62. So they made signs to his father asking what he wanted him to be named,
63. and he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, saying, “John is his name.” And they were all astonished.
64. And his mouth and his tongue were opened immediately, and he began to speak, praising God.
65. And fear came on all those who lived near them, and in all the hill country of Judea all these events were discussed.
66. And all those who heard kept these things in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be? For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him!”
67. And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
68. “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited to help and has redeemed his people,
69. and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
70. just as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from earliest times—
71. salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all those who hate us,
72. to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
73. the oath that he swore to Abraham our father, to grant us
74. that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, could serve him without fear
75. in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76. And so you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go on before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77. to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins,