Isaiah 55

New International Version

Invitation to the Thirsty

55 “Come, all you who are thirsty,^(A)
    come to the waters;^(B)
and you who have no money,
    come, buy^(C) and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk^(D)
    without money and without cost.^(E)
²Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?^(F)
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,^(G)
    and you will delight in the richest^(H) of fare.
³Give ear and come to me;
    listen,^(I) that you may live.^(J)
I will make an everlasting covenant^(K) with you,
    my faithful love^(L) promised to David.^(M)
⁴See, I have made him a witness^(N) to the peoples,
    a ruler and commander^(O) of the peoples.
⁵Surely you will summon nations^(P) you know not,
    and nations you do not know will come running to you,^(Q)
because of the Lord your God,
    the Holy One^(R) of Israel,
    for he has endowed you with splendor.”^(S)

⁶Seek^(T) the Lord while he may be found;^(U)
    call^(V) on him while he is near.
⁷Let the wicked forsake^(W) their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.^(X)
Let them turn^(Y) to the Lord, and he will have mercy^(Z) on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.^(AA)

⁸“For my thoughts^(AB) are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”^(AC)
declares the Lord.
⁹“As the heavens are higher than the earth,^(AD)
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.^(AE)
¹⁰As the rain^(AF) and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,^(AG)
    so that it yields seed^(AH) for the sower and bread for the eater,^(AI)
¹¹so is my word^(AJ) that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,^(AK)
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose^(AL) for which I sent it.
¹²You will go out in joy^(AM)
    and be led forth in peace;^(AN)
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song^(AO) before you,
and all the trees^(AP) of the field
    will clap their hands.^(AQ)
¹³Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
    and instead of briers^(AR) the myrtle^(AS) will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,^(AT)
    for an everlasting sign,
    that will endure forever.”

Luke 2:22-40

New International Version

Jesus Presented in the Temple

²²When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses,^(A) 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]),^(B) ²⁴and 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]^(C)

²⁵Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout.^(D) He was waiting for the consolation of Israel,^(E) and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷Moved 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,^(F) ²⁸Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

²⁹“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,^(G)
    you may now dismiss^[c] your servant in peace.^(H)
³⁰For my eyes have seen your salvation,^(I)
³¹    which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
³²a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.”^(J)

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

³⁶There was also a prophet,^(M) Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[d]^(N) She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.^(O) ³⁸Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.^(P)

³⁹When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.^(Q) ⁴⁰And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.^(R)

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