Luke 2:25-36

²⁵There was an old man in Jerusalem called Simeon. He was a good man that lived God’s way, and he was waiting for God to make the Israel people happy again. And the Holy Spirit was with him.

²⁶Before this time the Holy Spirit told him, “You will stay alive till you see the person God will send to help the Israel people.”

²⁷On that same day, as Joseph and Mary took Jesus to God’s ceremony house, the Holy Spirit told Simeon to go there too, so he was there when Joseph and Mary brought Jesus in.

²⁸And Simeon took Jesus from them, and held him in his arms, and he thanked God, and said,

²⁹“Now, God, I can die happy and quiet, just like you promised me,

³⁰because now I can see the one you promised to send. People in every tribe will see him, and he will save them.

³²He will shine like a light for people that are not Jews, showing them new things about you, God. And he will get everyone to respect your people, the Israel nation.”

³³Joseph and Mary heard the things Simeon said about Jesus, and they were surprised.

³⁴Then Simeon asked God to be good to them, and he said to Mary, “This kid is going to ruin a lot of people in Israel, but he will help a lot of others. He will point people to God, but they won’t understand, and they will argue against him.

³⁵In that way they will show everyone what they really think. And Mary, later you will be real sad. It will hurt, like somebody is stabbing you with a big knife.”

³⁶While Joseph and Mary were talking to Simeon, a very old woman called Anna came along and saw Jesus, and she thanked God for him. She called out to all the people close by and told them about Jesus, that he was the one they were waiting for, and she said that God sent him to help the Jerusalem people. Anna’s father was Phanuel, and he belonged to the tribe called Asher. She was 84 years old. A long time before this Anna was a young married woman for 7 years, but then her husband died. After that she stayed in God’s ceremony house all the time, telling the people God’s words. She prayed all the time, in the day time and at night, and often she didn’t eat any food because she was praying.