³² “You shall rise before the aged and defer to the old, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.

Admonition to Trust and Honor God

² See, it is the king who leads you now; I am old and gray, but my sons are with you. I have led you from my youth until this day.^{(A) 3} Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me,^[a] and I will restore it to you.”^{(B) 4} They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from the hand of anyone.” ⁵ He said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”^(C)

⁷ Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. ⁸ Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the years of your life?”^{(A) 9} Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my earthly sojourn are one hundred thirty; few and hard have been the years of my life. They do not compare with the years of the life of my ancestors during their long sojourn.” ¹⁰ Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.^(B)

⁹ yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus.^[a]

³³ And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed^{(D) 35} so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul, too.”

³⁶ There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,^{(E) 37} then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day.^{(F) 38} At that moment she came and began to praise God and to speak about the child^[a] to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.^(G)

⁶ Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord.^(A)