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Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
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to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
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And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"
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But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.
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Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
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And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.
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He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
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And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
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Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"
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And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
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Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.
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For with God nothing will be impossible."
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Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
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Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,
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and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
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And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
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Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
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But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
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For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
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Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."
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And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord,
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And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
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For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
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For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.
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And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation.
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He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
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He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly.
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He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty.
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He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy,
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As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever."
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And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.
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Now Elizabeth's full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son.
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When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.
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So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias.
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His mother answered and said, "No; he shall be called John."
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But they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name."
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So they made signs to his father--what he would have him called.
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And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, "His name is John." So they all marveled.
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Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God.
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Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea.
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And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, "What kind of child will this be?" And the hand of the Lord was with him.
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Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
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"Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people,
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And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David,
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As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began,
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That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us,
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To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant,
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The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
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To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear,
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In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
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And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,