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her son John was about to be searched for; took him and went up unto the mountains, and looked around for a place to hide him;

⁴ And there was no secret place to be found.

⁵ Then she groaned within herself, and said, O mountain of the Lord, receive the mother with the child.

⁶ For Elizabeth could not climb up.

⁷ And instantly the mountain was divided and received them.

⁸ And there appeared to them an angel of the Lord to preserve them.

⁹ ¶ But Herod made search after John, and sent servants to Zacharias, when he was (ministering) at the altar, and said unto him, Were hast thou hid thy son?

¹⁰ He replied, to them, I am a minister of God, and a servant at the altar: how should I know where my son is?

¹¹ So the servants went back, and told Herod the whole; at which he was incensed, and said, Is not this son of his like to be king of Israel?

¹² He sent therefore again his servants to Zacharias, saying, Tell us the truth, where is thy son, for you know that your life is in my hand.

¹³ So the servants went and told him all this:

¹⁴ But Zacharias replied to them, I am a martyr for God, and if ye shed my blood, the Lord will receive my soul.

¹⁵ Besides know that ye shed innocent blood.

¹⁶ However Zacharias was murdered in the entrance of the temple said altar, and about the partition;

¹⁷ But the children of Israel knew not when he was killed.

¹⁸ ¶ Then at the hour of salutation the priests went into the temple, but Zacharias did not according to custom, meet them and bless them;

¹⁹ Yet they still continued waiting for him to salute them;

²⁰ And when they found he did not in a long time come, one of them ventured into the holy place where the altar was, and he saw blood lying upon the ground congealed:

²¹ When, behold, a voice from heaven said, Zacharias is murdered, and his blood shall not be wiped away, until the revenger of his blood come.

²² But when he heard this, he was afraid; and went forth and told the priests what he had seen and heard; and they all went in, and saw the fact.

²³ Then the roofs of the temple howled, and were rent from the top to the bottom:

²⁴ And they could not find the body, but only blood made hard like stone.

²⁵ And they went away, and told the people, that Zacharias was murdered, and all the tribes of Israel heard thereof, and mourned for him, and lamented three days.

²⁶ Then the priests took counsel together concerning a person to succeed him.

²⁷ And Simeon and the other priests cast lots, and the lot fell upon Simeon.

²⁸ For he had been assured by the Holy Spirit, that he should not die, till he had seen Christ come in the flesh.^[1]

¶ I James wrote this History in Jerusalem: and when the disturbance was I retired into a desert place, until the death of Herod, and the disturbances ceased at Jerusalem. That which remains is, that I glorify God that he hath given me such wisdom to write unto you who are spiritual, and who love God: to whom (be ascribed) glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

1. Luke ii. 26.