and entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.

Now ¹  while Zechariah ²  was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, ³ 

And Zechariah, visibly shaken when he saw the angel, ¹  was seized with fear. ² 

Immediately ¹  Zechariah’s ²  mouth was opened and his tongue ³  released, ⁴  and he spoke, blessing God.

Then ¹  his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, ² 

Now ¹  the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they began to wonder ²  why he was delayed in the holy place. ³ 

On ¹  the eighth day ²  they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name ³  him Zechariah after his father.

Zechariah ¹  said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? ²  For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well.” ³ 

during the high priesthood ¹  of Annas and Caiaphas, the word ²  of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³ 

so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, ¹  whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

During the reign ¹  of Herod ²  king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to ³  the priestly division of Abijah, ⁴  and he had a wife named Elizabeth, ⁵  who was a descendant of Aaron. ⁶ 

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, ¹  and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you ²  will name him John. ³ 

from the blood of Abel ¹  to the blood of Zechariah, ²  who was killed ³  between the altar and the sanctuary. ⁴  Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against ⁵  this generation.