⁵⁷Now Elisabeth's time was fulfilled that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. ⁵⁸And her neighbors and her kinsfolk heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her; and they rejoiced with her. ⁵⁹And it came to pass on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of the father. ⁶⁰And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. ⁶¹And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. ⁶²And they made signs to his father, what he would have him called. ⁶³And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. ⁶⁴And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, blessing God. ⁶⁵And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea. ⁶⁶And all that heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then shall this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him.

⁶⁷And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, ⁶⁸Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; For he hath visited and wrought redemption for his people, ⁶⁹And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of his servant David ⁷⁰(As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that have been from of old), ⁷¹Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; ⁷²To show mercy towards, our fathers, And to remember his holy covenant; ⁷³The oath which he spake unto Abraham our father, ⁷⁴To grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies Should serve him without fear, ⁷⁵In holiness and righteousness before him all our days. ⁷⁶Yea and thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Most High: For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to make ready his ways; ⁷⁷To give knowledge of salvation unto his people In the remission of their sins, ⁷⁸Because of the tender mercy of our God, Whereby the dayspring from on high shall visit us, ⁷⁹To shine upon them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death; To guide our feet into the way of peace.

⁸⁰And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel.