Luke 2:22-3

English Standard Version

Jesus Presented at the Temple

²² And ^(A)when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem ^(B)to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in ^(C)the Law of the Lord, ^(D)“Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in ^(E)the Law of the Lord, ^(F)“a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” ²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was ^(G)righteous and ^(H)devout, ^(I)waiting for ^(J)the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not ^(K)see death before he had seen ^(L)the Lord's Christ. ²⁷ And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when ^(M)the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, ²⁸ he took him up in his arms and ^(N)blessed God and said,

³³ And ^(W)his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed ^(X)for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign ^(Y)that is opposed ³⁵ (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

³⁶ And there was ^(Z)a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, ³⁷ and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.^[b] She did not depart from the temple, ^(AA)worshiping with ^(AB)fasting and prayer night and day. ³⁸ And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were ^(AC)waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

The Return to Nazareth

³⁹ And when they had performed everything according to ^(AD)the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of ^(AE)Nazareth. ^40 (AF)And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

The Boy Jesus in the Temple

⁴¹ Now ^(AG)his parents went ^(AH)to Jerusalem every year at ^(AI)the Feast of the Passover. ⁴² And when he was twelve years old, ^(AJ)they went up according to custom. ⁴³ And when the feast ^(AK)was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. ^(AL)His parents did not know it, ⁴⁴ but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, ⁴⁵ and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple, ^(AM)sitting among ^(AN)the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ And when his parents^[c] saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, ^(AO)your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” ⁴⁹ And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that ^(AP)I must be in ^(AQ)my Father's house?”^{[d] 50} And ^(AR)they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. ⁵¹ And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And ^(AS)his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.

⁵² And Jesus ^(AT)increased in wisdom and in stature^[e] and in ^(AU)favor with God and man.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of ^(AV)Tiberius Caesar, ^(AW)Pontius Pilate ^(AX)being governor of Judea, and ^(AY)Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, ² during ^(AZ)the high priesthood of Annas and ^(BA)Caiaphas, ^(BB)the word of God came to ^(BC)John the son of Zechariah in ^(BD)the wilderness. ³ And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming ^(BE)a baptism of repentance ^(BF)for the forgiveness of sins. ⁴ As it is written in ^(BG)the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

⁷ He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ^(BO)“You brood of ^(BP)vipers! Who warned you to flee from ^(BQ)the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruits ^(BR)in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ^(BS)‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from ^(BT)these stones to raise up children for Abraham. ⁹ Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. ^(BU)Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰ And the crowds asked him, ^(BV)“What then shall we do?” ¹¹ And he answered them, ^(BW)“Whoever has two tunics^[g] is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” ^12 (BX)Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, ^(BY)what shall we do?” ¹³ And he said to them, ^(BZ)“Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” ¹⁴ Soldiers also asked him, “And we, ^(CA)what shall we do?” And he said to them, ^(CB)“Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your ^(CC)wages.”

¹⁵ As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, ^(CD)whether he might be ^(CE)the Christ, ^16 (CF)John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but ^(CG)he who is mightier than I is coming, ^(CH)the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you ^(CI)with the Holy Spirit and ^(CJ)fire. ¹⁷ His ^(CK)winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to ^(CL)gather the wheat into his barn, ^(CM)but the chaff he will burn with ^(CN)unquenchable fire.”

¹⁸ So ^(CO)with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. ¹⁹ But ^(CP)Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, ²⁰ added this to them all, that ^(CQ)he locked up John in prison.

²¹ Now when all the people were baptized, and when ^(CR)Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, ^(CS)the heavens were opened, ²² and ^(CT)the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and ^(CU)a voice came from heaven, ^(CV)“You are my beloved Son;^[h] with you I am well pleased.”^[i]