There was in the days of Herod, king of Judæa, a certain priest named
Zacharias, of the course of Abijah: and he had a wife of the daughters
of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous
before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord
blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren,
and they both were now well stricken in years.
Now it came to pass, while he executed the priest's office before God
in the order of his course, according to the custom of the priest's
office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn
incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at
the hour of incense.
And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right
side of the altar of incense.
And Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
But the angel said unto him, "Fear not, Zacharias: because thy
supplication is heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son,
and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and
gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great
in the sight of the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink;
and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's
womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn unto the Lord
their God. And he shall go before his face in the spirit and power of
Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the
disobedient to walk in the wisdom of the just; to make ready for the
Lord a people prepared for him."
And Zacharias said unto the angel, "Whereby shall I know this? for I
am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years."
And the angel answering said unto him, "I am Gabriel, that stand in
the presence of God; and I was sent to speak unto thee, and to bring
thee these good tidings. And behold, thou shalt be silent and not able
to speak, until the day that these things shall come to pass, because
thou believedst not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their
season."
And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and they marvelled while he
tarried in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak unto
them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: and
he continued making signs unto them, and remained dumb.
And it came to pass, when the days of his ministration were fulfilled,
he departed unto his house.
And after these days Elisabeth his wife conceived; and she hid herself
five months, saying, "Thus hath the Lord done unto me in the days
wherein he looked upon me, to take away my reproach among men."