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Then the shepherds went back to their sheep, praising God and thanking him for everything they had seen and heard. It had been just as the angel had told them.
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When the baby was eight days old, he was circumcised and was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before the baby began to grow inside Mary.
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When the time came for Mary and Joseph to do what the law of Moses taught about being made pure, they took Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.
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(It is written in the law of the Lord: "Every firstborn male shall be given to the Lord.")
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Mary and Joseph also went to offer a sacrifice, as the law of the Lord says: "You must sacrifice two doves or two young pigeons."
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In Jerusalem lived a man named Simeon who was a good man and godly. He was waiting for the time when God would take away Israel's sorrow, and the Holy Spirit was in him.
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Simeon had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he saw the Christ promised by the Lord.
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The Spirit led Simeon to the Temple. When Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the Temple to do what the law said they must do,
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Simeon took the baby in his arms and thanked God:
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"Now, Lord, you can let me, your servant, die in peace as you said.
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With my own eyes I have seen your salvation,