26 And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city
of Galilee, called Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of
David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the
Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself
what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace
with God.
31 Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son;
and thou shalt call his name Jesus.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and
the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his
father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever.
33 And of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not
man?
35 And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon
thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow
thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be
called the Son of God.
36 And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her
old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called
barren:
37 Because no word shall be impossible with God.
38 And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me
according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
39 And Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste
into a city of Juda.
40 And she entered into the house of Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth.
41 And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary,
the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled
with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among
women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
45 And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be
accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord.
46 And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord.
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from
henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is
his name.
50 And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear
him.
51 He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the
conceit of their heart.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the
humble.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent
empty away.
54 He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy:
55 As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever.
56 And Mary abode with her about three months; and she returned to her own
house.
57 Now Elizabeth's full time of being delivered was come, and she brought
forth a son.
58 And her neighbours and kinsfolks heard that the Lord had shewed his
great mercy towards her, and they congratulated with
her.
59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the
child, and they called him by his father's name Zachary.
60 And his mother answering, said: Not so; but he shall be called John.
61 And they said to her: There is none of thy kindred that is called by
this name.
62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
63 And demanding a writing table, he wrote, saying: John is his name. And
they all wondered.
64 And immediately his mouth was opened, and his tongue loosed, and he
spoke, blessing God.
65 And fear came upon all their neighbours; and all these things were
noised abroad over all the hill country of Judea.
66 And all they that had heard them laid them up in their heart, saying:
What an one, think ye, shall this child be? For the hand of
the Lord was with him.
67 And Zachary his father was filled with the Holy Ghost; and he
prophesied, saying:
68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; because he hath visited and wrought
the redemption of his people:
69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us, in the house of David
his servant:
70 As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who are from the
beginning:
71 Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us:
72 To perform mercy to our fathers, and to remember his holy testament,
73 The oath, which he swore to Abraham our father, that he would grant to
us,
74 That being delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him
without fear,
75 In holiness and justice before him, all our days.
76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou
shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways:
77 To give knowledge of salvation to his people, unto the remission of
their sins:
78 Through the bowels of the mercy of our God, in which the Orient from on
high hath visited us:
79 To enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death: to
direct our feet into the way of peace.
80 And the child grew, and was strengthened in spirit; and was in the
deserts until the day of his manifestation to Israel.
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