The Gospel of Luke for Readers | Page 2

for thou has found favor
with God. Thou shall conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and
shall call His name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son
of the Highest. The Lord God shall give Him the throne of His father
David. He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever. And, of His
kingdom there shall be no end.
Then Mary said to the angel, How shall this be since I know not a man?
The angel answered, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the
power of the Highest shall overshadow thee so the holiness that is born
of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold, thy cousin,
Elisabeth, has conceived a son in her old age. It is the sixth month with
her who was once thought barren. With God nothing is impossible.
Mary said, Behold, the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done according to

thy word. Then the angel departed from her.
Mary arose with haste and went to a city of Juda in the hill country.
Here she entered the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. When
Elisabeth heard this salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb
and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. She spoke out with a
loud voice, Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of
thy womb. How is it that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
As soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the babe
leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she that believed for there shall
be a demonstration of those things which were told her by the Lord.
Mary said, My soul does magnify the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced
in God my Savior. He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden
and, henceforth, all generations shall call me blessed. He that is mighty
has done great things to me. Holy is His name. His mercy is on them
that fear Him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the
imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their
thrones, and exalted those of low degree. He has filled the hungry with
good things; and the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His
servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy; as He spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham, and to His seed forever.
Mary stayed with her cousin, Elisabeth about three months, then
returned to her own house. Elisabeth's time came that she should be
delivered; and she brought forth a son. Her neighbors and her cousins
heard how the Lord had showed great mercy on her; and they rejoiced
with her.
On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. They called him
Zacharias after the name of his father. But his mother said, No. He shall
be called John. And they said to her, There is none of thy kindred that
is called by this name. Then they made signs to his father asking how
he would have him called. He asked for a writing table, and wrote, His
name is John. Then Zacharias' mouth was opened immediately, his
tongue loosed, and he spoke and praised God.
This news was carried throughout all the hill country of Judaea. All
who heard were filled with wonder at what kind of child this would be!
And the hand of the Lord was with him.
His father, Zacharias, was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesied,

Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel; for He has visited and redeemed
His people, He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of
His servant, David; as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from
our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy
promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant; the oath
which He swore to our father, Abraham, that He would grant us, being
delivered out of the hand of our enemies, to serve Him without fear, in
holiness and righteousness, all the days of our life.
And thou, child, shall be called the prophet of the Highest, for thou
shall go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways; to give
knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins,
through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on
high has visited us to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the
shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way of peace.
The