The Presentation in the Temple. 22^* When the days were completed for their purification^* according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord,^h 23just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,”ⁱ 24and to offer the sacrifice of “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,” in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

25Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel,^* and the holy Spirit was upon him. 26It had been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. 27He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, 28he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

29“Now, Master, you may let your servant go

in peace, according to your word,

30for my eyes have seen your salvation,^j

31which you prepared in sight of all the peoples,

32a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and glory for your people Israel.”^k

33The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; 34and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted^l 35(and you yourself a sword will pierce)^* so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

16Because of this, I always strive to keep my conscience clear before God and man.^e 17After many years, I came to bring alms for my nation and offerings.^f 18While I was so engaged, they found me, after my purification, in the temple without a crowd or disturbance.^g 19But some Jews from the province of Asia, who should be here before you to make whatever accusation they might have against me— 20or let these men themselves state what crime they discovered when I stood before the Sanhedrin, 21unless it was my one outcry as I stood among them, that ‘I am on trial before you today for the resurrection of the dead.’”^h

The Presentation in the Temple. 22^* When the days were completed for their purification^* according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord,^h 23just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,”ⁱ 24and to offer the sacrifice of “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,” in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Jonah’s Anger and God’s Reproof. 1But this greatly displeased Jonah, and he became angry.^* 2He prayed to the LORD, “O LORD, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I fled at first toward Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, repenting of punishment.^{* a} 3So now, LORD, please take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.”^b 4But the LORD asked, “Are you right to be angry?”^*

5Jonah then left the city for a place to the east of it, where he built himself a hut and waited^* under it in the shade, to see what would happen to the city. 6Then the LORD God provided a gourd plant.^* And when it grew up over Jonah’s head, giving shade that relieved him of any discomfort, Jonah was greatly delighted with the plant. 7But the next morning at dawn God provided a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8And when the sun arose, God provided a scorching east wind; and the sun beat upon Jonah’s head till he became faint. Then he wished for death, saying, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

9But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry over the gourd plant?” Jonah answered, “I have a right to be angry—angry enough to die.” 10Then the LORD said, “You are concerned^* over the gourd plant which cost you no effort and which you did not grow; it came up in one night and in one night it perished. 11And should I not be concerned over the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot know their right hand from their left, not to mention all the animals?”^*

13^* For you heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it,ⁱ 14and progressed in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my race, since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions.^j 15But when [God], who from my mother’s womb had set me apart and called me through his grace, was pleased^k 16to reveal his Son to me,^l so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult flesh and blood,^* 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; rather, I went into Arabia^* and then returned to Damascus.

18^* Then after three years^* I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas and remained with him for fifteen days.^m 19But I did not see any other of the apostles,ⁿ only James the brother of the Lord.^* 20(As to what I am writing to you, behold, before God, I am not lying.)^o 21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.^p 22And I was unknown personally to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; 23they only kept hearing that “the one who once was persecuting us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”^q 24So they glorified God because of me.