3 [1:57]And when Elizabeth's time to bear had fully come, she bore a son; [1:58]and her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy to her, and congratulated her. [1:59]And they came on the eighth day to circumcise the little child, and called it by the name of its father, Zachariah. [1:60]And his mother answered and said, No; but he shall be called John. [1:61] And they said to her, There is no one of your relations who is called by this name; [1:62]and they made signs to his father, what he wished it to be called. [1:63]And asking for a writing-tablet, he wrote, saying, His name is John. And all wondered. [1:64]And his mouth was immediately opened, and his tongue [loosed], and he spoke and blessed God. [1:65]And fear came on all living around them. All these things were talked of in all the mountainous country of Judea. [1:66]And all who heard laid them to heart, saying, What then is this child to be? For the hand of the Lord was also with him. 4 [1:67]And Zachariah his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, [1:68]Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people, [1:69]and raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David his servant; [1:70]as he said by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old; [1:71]A salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us, [1:72]to perform his mercy with our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant, [1:73]the oath which he swore to Abraham our father, [1:74]to grant us without fear, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, to serve him [1:75]in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. [1:76]And you, little child, shall be called a prophet of the Most High; for you shall go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, [1:77]to give a knowledge of salvation to his people, with a forgiveness of sins, [1:78]on account of the compassionate mercies of our God, by which a morning from on high has visited us, [1:79]to illuminate those sitting in darkness and the shade of death, to direct our feet in the way of peace. [1:80]And the child grew, and became strong in spirit, and was in the wilderness till the day of his manifestation to Israel. CHAPTER III. THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, HIS INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD.