Matthew 2

The Wise Men Visit

1 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea when Herod was king. After Jesus’ birth wise ment from the east arrived in Jerusalem.

2 They asked, “Where is the one who was born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star rising and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod and all Jerusalem heard about this, they became disturbed.

4 He called together all the chief priests and scribes and tried to find out from them where the Messiah was supposed to be born.
5 They told him, “In Bethlehem in Judea. The prophet wrote about this:6 Bethlehem in the land of Judah,you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah.A leader will come from you.He will shepherd my people Israel.”7 Then Herod secretly called the wise men and found out from them exactly when the star had appeared.

8 As he sent them to Bethlehem, he said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you have found him, report to me so that I may go and worship him too.”
9 After they had heard the king, they started out. The star they had seen rising led them until it stopped over the place where the child was.10 They were overwhelmed with joy to see the star.

11 When they entered the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary. So they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.t
12 God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they left for their country by another road.

The Escape to Egypt

13 After they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. The angel said to him, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and kill him.”14 Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left for Egypt that night.

15 He stayed there until Herod died. What the Lord had spoken through the prophet came true: “I have called my son out of Egypt.”
16 When Herod saw that the wise men had tricked him, he became furious. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys two years old and younger in or near Bethlehem. This matched the exact time he had learned from the wise men.

17 Then the words spoken through the prophet Jeremiah came true:
18 “A sound was heard in Ramah,the sound of crying in bitter grief.Rachel was crying for her children.She refused to be comfortedbecause they were dead.”

From Egypt to Nazareth

19 After Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.

20 The angel said to him, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to Israel. Those who tried to kill the child are dead.”
21 Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to Israel.22 But when he heard that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as king of Judea, Joseph was afraid to go there. Warned in a dream, he left for Galilee

23 and made his home in a city called Nazareth. So what the prophets had said came true: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

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