His Name Is John

57The time was fulfilled for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.

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

59And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were calling him Zechariah, after the name of his father.

60And his mother answered, “No; rather, he shall be called John.”

61And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.”

62So they motioned to his father to find out what he wanted him to be called.

63And after asking for a writing tablet, he wrote, saying, “John is his name.” And they all marveled.

64And immediately his mouth was opened, and his tongue also, and he began speaking, blessing God.

65And fear came upon all those living around them, and throughout all the hill country of Judea all these things were being talked about.

66And all who heard it laid it up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child become?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

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

68Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and brought redemption to his people,

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

70just as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

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

72to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,

73the oath that he swore to Abraham our father, to grant to us

74that, having been rescued from the hand of our enemies, we might serve him without fear

75in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

76And you also, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

77to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,

78because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the sunrise from on high will visit us,

79to shine on those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

80And the child kept growing and becoming strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.