12. Zechariah was in turmoil when he saw the angel, and fear fell upon him.
13. But the angel said, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give birth to your son, and you will name him John.
14. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
15. He will be great before Adonai; and he should not drink wine and intoxicating beverage, but he will be filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh just out of his mother’s womb.
16. Many of Bnei-Yisrael will turn to Adonai their God.
17. And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to the children and the disobedient ones to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready for Adonai a prepared people.
18. Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? I’m an old man, and my wife is well-advanced in age.”
19. And speaking to him, the angel declared, “I am Gabriel, the one standing in God’s presence. I was commissioned to tell you and proclaim to you this good news.
20. So look, you will be silent and powerless to speak until the day these things happen, since you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their time.”
21. The people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering about his long delay in the Holy Place.
22. But when he came out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the Holy Place. He was making signs to them but remained mute.
23. When the days of his priestly service had been completed, he went home.
24. After these days, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and hid herself for five months, saying,
25. “Adonai has done this for me! In these days He looked upon me, to take away my disgrace among the people.”