Bible in Basic English
And they said, Not one of your relations has that name.
And they made signs to his father, to say what name was to be given to him.
And he sent for writing materials and put down: His name is John; and they were all surprised.
And straight away his mouth was open and his tongue was free and he gave praise to God.
And fear came on all those who were living round about them: and there was much talk about all these things in all the hill-country of Judaea.
And all who had word of them kept them in their minds and said, What will this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him.
And his father, Zacharias, was full of the Holy Spirit, and with the voice of a prophet said these words:
Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and made them free,
Lifting up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
(As he said, by the mouth of his holy prophets, from the earliest times,)
Salvation from those who are against us, and from the hands of those who have hate for us;
To do acts of mercy to our fathers and to keep in mind his holy word,
The oath which he made to Abraham, our father,
That we, being made free from the fear of those who are against us, might give him worship,
In righteousness and holy living before him all our days.
And you, child, will be named the prophet of the Most High: you will go before the face of the Lord, to make ready his ways;
To give knowledge of salvation to his people, through the forgiveness of sins,
Because of the loving mercies of our God, by which the dawn from heaven has come to us,
To give light to those in dark places, and in the shade of death, so that our feet may be guided into the way of peace.
And the child became tall, and strong in spirit; and he was living in the waste land till the day when he came before the eyes of Israel.
— Luke 1:61-1964, Bible in Basic English
“And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea. 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. And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. 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; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel. ”
And it came to the ears of her neighbours and relations that the Lord had been very good to her, and they took part in her joy.
And on the eighth day they came to see to the circumcision of the child, and they would have given him the name of Zacharias, his father's name;
But his mother made answer and said, No, his name is John.
And they said, Not one of your relations has that name.
And they made signs to his father, to say what name was to be given to him.
And he sent for writing materials and put down: His name is John; and they were all surprised.
And straight away his mouth was open and his tongue was free and he gave praise to God.
And fear came on all those who were living round about them: and there was much talk about all these things in all the hill-country of Judaea.
And all who had word of them kept them in their minds and said, What will this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him.
And his father, Zacharias, was full of the Holy Spirit, and with the voice of a prophet said these words:
Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and made them free,
Lifting up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
(As he said, by the mouth of his holy prophets, from the earliest times,)
Salvation from those who are against us, and from the hands of those who have hate for us;
To do acts of mercy to our fathers and to keep in mind his holy word,
The oath which he made to Abraham, our father,
That we, being made free from the fear of those who are against us, might give him worship,
In righteousness and holy living before him all our days.
And you, child, will be named the prophet of the Most High: you will go before the face of the Lord, to make ready his ways;
To give knowledge of salvation to his people, through the forgiveness of sins,
Because of the loving mercies of our God, by which the dawn from heaven has come to us,
To give light to those in dark places, and in the shade of death, so that our feet may be guided into the way of peace.
And the child became tall, and strong in spirit; and he was living in the waste land till the day when he came before the eyes of Israel.