Zacharias

5When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias. He belonged to the priest group called Abia. His wife Elisabeth came from Aaron's family.

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

NoteHerod was the king who ruled this land for the Romans. Judea was the southern part of the country, around Jerusalem. Aaron was the very first priest, long, long before. Priests came from his family, and so did Elisabeth. There were many priests, so they were split into groups. Each group took its turn working at the temple. A priest was someone who helped people worship God.

6Both of them did what was right before God. They obeyed all God's rules, and no one could blame them.

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

7They had no children, because Elisabeth could not have a baby. They were both very old.

And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

8One day it was his group's turn to serve. Zacharias was doing his priest's work before God.

And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course,

9The priests picked jobs by drawing lots. Zacharias was picked to go into the temple and burn incense.

According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

NoteThe temple was the huge special building in Jerusalem where people worshiped God. Incense is sweet-smelling smoke made by burning sticky sap from trees. Burning it was a way of praying to God. To draw lots, priests picked marked stones from a pot. It was a bit like picking a name out of a hat.

10Outside, a big crowd of people was praying while the incense was burned.

And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him. The angel stood at the right side of the incense altar.

And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

NoteAn angel is a messenger God sends from heaven. The incense altar was a small table where the incense was burned.

12When Zacharias saw the angel, he was shaken. He was very afraid.

And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

13But the angel said, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias. God has heard your prayer. Your wife Elisabeth will have a son. You will name him John."

But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

NoteBack then a name was chosen because of what it meant. The name John means "God has been kind."

14"You will be full of joy and gladness. Many people will be glad when he is born."

And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

15"He will be great in the Lord's sight. He will never drink wine or any strong drink. He will be full of the Holy Spirit even before he is born."

For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.

NoteThe Holy Spirit is God himself, close to people and helping them. Some people made a special promise to God never to drink wine. It was a sign that their whole life belonged to God.

16"He will bring many people of Israel back to the Lord their God."

And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

NoteIsrael was the name of God's people, and of the land they lived in.

17"He will go ahead of the Lord with the same spirit and power as Elias. He will turn fathers' hearts back to their children. He will turn people who will not obey toward the wisdom of those who do right. He will get people ready for the Lord."

And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

NoteElias is another way of saying Elijah. Elijah was a brave prophet who lived hundreds of years before. A prophet is someone who tells people what God says.

18Zacharias asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am old, and my wife is old too."

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

19The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand before God. He sent me to speak to you and bring you this good news."

And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

NoteGabriel is an angel who brings God's most important messages to people.

20"Now you will not be able to speak until this happens. That is because you did not believe my words. They will come true at the right time."

And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

21The people outside kept waiting for Zacharias. They wondered why he stayed so long in the temple.

And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.

22When he came out, he could not speak to them. They understood that God had shown him something in the temple. He kept making signs with his hands, and he still could not speak.

And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.

23When his days of temple work were finished, he went home.

And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.

24After that, Elisabeth learned she was going to have a baby. She stayed at home away from people for five months. She said,

And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

25"The Lord has done this for me. He looked at me and was kind. He has taken away my shame in front of other people."

Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

NoteLong ago, a woman with no children was often looked down on. Some people even thought God was unhappy with her. That is the shame Elisabeth is talking about.

39Soon after, Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hills of Judah.

And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;

NoteJudah was the hilly land in the south, near Jerusalem. Walking there from Nazareth took several days.

40She went into the house of Zacharias and said hello to Elisabeth.

And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

41When Elisabeth heard Mary's greeting, her baby jumped inside her. Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

42She called out in a loud voice, "God has blessed you more than other women! And God has blessed the baby you will have!"

And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

43"Why is this happening to me? The mother of my Lord has come to visit me!"

And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

44"As soon as I heard you say hello, the baby inside me jumped for joy."

For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

45"God has blessed you because you believed. What the Lord told you will really happen."

And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

57The time came for Elisabeth to have her baby. She gave birth to a son.

Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.

58Her neighbors and relatives heard how kind the Lord had been to her. They were happy along with her.

And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

59When the baby was eight days old, they came to circumcise him. They planned to name him Zacharias, after his father.

And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.

NoteWhen a baby boy was eight days old, a small cut was made on his body. It was a sign that he belonged to God's people. The baby was usually given his name on that same day.

60But his mother said, "No. He will be called John."

And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.

61They said to her, "No one in your family has that name."

And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.

NoteFamilies almost always used a name someone else in the family had. A brand new name was a surprise.

62So they made signs with their hands to his father. They asked what he wanted to name the boy.

And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

63He asked for a writing tablet. He wrote, "His name is John." Everyone was surprised.

And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.

NoteA writing tablet was a small board covered with wax. You scratched letters into the wax with a pointed stick.

64Right away he could speak again. His tongue was free. He began to talk and to praise God.

And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

65All the neighbors were filled with fear. People all over the hills of Judea talked about these things.

And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.

NoteThis fear is not the same as being frightened. It is the quiet, shivery feeling of being close to something holy.

66Everyone who heard kept it in their hearts. They asked, "What will this child grow up to be?" The Lord's hand was with him.

And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.

67His father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit. He spoke this message from God:

And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

NoteTo speak a message from God like this is called prophesying. The words often come out as a song or a poem.

68"Praise the Lord, the God of Israel! He has come to help his people and set them free."

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

NoteThe King James says God "redeemed" his people. To redeem someone is to pay so they can go free.

69"He has sent us a strong Savior from the family of his servant David."

And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

NoteThe King James calls this "an horn of salvation." A horn is the strong point on a bull's head. It was a picture of great strength. So it means God sent someone strong to rescue them.

70"He said this long ago through his holy prophets, who have lived since the world began."

As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

NoteA prophet was someone who told people what God said.

71"He promised to save us from our enemies, and from all who hate us."

That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

72"He promised to be kind to our fathers. He promised to remember his holy agreement."

To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

NoteAn agreement like this is called a covenant. It is a promise two sides make and keep forever.

73"This is the promise he made to our father Abraham."

The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

NoteA promise made in the strongest way is called an oath. Once you swear it, you must keep it.

74"He would save us from our enemies. Then we could serve him without being afraid."

That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

75"We can live holy lives and do what is right before him, every day we live."

In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

76"And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High God. You will go ahead of the Lord and get the way ready for him."

And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

NoteLong ago, workers fixed and cleared the road before a king came. That is the picture here.

77"You will tell his people how to be saved. That saving comes through God forgiving the wrong things they have done."

To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

NoteSin means the wrong things people do. To forgive is to wipe those wrongs away.

78"Our God is very kind and gentle. His light from heaven is coming to us, like a new morning."

Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

NoteThe King James word here is "dayspring." It means the first light of the sun in the morning.

79"That light will shine on people who sit in the dark, where death casts its shadow. It will lead our feet onto the path of peace."

To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Note"The shadow of death" is a way of saying a very dark and sad place.

80The child grew up and became strong in spirit. He lived out in the empty desert until he began his work for Israel.

And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

NoteThis desert is dry, empty land with almost no people. Some men who wanted to listen to God went and lived there.