Luke 2:22–52

^22aAnd when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord

²³(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “^aEvery firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”),

²⁴and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “^aA pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

²⁵And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was ^arighteous and devout, ^blooking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

²⁶And ^ait had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not ^bsee death before he had seen the Lord’s ¹Christ.

²⁷And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, ^1ato carry out for Him the custom of the Law,

²⁸then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,

²⁹“Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace,

^aAccording to Your word;

³⁰For my eyes have ^aseen Your salvation,

³¹Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

^32aA Light ¹of revelation to the Gentiles,

And the glory of Your people Israel.”

³³And His father and ^amother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him.

³⁴And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary ^aHis mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for ^bthe fall and ¹rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—

³⁵and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

³⁶And there was a ^aprophetess, ¹Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of ^bthe tribe of Asher. She was advanced in ²years ^cand had lived with her husband seven years after her ³marriage,

³⁷and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with ^afastings and prayers.

³⁸At that very ¹moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were ^alooking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Return to Nazareth

³⁹When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to ^atheir own city of Nazareth.

^40aThe Child continued to grow and become strong, ¹increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

Visit to Jerusalem

⁴¹Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at ^athe Feast of the Passover.

⁴²And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast;

⁴³and as they were returning, after spending the ^afull number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it,

⁴⁴but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances.

⁴⁵When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him.

⁴⁶Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.

⁴⁷And all who heard Him ^awere amazed at His understanding and His answers.

⁴⁸When they saw Him, they were astonished; and ^aHis mother said to Him, “¹Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, ^bYour father and I ²have been anxiously looking for You.”

⁴⁹And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that ^aI had to be in My Father’s ¹house?”

⁵⁰But ^athey did not understand the statement which He ¹had made to them.

⁵¹And He went down with them and came to ^aNazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and ^bHis mother ^ctreasured all these ¹things in her heart.

⁵²And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and ¹stature, and in ^afavor with God and men.