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- When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son.
- Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
- On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah,
- but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John."
- They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name."
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- Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
- And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
- And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
- And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
- And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
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- Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.
- He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John."
- Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God.
- The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.
- Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him.
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- And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
- And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
- And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.
- And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
- And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.
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- His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
- "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.
- He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
- (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
- salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us--
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- And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
- Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
- And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
- As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
- That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
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- to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
- the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
- to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear
- in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
- And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
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- To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
- The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
- That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
- In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
- 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;
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- to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
- because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
- to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."
- And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.
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- To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
- Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
- To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
- And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.
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