21. Outside, the people were still waiting for Zechariah. They were surprised that he was staying so long in the Temple.
22. Then Zechariah came outside, but he could not speak to them. So the people knew that he had seen a vision inside the Temple. He was not able to speak, so he could only make signs to the people.
23. When his time of service was finished, he went home.
24. Later, Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth became pregnant. So she did not go out of her house for five months. She said,
25. “Look what the Lord has done for me! He decided to help me. Now people will stop thinking there is something wrong with me.”
26-27. During Elizabeth’s sixth month of pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to a virgin girl who lived in Nazareth, a town in Galilee. She was engaged to marry a man named Joseph from the family of David. Her name was Mary.
28. The angel came to her and said, “Greetings! The Lord is with you; you are very special to him.”
29. But Mary was very confused about what the angel said. She wondered, “What does this mean?”
30. The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, because God is very pleased with you.
31. Listen! You will become pregnant and have a baby boy. You will name him Jesus.
32. He will be great. People will call him the Son of the Most High God, and the Lord God will make him king like his ancestor David.
33. He will rule over the people of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34. Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen? I am still a virgin.”
35. The angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High God will cover you. The baby will be holy and will be called the Son of God.
36. And here’s something else: Your relative Elizabeth is pregnant. She is very old, but she is going to have a son. Everyone thought she could not have a baby, but she has been pregnant now for six months.
37. God can do anything!”
38. Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let this thing you have said happen to me!” Then the angel went away.
39. Mary got up and went quickly to a town in the hill country of Judea.
40. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.
41. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the unborn baby inside her jumped, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42. In a loud voice she said to Mary, “God has blessed you more than any other woman. And God has blessed the baby you will have.