Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Eternal Reign of the Lord

²⁰ Then the king commanded Hilkiah, ^(A)Ahikam the son of Shaphan, ^[a]Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying, ²¹ “Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for those who are left in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not ^(B)kept the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book.”

²² So Hilkiah and those the king had appointed went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of ^[b]Tokhath, the son of ^[c]Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe. (She dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter.) And they spoke to her to that effect.

²³ Then she answered them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Tell the man who sent you to Me, ²⁴ “Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will ^(C)bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the ^(D)book which they have read before the king of Judah, ²⁵ because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place, and not be quenched.’ ” ’ ²⁶ But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, in this manner you shall speak to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Concerning the words which you have heard— ²⁷ because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says the ^(E)Lord. ²⁸ “Surely I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place and its inhabitants.” ’ ” So they brought back word to the king.

Josiah Restores True Worship^(F)

^29 (G)Then the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. ³⁰ The king went up to the house of the Lord, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem—the priests and the Levites, and all the people, great and small. And he ^(H)read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the Lord. ³¹ Then the king ^(I)stood in ^(J)his place and made a ^(K)covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. ³² And he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin take a stand. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. ³³ Thus Josiah removed all the ^(L)abominations from all the country that belonged to the children of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel ^[d]diligently serve the Lord their God. ^(M)All his days they did not depart from following the Lord God of their fathers.

Simeon Sees God’s Salvation

²⁵ And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, ^(A)waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not ^(B)see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷ So he came ^(C)by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, ²⁸ he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

^33 [a]And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the ^(G)fall and rising of many in Israel, and for ^(H)a sign which will be spoken against ³⁵ (yes, ^(I)a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Anna Bears Witness to the Redeemer

³⁶ Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of ^(J)Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; ³⁷ and this woman was a widow ^[b]of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers ^(K)night and day. ³⁸ And coming in that instant she gave thanks to ^[c]the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who ^(L)looked for redemption in Jerusalem.