came to pass on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they called it after the name of his father, Zacharias. And his mother answering said, No; but he shall be called John. And they said to her, There is no one among thy kinsfolk who is called by this name. And they made signs to his father as to what he might wish it to be called. And having asked for a writing-table, he wrote saying, John is his name. And they all wondered. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue, and he spake, blessing God. And fear came upon all who dwelt round about them; and in the whole hill-country of Judaea all these things were the subject of conversation. And all who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then will this child be? And the Lord's hand was with him. And Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, because he has visited and wrought redemption for his people, and raised up a horn of deliverance for us in the house of David his servant; as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who have been since the world began; deliverance from our enemies and out of the hand of all who hate us; to fulfil mercy with our fathers and remember his holy covenant, the oath which he swore to Abraham our father, to give us, that, saved out of the hand of our enemies, we should serve him without fear in piety and righteousness before him all our days. And thou , child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to make ready his ways; to give knowledge of deliverance to his people by the remission of their sins on account of the bowels of mercy of our God; wherein the dayspring from on high has visited us, to shine upon them who were sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. — And the child grew and was strengthened in spirit; and he was in the deserts until the day of his shewing to Israel.