Luke 2:20-46

²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for everything that they had heard and seen, just as it had been spoken to them.

²¹When it was the end of the eighth day, when he was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name he had been given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

²²When the required number of days for their purification had passed, according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary brought him up to the temple in Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.

²³As it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb will be set apart to the Lord.”

²⁴So they offered a sacrifice according to what was said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

²⁵Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout. He was looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

²⁷Led by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple. When the parents brought in the infant Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law,

²⁸he took him into his arms and praised God and he said,

²⁹“Now let your servant depart in peace, Lord, according to your word.

³⁰For my eyes have seen your salvation,

³¹which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples:

³²A light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel.”

³³His father and mother were amazed at what was said about him.

³⁴Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the downfall and rising up of many people in Israel and for a sign that is rejected—

³⁵and a sword will pierce your own soul—so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

³⁶A prophetess named Anna was there. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was very old. She had lived with her husband for seven years after her virginity,

³⁷and was a widow for eighty-four years. She never left the temple but was serving with fastings and prayers, night and day.

³⁸At that very hour she came near to them and began giving thanks to God and she spoke about the child to everyone who had been waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

³⁹When they had finished everything they were required to do according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.

⁴⁰The child grew and became strong, increasing in wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

⁴¹His parents went every year to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover.

⁴²When he was twelve years old, they again went up at the customary time for the feast.

⁴³After they had stayed the full number of days for the feast, they began to return home. But the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem and his parents did not know it.

⁴⁴They assumed that he was with the group that was traveling with them, so they traveled a day's journey. Then they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.

⁴⁵When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem and started looking for him there.

⁴⁶It came about that after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the middle of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.