Luke 1:46-80 ▼

46 And Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord,

47 and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior;

48 for he has looked upon the lowly condition of his handmaid. For, behold, from this time, all generations shall call me blessed;

49 for He that is Mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name:

50 and his mercy is from generation to generation upon those who fear him.

51 He has done mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in the understanding of their hearts.

52 He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.

53 He has filled the hungry with good things, but the rich he has sent empty away.

54 He has helped Israel his servant, (as he spoke to our fathers,)

55 by remembering his mercy to Abraham and to his posterity forever.

56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

57 Now the time for Elizabeth to be delivered had fully come; and she gave birth to a son.

58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had showed great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

59 And it came to pass, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they called him by the name of his father, Zachariah.

60 And his mother answered and said: Not so: but he shall be called John.

61 And they said to her: There is no one among your relatives that is called by this name.

62 And they made signs to his father, to know what he wished him to be called.

63 And having asked for a writing tablet, he wrote, saying: His name is John. And they were all astonished.

64 And immediately his mouth was opened, and his tongue was loosed, and he spoke, and praised God.

65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them; and all these things were talked of everywhere throughout the mountainous country of Judea.

66 And all that heard them, laid them up in their hearts, and said: What, then, will this child be? And the hand of the Lord was with him.

67 And Zachariah his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:

68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he has visited and redeemed his people;

69 and he has raised up for us, in the house of David his servant, a horn of salvation,

70 (as he spoke by the mouth of all his holy prophets of ancient times,)

71 salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us,

72 in order to show the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant,

73 the oath which he swore to Abraham our father,

74 that he would grant to us, that being delivered from the hands of our enemies, we might serve him without fear,

75 in holiness and righteousness before him, all our days.

76 And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; for you shall go before the face of the Lord, to make ready his ways,

77 by giving to his people the knowledge of salvation in the remission of their sins,

78 through the tender mercies of our God; by which the dawn from on high has visited us,

79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, by guiding our feet in the way of peace.

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.