And behold an angel of God presented himself to her, saying: 'Anna, Anna, the Lord has heard your prayers: you shall conceive and give birth and of your offspring shall be spoken throughout the world.' Anna answered: 'As the Lord my God lives, if I come to have any blessed fruit, be it boy or girl, I will take it as an offering to the Lord, and it shall be at his service all the days of its life.'

2Then two messengers came with this message for her: 'Joachim, your husband, is on his way back with his flocks, for an angel of God came down to him and said: Joachim, Joachim, the Lord has heard your prayers; return, for Anna, your wife, shall conceive in her womb.'

3And, having gone out, Joachim ordered his shepherds to bring him ten unblemished sheep: 'And these', he said, 'shall be for the Lord'; and twelve suckling calves: 'And these', he said, 'shall be for the priests and for the council'; and finally, a hundred goats for all the people.

4And, when Joachim arrived with his flocks, Anna was at the door and, seeing him arrive, she ran and threw herself on his neck saying: 'Now I see that God has blessed me greatly, for, being a widow, I cease to be one and, being barren, I shall conceive in my womb.' And Joachim rested that first day in his house.