Matthew 2

1  NOW WHEN Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men [astrologers] from the east came to Jerusalem, asking,2  Where is He Who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east at its rising and have come to worship Him. 3  When Herod the king heard this, he was disturbed and troubled, and the whole of Jerusalem with him.4  So he called together all the chief priests and learned men (scribes) of the people and anxiously asked them where the Christ was to be born.5  They replied to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:6  And you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are not in any way least or insignificant among the chief cities of Judah; for from you shall come a Ruler (Leader) Who will govern and shepherd My people Israel. 7  Then Herod sent for the wise men [astrologers] secretly, and accurately to the last point ascertained from them the time of the appearing of the star [that is, how long the star had made itself visible since its rising in the east].8  Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go and search for the Child carefully and diligently, and when you have found Him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship Him.9  When they had listened to the king, they went their way, and behold, the star which had been seen in the east in its rising went before them until it came and stood over the place where the young Child was.10  When they saw the star, they were thrilled with ecstatic joy.11  And on going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then opening their treasure bags, they presented to Him gifts--gold and frankincense and myrrh.12  And receiving an answer to their asking, they were divinely instructed and warned in a dream not to go back to Herod; so they departed to their own country by a different way.13  Now after they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, Get up! [Tenderly] take unto you the young Child and His mother and flee to Egypt; and remain there till I tell you [otherwise], for Herod intends to search for the Child in order to destroy Him.14  And having risen, he took the Child and His mother by night and withdrew to Egypt15  And remained there until Herod’s death. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, Out of Egypt have I called My Son. 16  Then Herod, when he realized that he had been misled by the wise men, was furiously enraged, and he sent and put to death all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that territory who were two years old and under, reckoning according to the date which he had investigated diligently and had learned exactly from the wise men.17  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:18  A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they were no more. 19  But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt20  And said, Rise, [tenderly] take unto you the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.21  Then he awoke and arose and [tenderly] took the Child and His mother and came into the land of Israel.22  But because he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in the place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being divinely warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee.23  He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled: He shall be called a Nazarene [Branch, Separated One].

Matthew 2

The Visit of the Wise Men

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehems in Judea, in the timet of King Herod,s wise mens from the East came to Jerusalems2 saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it roset and have come to worship him.”3 When King Herods heard this he was alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him.4 After assembling all the chief priests and experts in the law,t he asked them where the Christts was to be born.

5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they said, “for it is written this way by the prophet:

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are in no way least among the rulers of Judah,
for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”s
7 Then Herods privately summoned the wise men and determined from them when the star had appeared.8 Het sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, inform me so that I can go and worship him as well.”9 After listening to the king they left, and once againt the star they saw when it roset led them until it stopped above the place where the child was.10 When they saw the star they shouted joyfully.t11 As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed downt and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense,s and myrrh.s

12 After being warned in a dream not to return to Herod,s they went back by another route to their own country.

The Escape to Egypt

13 After they had gone, ant angel of the Lordt appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herods is going to look for the child to kill him.”14 Then he got up, took the child and his mother duringt the night, and went to Egypt.

15 He stayed there until Herods died. In this way what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet was fulfilled: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”s
16 When Herods saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent ment to kill all the children in Bethlehems and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men.

17 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud wailing,s
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she did not want to be comforted, because they weretgone.”s

The Return to Nazareth

19 After Herods had died, ant angel of the Lordt appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt20 saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.”21 Sot he got up and took the child and his mother and returned to the land of Israel.22 But when he heard that Archelauss was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod,s he was afraid to go there. After being warned in a dream, he went to the regions of Galilee.

23 He came to a town called Nazarethss and lived there. Then what had been spoken by the prophets was fulfilled, that Jesust would be called a Nazarene.t