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\xa0In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6\xa0Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord\u2019s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7\xa0But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

8\xa0Once when Zechariah\u2019s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9\xa0he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10\xa0And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

11\xa0Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12\xa0When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13\xa0But the angel said to him: \u201cDo not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14\xa0He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15\xa0for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16\xa0He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17\xa0And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous\u2014to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.\u201d

18\xa0Zechariah asked the angel, \u201cHow can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.\u201d

19\xa0The angel said to him, \u201cI am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20\xa0And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.\u201d

21\xa0Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22\xa0When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

23\xa0When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24\xa0After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25\xa0\u201cThe Lord has done this for me,\u201d she said. \u201cIn these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.\u201d

26\xa0In the sixth month of Elizabeth\u2019s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27\xa0to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin\u2019s name was Mary. 28\xa0The angel went to her and said, \u201cGreetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.\u201d

29\xa0Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30\xa0But the angel said to her, \u201cDo not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31\xa0You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32\xa0He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33\xa0and he will reign over Jacob\u2019s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.\u201d

34\xa0\u201cHow will this be,\u201d Mary asked the angel, \u201csince I am a virgin?\u201d

35\xa0The angel answered, \u201cThe Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. 36\xa0Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37\xa0For no word from God will ever fail.\u201d

38\xa0\u201cI am the Lord\u2019s servant,\u201d Mary answered. \u201cMay your word to me be fulfilled.\u201d Then the angel left her.

39\xa0At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40\xa0where she entered Zechariah\u2019s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41\xa0When Elizabeth heard Mary\u2019s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42\xa0In a loud voice she exclaimed: \u201cBlessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43\xa0But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44\xa0As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45\xa0Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!\u201d