Luke 1:5-25

There was in the time of Herod, King of Judea, a certain priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly class of Abijah. His wife, a descendant of Aaron, was named Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly under all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were well advanced in years.

And it came to pass that when [Zechariah] was serving as priest before God, for his section was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. Now at the hour of incense, the whole multitude of people was praying outside. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was troubled and terror pressed in upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not fear, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, shall never drink wine or liquor. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while he is still in his mother’s womb, and many of the children of Israel will he turn again to the Lord their God. And he shall go before them with the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the holy, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Zechariah said to the angel, “Just how will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced.” And the angel, answering him, said, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and who has been sent to speak to you and to declare to you this good news. But look, you will be silent and unable to speak, until the day these things come to pass, because you did not have faith in my tidings, which will be accomplished in their time.”

And the people waited for Zechariah, and wondered that he lingered so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them, and they recognized that he had seen a vision in the temple, for while he kept making signs, he remained unable to speak. And so it came to pass that when his time of service was finished, he departed to his own house.

And after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she hid herself, saying, “In this way has the Lord dealt with me when he regarded me and took away my disgrace before people.”