14. How glad and happy you will be, and how happy many others will be when he is born!
15. He will be a great man in the Lord's sight. He must not drink any wine or strong drink. From his very birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit,
16. and he will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.
17. He will go ahead of the Lord, strong and mighty like the prophet Elijah. He will bring fathers and children together again; he will turn disobedient people back to the way of thinking of the righteous; he will get the Lord's people ready for him.”
18. Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know if this is so? I am an old man, and my wife is old also.”
19. “I am Gabriel,” the angel answered. “I stand in the presence of God, who sent me to speak to you and tell you this good news.