Season of the Glorious Birth of Our Lord: The Announcement to Zechariah – (Maronite Divine Liturgy)

	Syriac Melody: ܪܰܡܪܶܡܰܝܢܝ
The watcher [sc. the angel Gabriel] brought tidings to Zechariah in the holy of holies announcing [to him]: “[In] your old age [you] are having a son, and you shall name him John [see Lk 1:13].”	ܥܺܝܪܳܐ ܣܰܒܰܪ ܠܰܙܟܰܪܝܳܐ ܆ ܒܰܩܕܘܽܫ ܩܘܽܕܫܺܝܢ ܟܰܕ ܐܳܡܰܪ ܆ ܕܰܒܪܳܐ ܗܳܘܶܐ ܠܣܰܝܒܘܽܬܳܟ ܆ ܘܬܶܩܪܶܐ ܠܰܫܡܶܗ ܝܘܽܚܰܢܳܢ ܀
Zechariah was awestruck by the words of the watcher speaking to him in the sanctuary, and wonder and astonishment seised him because of the pregnancy of the barren one [sc. Elizabeth, Zechariah’s wife].	ܬܡܰܗ ܙܟܰܪܝܳܐ ܒܡ̈ܶܠܰܝ ܥܺܝܪܳܐ ܆ ܕܡܰܠܶܠ ܥܰܡܶܗ ܒܒܶܝܬ ܩܘܽܕܫܳܐ ܆ ܘܰܐܚܕܶܗ ܬܶܗܪܳܐ ܘܕܘܽܡܳܪܳܐ ܆ ܡܶܛܽܠ ܒܰܛܢܳܗ̇ ܕܰܥܩܰܪܬܳܐ ܀
Glory be to the One who chose him [sc. John the Baptist] to be the herald of his [sc. Jesus Christ] coming and to bring back nations and peoples from the pathless desert to the path of life.	ܫܘܽܒܚܳܐ ܠܗܰܘ ܕܰܓܒܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܕܢܶܗܘܶܐ ܆ ܐܺܝܙܓܰܕܳܐ ܩܕܳܡ ܡܶܐܬܺܝܬܶܗ ܆ ܘܢܰܦܢܶܐ ܠܥܰܡ̱̈ܡܶܐ ܘܶܐܡ̈ܘܳܬܳܐ ܆ ܡܶܢ ܬܰܘܫܳܐ ܠܐܘܽܪܚܳܐ ܕܚܰܝ̈ܶܐ ܀