7 Anna gives her the breast, and sings a song to the Lord.

AND the child increased in
strength every day, so that
when she was nine months old, her
mother put her upon the ground,
to try if she could stand; and
when she had walked nine steps,
she came again to her mother's
lap.

2 Then her mother caught her
up, and said, As the Lord my God
liveth, thou shalt not walk again
on this earth, till I bring thee
into the temple of the Lord.

3 Accordingly she made her
chamber a holy place, and suffered
nothing uncommon or unclean to
come near her, but invited certain
undefiled daughters of Israel, and
they drew her aside.

4 But when the child was a year
old, Joachim made a great feast,
and invited the priests, scribes,
elders, and all the people of
Israel;

5 And Joachim then made an
offering of the girl to the chief-
priests, and they blessed her,
saying, The God of our fathers bless
this girl, and give her a name
famous and lasting through all
generations. And all the people
replied, So be it, Amen:

6 Then Joachim a second time
offered her to the priests, and they
blessed her, saying, O most high
God, regard this girl, and bless
her with an everlasting blessing.

7 Upon this her mother took
her up, and gave her the breast,
and sung the following song to the
Lord.

8 I will sing a song unto the
Lord my God, for he hath visited
me, and taken away from me the
reproach of mine enemies, and
hath given me the fruit of his
righteousness, that it may now be
told the sons of Reuben, that Anna
gives suck.

9 Then she put the child to rest
in the room which she had consecrated,
and she went out and ministered unto
them.

10 And when the feast was
ended, they went away rejoicing,
and praising the God of Israel.

CHAPTER VII.

3 Mary being three years old, Joachim causes certain virgins to
light each a lamp, and goes with her to the temple.
5 The high-priest places her on the third step of the altar, and
sits dances with her feet.

BUT the girl grew, and when
she was two years old, Joachim
said to Anna, Let us lead her
to the temple of the Lord,
that we may perform our vow,
which we have vowed unto the
Lord God, lest he should be angry
with us, and our offering be
unacceptable.

2 But Anna said, Let us wait
the third year, lest she should
be at a loss to know her father.
And Joachim said, Let us then
wait.

3 And when the child was
three y