False Religion Worthless

7 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ² “Stand^(A) at the gate of the Lord’s house and there proclaim this message:

“‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord. ³ This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways^(B) and your actions, and I will let you live^(C) in this place. ⁴ Do not trust^(D) in deceptive^(E) words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!” ⁵ If you really change^(F) your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly,^{(G) 6} if you do not oppress^(H) the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood^(I) in this place, and if you do not follow other gods^(J) to your own harm, ⁷ then I will let you live in this place, in the land^(K) I gave your ancestors^(L) for ever and ever.

²¹ On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child,^(A) he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.^(B)

Jesus Presented in the Temple

²² When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses,^(C) Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”^[a]),^{(D) 24} and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”^[b](E)

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout.^(F) He was waiting for the consolation of Israel,^(G) and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,^{(H) 28} Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

³³ The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother:^(M) “This child is destined to cause the falling^(N) and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

²¹ “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming^(A) when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.^{(B) 22} You Samaritans worship what you do not know;^(C) we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.^{(D) 23} Yet a time is coming and has now come^(E) when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit^(F) and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit,^(G) and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”