The Life of Jesus

brought down rulers from their thrones, raised up the humble,

filled the hungry with good things, but sent the rich away empty.

"He has taken the part of his servant Isra'el, mindful of the mercy

which he promised to our fathers, to Avraham and his seed forever."

Miryam stayed with Elisheva for about three months and then returned home.

The time arrived for Elisheva to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son.

Her neighbors and relatives heard how good ADONAI had been to her, and they rejoiced with her.

On the eighth day, they came to do the child's b'rit-milah. They were about to name him Z'kharyah, after his father,

when his mother spoke up and said, "No, he is to be called Yochanan."

They said to her, "None of your relatives has that name,"

and they made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called.

He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone's surprise he wrote, "His name is Yochanan."

At that moment, his power of speech returned, and his first words were a b'rakhah to God.

All their neighbors were awestruck; and throughout the hill country of Y'hudah, people talked about all these things.

Everyone who heard of them said to himself, "What is this child going to be?" For clearly the hand of ADONAI was with him.

His father Z'kharyah was filled with the Ruach HaKodesh and spoke this prophecy:

"Praised be ADONAI, the God of Isra'el, because he has visited and made a ransom to liberate his people

by raising up for us a mighty Deliverer who is a descendant of his servant David.

It is just as he has spoken through the mouth of the prophets from the very beginning --

that we should be delivered from our enemies and from the power of all who hate us.

"This has happened so that he might show the mercy promised to our fathers -- that he would remember his holy covenant,

the oath he swore before Avraham avinu

to grant us that we, freed from our enemies, would serve him without fear,

in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

You, child, will be called a prophet of Ha`Elyon; you will go before the Lord to prepare his way