22. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realised he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
23. When his time of service was completed, he returned home.
24. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.
25. ‘The Lord has done this for me,’ she said. ‘In these days he has shown his favour and taken away my disgrace among the people.’
26. In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
27. to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
28. The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’
29. Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
30. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God.
31. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.
32. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,