Simeon took Jesus in his arms, thanked God, and said,
So be happy in the Lord and celebrate, you who do good. Shout for joy, all you who live right!
He hugged the children, placed his hands on them, and blessed them.
He took a small child and had the child stand right in the middle of them. Then he picked up and hugged the child, and told them,
Mary replied, “How I praise the Lord!
Immediately he could speak again, and he started praising God.
“The Lord, the God of Israel, he is wonderful, for he has come to his people and set them free.
The shepherds went back to watching their flocks, glorifying and thanking God for all that they'd heard and seen, for it was just as they'd been told.
Following the Spirit's leading, he went to the Temple. When Jesus' parents brought in the little boy to be dedicated as required by the Law,
“Lord and Master, now you can let your servant die in peace as you promised,
The Israelites were pleased with the report and God blessed them. They didn't talk about going to war any more to destroy the land where the tribes of Reuben and Gad were living.
