13. The angel said, "Don’t be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayers have been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to your son and you must name him John.
14. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many people will rejoice at his birth,
15. for he will be great in the Lord’s eyes. He must not drink wine and liquor. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before his birth.
16. He will bring many Israelites back to the Lord their God.
17. He will go forth before the Lord, equipped with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and he will turn the disobedient to righteous patterns of thinking. He will make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
18. Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure of this? My wife and I are very old."
19. The angel replied, "I am Gabriel. I stand in God’s presence. I was sent to speak to you and to bring this good news to you.
20. Know this: What I have spoken will come true at the proper time. But because you didn’t believe, you will remain silent, unable to speak until the day when these things happen."
21. Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they wondered why he was in the sanctuary for such a long time.
22. When he came out, he was unable to speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he gestured to them and couldn’t speak.
23. When he completed the days of his priestly service, he returned home.
24. Afterward, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant. She kept to herself for five months, saying,