56. Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months. Then she returned home.
57. The time came for Elizabeth to have her baby. She gave birth to a son.
58. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very kind to her. They shared her joy.
59. On the eighth day, they came to have the child circumcised. They were going to name him Zechariah, like his father.
60. But his mother spoke up. "No!" she said. "He must be called John."
61. They said to her, "No one among your relatives has that name."
62. Then they motioned to his father. They wanted to find out what he would like to name the child.
63. He asked for something to write on. Then he wrote, "His name is John." Everyone was amazed.
64. Right away Zechariah could speak again. His first words gave praise to God.
65. The neighbors were all filled with fear and wonder. All through Judea's hill country, people were talking about all these things.
66. Everyone who heard this wondered about it. And because the Lord was with John, they asked, "What is this child going to be?"
67. His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit. He prophesied,
68. "Give praise to the Lord, the God of Israel! He has come and set his people free.
69. He has acted with great power and has saved us. He did it for those who are from the family line of his servant David.
70. Long ago holy prophets said he would do it.