8
So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,
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according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
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And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.
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Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
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And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
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But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
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And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
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For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.
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And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.
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He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, '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."
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And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."