Zechariah’s Song

67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with [the] Holy Spirit and prophesied

68 “Blessed be [the] Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and redeemed His people.

69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in [the] house of His servant David,

70 as He spoke through His holy prophets, [those] of ages past,

71 salvation from our enemies and from [the] hand of all who hate us,

72 to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant,

73 [the] oath He swore to our father Abraham, to grant us

74 deliverance from hostile hands, that we may serve Him without fear,

75 in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our lives.

76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of [the] Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him,

77 to give to His people the knowledge of salvation through [the] forgiveness of their sins,

78 because of [the] tender mercy of our God, by which [the] Dawn[fn] will visit us from on high,

79 to shine on those who live in darkness and in [the] shadow of death, to guide our feet into [the] path of peace.”

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit;[fn] and he lived in the wilderness until [the] time of his public appearance to Israel.