Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother said, "No; he shall be
called John." 61 They said to her, "There is no one among your
relatives who is called by that name." 62 And they made signs to his
father, inquiring what he would have him called. 63 And he asked for a
writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." And they all marveled.
64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he
spoke, praising God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all
these things were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea;
66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What
then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 Now his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and
prophesied, saying:
68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people,
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us,
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath which he swore to our father Abraham:
74 to grant us that we,
being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before him
all the days of our life.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people