Natividade de Maria 6

1E, cumprido o ciclo de três anos e chegado o tempo do seu desmame, levaram a virgem ao templo do Senhor com ofertas.

1And when the circle of three years had rolled round, and the time of her weaning was fulfilled, they brought the virgin to the temple of the Lord with offerings.

2Ora, havia em redor do templo, em conformidade com os quinze Salmos de Degraus, quinze degraus para subir; porque, tendo o templo sido construído sobre um monte, o altar do holocausto, que ficava do lado de fora, só podia ser alcançado por degraus.

2Now there were round the temple, according to the fifteen Psalms of Degrees, fifteen steps going up; for, on account of the temple having been built on a mountain, the altar of burnt-offering, which stood outside, could not be reached except by steps.

3Num deles, então, os pais colocaram a menina, a bendita virgem Maria.

3On one of these, then, her parents placed the little girl, the blessed virgin Mary.

4E enquanto tiravam as vestes que haviam usado no caminho e vestiam, segundo o costume, outras mais limpas e compostas, a virgem do Senhor subiu todos os degraus, um após o outro, sem o auxílio de ninguém que a guiasse ou levantasse, de tal maneira que, ao menos nisso, pareceria que ela já havia atingido a plena idade.

4And when they were putting off the clothes which they had worn on the journey, and were putting on, as was usual, others that were neater and cleaner, the virgin of the Lord went up all the steps, one after the other, without the help of any one leading her or lifting her, in such a manner that, in this respect at least, you would think that she had already attained full age.

5Pois já na infância de Sua virgem o Senhor realizava uma grande obra, e pelo prenúncio deste milagre demonstrava quão grandiosa ela haveria de ser.

5For already the Lord in the infancy of His virgin wrought a great thing, and by the indication of this miracle foreshowed how great she was to be.

6Portanto, oferecido o sacrifício segundo o costume da lei e cumprido o seu voto, deixaram a virgem nos recintos do templo, para ali ser educada com as outras virgens, e eles próprios regressaram para casa.

6Therefore, a sacrifice having been offered according to the custom of the law, and their vow being perfected, they left the virgin within the enclosures of the temple, there to be educated with the other virgins, and themselves returned home.