epared for him."

And Zacharias said unto the angel, "Whereby shall I know this? for I
am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years."

And the angel answering said unto him, "I am Gabriel, that stand in
the presence of God; and I was sent to speak unto thee, and to bring
thee these good tidings. And behold, thou shalt be silent and not able
to speak, until the day that these things shall come to pass, because
thou believedst not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their
season."

And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and they marvelled while he
tarried in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak unto
them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: and
he continued making signs unto them, and remained dumb.

And it came to pass, when the days of his ministration were fulfilled,
he departed unto his house.

And after these days Elisabeth his wife conceived; and she hid herself
five months, saying, "Thus hath the Lord done unto me in the days
wherein he looked upon me, to take away my reproach among men."

THE ANGEL'S VISIT TO MARY.

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city
of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name
was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
And he came in unto her, and said, "Hail, thou that art highly
favored, the Lord is with thee."

But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and cast in her mind what
manner of salutation this might be.

And the angel said unto her, "Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found
favor with God And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring
forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and
shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give
unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the
house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."

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