002:032 A light to shine upon the Gentiles, And the glory of
Thy people Israel."
002:033 And while the child's father and mother were wondering at
the words of Symeon concerning Him,
002:034 Symeon blessed them and said to Mary the mother, "This child
is appointed for the falling and the uprising of many in Israel
and for a token to be spoken against;
002:035 and a sword will pierce through your own soul also;
that the reasonings in many hearts may be revealed."
002:036 There was also Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel,
belonging to the tribe of Asher. She was of a very great age,
having had after her maidenhood seven years of married life,
002:037 and then being a widow of eighty-four years. She was never
absent from the Temple, but worshipped, by day and by night,
with fasting and prayer.
002:038 And coming up just at that moment, she gave thanks to God,
and spoke about the child to all who were expecting
the deliverance of Jerusalem.
002:039 Then, as soon as they had accomplished all that the Law required,
they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.
002:040 And the child grew and became strong and full of wisdom,
and the favour of God rested upon Him.
002:041 Now His parents used to go up year by year to Jerusalem at
the Feast of the Passover.
002:042 And when He was twelve years old they went up as was customary
at the time of the Feast, and,
002:043 after staying the full number of days, when they started
back home the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem.
His parents did not discover this,
002:044 but supposing Him to be in the travelling company, they proceeded
a day's journey. Then they searched up and down for Him
among their relatives and acquaintances;
002:045 but being unable to find Him they returned to Jerusalem,
making anxious inquiry for Him.
002:046 On the third day they found Him in the Temple sitting among
the Rabbis, both listening to them and asking them questions,
002:047 while all who heard Him were astonished at His intelligence
and at the answers He gave.
002:048 When they saw Him, they were smitten with amazement, and His
mother said to Him, "My child, why have you behaved thus to us?
Your father and I have been searching for you in anguish."
002:049 "Why is it that you have been searching for me?" He replied;
"did you not know that it is my duty to be engaged upon
my Father's business?"
002:050 But they did not understand the significance of these words.
002:051 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was
always obedient to them; but His mother carefully treasured
up all these incidents in her memory.
002:052 And as Jesus grew older He gained in both wisdom and stature,
and in favour with God and man.
003:001 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,
Pontius Pilate being Governor of Judaea, Herod Tetrarch of Galilee,
his brother Philip Tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis,
and Lysanias Tetrarch of Abilene,
003:002 during the High-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, a message
from God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the Desert.
003:003 John went into all the district about the Jordan proclaiming
a baptism of the penitent for the forgiveness of sins;
003:004 as it is written in the book of the prophet Isaiah, "The voice of
one crying aloud! `In the Desert prepare ye a road for the Lord:
make His highway straight.
003:005 Every ravine shall be filled up, and every mountain and hill
levelled down, the crooked places shall be turned into
straight roads, and the rugged ways into smooth;