Luke 2:11-40

11Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord! 12And this will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

13And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying:

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby, who was lying in the manger. 17After they had seen the Child, they spread the message they had received about Him. 18And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, which was just as the angel had told them.

21When the eight days before His circumcision had passed, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He was conceived.

22And when the time of purification according to the Law of Moses was complete, His parents brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to the Lord”1), 24and to offer the sacrifice specified in the Law of the Lord: “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”2

25Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27Led by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts.3 And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for Him what was customary under the Law, 28Simeon took Him in his arms and blessed God, saying:

33The Child’s father and mother were amazed at what was spoken about Him. 34Then Simeon blessed them and said to His mother Mary:

36There was also a prophetess named Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, who was well along in years. She had been married for seven years, 37and then was a widow to the age of eighty-four.4 She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.

38Coming forward at that moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the Child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

39When Jesus’ parents had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.

40And the Child grew and became strong.5 He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.