it unto me
according to thy word"

And the angel departed from her.

MARY'S VISIT TO HER COUSIN.

And Mary arose in these days and went into the hill country with
haste, into a city of Judah; and entered into the house of Zacharias
and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, when Elisabeth heard the
salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was
filled with the Holy Spirit; and she lifted up her voice with a loud
cry, and said, "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord
should come unto me? For behold, when the voice of thy salutation came
into mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she
that believed; for there shall be a fulfilment of the things which
have been spoken to her from the Lord."

MARY'S SONG.

And Mary said,

"My soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath looked upon the low estate of his handmaid:
For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things;
And holy is his name.
And his mercy is unto generations and generations
On them that fear him.
He hath showed strength with his arm:
He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart.
He hath put down princes from their thrones,
And hath exalted them of low degree.
The hungry he hath filled with good things;
And the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath given help to Israel his servant,
That he might remember mercy
(As he spake unto our fathers)
Toward Abraham and his seed for ever."

And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned unto her
house.

THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.

Now Elisabeth's time was fulfilled that she should be delivered; and
she brought forth a son. And her neighbors and her kinsfolk heard that
the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her; and they rejoiced with
her.

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

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

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

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

And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, sa