Matthew 2

Wise Men Come to Visit Jesus

1 Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the time when Herod was king. When Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem.

2 They asked, “Where is the baby who was born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, as were all the people in Jerusalem.4 Herod called a meeting of all the leading priests and teachers of the law and asked them where the Christ would be born.

5 They answered, “In the town of Bethlehem in Judea. The prophet wrote about this in the Scriptures:

6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not just an insignificant village in Judah.
A ruler will come from you who will be like a shepherd for my people Israel.’ ” t
7 Then Herod had a secret meeting with the wise men and learned from them the exact time they first saw the star.

8 He sent the wise men to Bethlehem, saying, “Look carefully for the child. When you find him, come tell me so I can worship him too.”
9 After the wise men heard the king, they left. The star that they had seen in the east went before them until it stopped above the place where the child was.10 When the wise men saw the star, they were filled with joy.11 They came to the house where the child was and saw him with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. They opened their gifts and gave him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12 But God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod, so they returned to their own country by a different way.

Jesus’ Parents Take Him to Egypt

13 After they left, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt, because Herod is starting to look for the child so he can kill him. Stay in Egypt until I tell you to return.”
14 So Joseph got up and left for Egypt during the night with the child and his mother.15 And Joseph stayed in Egypt until Herod died. This happened to bring about what the Lord had said through the prophet: “I called my son out of Egypt.” 

Herod Kills the Baby Boys

16 When Herod saw that the wise men had tricked him, he was furious. So he gave an order to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem and in the surrounding area who were two years old or younger. This was in keeping with the time he learned from the wise men.

17 So what God had said through the prophet Jeremiah came true:

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah of painful crying and deep sadness:
Rachel crying for her children. She refused to be comforted, because her children are dead.” t

Joseph and Mary Return

19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord spoke to Joseph in a dream while he was in Egypt.

20 The angel said, “Get up! Take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, because the people who were trying to kill the child are now dead.”
21 So Joseph took the child and his mother and went to Israel.22 But he heard that Archelaus was now king in Judea since his father Herod had died. So Joseph was afraid to go there. After being warned in a dream, he went to the area of Galilee,23 to a town called Nazareth, and lived there. And so what God had said through the prophets 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