And Mary said unto the angel, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?”

And the angel answered and said unto her, “The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee:  wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God.  And behold, Elisabeth thy kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that was called barren.  For no word from God shall be void of power.”

And Mary said, “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word”

And the angel departed from her.

MARY’S VISIT TO HER COUSIN.

And Mary arose in these days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah; and entered into the house of Zacharias and saluted Elisabeth.  And it came to pass, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit; and she lifted up her voice with a loud cry, and said, “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.  And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come unto me?  For behold, when the voice of thy salutation came into mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  And blessed is she that believed; for there shall be a fulfilment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord.”

MARY’S SONG.

And Mary said,

    “My soul doth magnify the Lord. 
    And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 
    For he hath looked upon the low estate of his handmaid: 
    For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 
    For he that is mighty hath done to me great things;
    And holy is his name. 
    And his mercy is unto generations and generations
    On them that fear him. 
    He hath showed strength with his arm: 
    He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart. 
    He hath put down princes from their thrones,
    And hath exalted them of low degree. 
    The hungry he hath filled with good things;
    And the rich he hath sent empty away. 
    He hath given help to Israel his servant,
    That he might remember mercy
    (As he spake unto our fathers)
    Toward Abraham and his seed for ever.”

And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned unto her house.

THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.

Now Elisabeth’s time was fulfilled that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.  And her neighbors and her kinsfolk heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her; and they rejoiced with her.

And it came to pass on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.