Luke 2:27-39

27Now the day had come. The Holy Spirit told Simeon that he should go to the temple. Mary and Joseph were bringing the baby Jesus to do what God's rule said.

28Simeon went to them. He took Jesus and he held him in his arms. Then he thanked God. He said:

29‘Master, I am your servant. You have done what you promised to me. Now I can die with no trouble in my mind.

30I really have seen the person that you have sent to save your people.

31You have sent him to the world and people everywhere will know about him.

32He will bring light to people so that they can know you. He will show you to those people who are not Jews. He will also show that your people of Israel are very special.’

33That is what Simeon said about Jesus. His message surprised Mary and Joseph very much.

34Then Simeon asked God to be good and kind to Mary and to Joseph. After that, he spoke to Mary, the mother of Jesus. He said to her, ‘God has chosen this baby. Many people in Israel will become worse because of him. And many of them will become better again because of him. He will be like a sign that points to God. But many people will speak against him.

35This will show their secret thoughts about God. This will make you very sad, too. It will seem like a sharp knife is cutting into you. That is how sad you will be’.

36A very old woman called Anna was also there in the temple. She spoke messages that the Holy Spirit gave to her. She was the daughter of Phanuel, who belonged to the tribe of Asher. She had lived with her husband for seven years and then he had died.

37After that, she had lived alone until she was 84 years old. Now she never left the temple. She stayed there day and night to worship God. She fasted and she prayed.

38At that moment, Anna came to where Mary and Joseph were standing in the temple. When she saw the baby, she thanked God for him. Then she began to speak about him to other people there. Many people were waiting for God to make Jerusalem free. These were the people that she spoke to about the child, Jesus.

39When Mary and Joseph had done everything that God's rules said, they returned home. That was in the town of Nazareth in Galilee.