Chapter 8: Mary Turns Twelve

1Her parents went down, marveling, praising, and glorifying the Lord God because the child had not turned back. Mary remained in the Temple of the Lord. She was nurtured like a dove and received food from the hand of an angel.

2When she became twelve years old, the priests held a council and said, “Look, Mary has been in the Temple of the Lord for twelve years. What should we do about her so that she does not pollute the sanctuary of the Lord our God?” They said to the chief priest, “You stand at the altar of the Lord. Go in and pray about her. If the Lord God reveals anything to you, we will do it.”

3The chief priest went in, taking the robe with twelve bells into the Holy of Holies, and prayed about her. And look! An angel of the Lord stood nearby and said, “Zechariah, Zechariah, go out and assemble the widowers of the people, and let each of them carry a staff. Whoever the Lord God points out by a sign, she will be his wife.”

4The heralds went down throughout the whole surrounding region of Judea and sounded the trumpet of the Lord. And look! All the men rushed in.