Matthew 2
2
The Wise Men Visit Jesus
1Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea. This happened while Herod was king of Judea. After Jesus’ birth, Wise Men from the east came to Jerusalem. 2They asked, “Where is the child who has been born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose. Now we have come to worship him.”
3When King Herod heard about it, he was very upset. Everyone in Jerusalem was troubled too. 4So Herod called together all the chief priests of the people. He also called the teachers of the law. He asked them where the Messiah was going to be born. 5“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied. “This is what the prophet has written. He said,
6“ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are certainly not the least important among the towns of Judah.
A ruler will come out of you.
He will rule my people Israel like a shepherd.’ ” (Micah 5:2)
7Then Herod secretly called for the Wise Men. He found out from them exactly when the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem. He said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report it to me. Then I can go and worship him too.”
9After the Wise Men had listened to the king, they went on their way. The star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them. It finally stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. 11The Wise Men went to the house. There they saw the child with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures. They gave him gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12But God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they returned to their country on a different road.
Jesus’ Family Escapes to Egypt
13When the Wise Men had left, Joseph had a dream. In the dream an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph. “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you to come back. Herod is going to search for the child. He wants to kill him.”
14So Joseph got up. During the night, he left for Egypt with the child and his mother Mary. 15They stayed there until King Herod died. So the words the Lord had spoken through the prophet came true. He had said, “I brought my son out of Egypt.” (Hosea 11:1)
16Herod realized that the Wise Men had tricked him. So he became very angry. He gave orders about Bethlehem and the area around it. He ordered all the boys two years old and under to be killed. This agreed with the time when the Wise Men had seen the star. 17In this way, the words Jeremiah the prophet spoke came true. He had said,
18“A voice is heard in Ramah.
It’s the sound of crying and deep sadness.
Rachel is crying over her children.
She refuses to be comforted,
because they are gone.” (Jeremiah 31:15)
Jesus’ Family Returns to Nazareth
19After Herod died, Joseph had a dream while he was still in Egypt. In the dream an angel of the Lord appeared to him. 20The angel said, “Get up! Take the child and his mother. Go to the land of Israel. The people who were trying to kill the child are dead.”
21So Joseph got up. He took the child and his mother Mary back to the land of Israel. 22But then he heard that Archelaus was king of Judea. Archelaus was ruling in place of his father Herod. This made Joseph afraid to go there. Joseph had been warned in a dream. So he went back to the land of Galilee instead. 23There he lived in a town called Nazareth. So what the prophets had said about Jesus came true. They had said that he would be called a Nazarene.
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Matthew 2: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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Matthew 2
2
1Now Jesus having been born in Bethlehem of Judaea, in the days of Herod the king, behold magi from the east arrived at Jerusalem, saying, 2Where is the king of the Jews that has been born? for we have seen his star in the east, and have come to do him homage. 3But Herod the king having heard of it, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and, assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ should be born. 5And they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judaea; for thus it is written through the prophet: 6And thou Bethlehem, land of Juda, art in no wise the least among the governors of Juda; for out of thee shall go forth a leader who shall shepherd my people Israel. 7Then Herod, having secretly called the magi, inquired of them accurately the time of the star that was appearing; 8and having sent them to Bethlehem, said, Go, search out accurately concerning the child, and when ye shall have found him bring me back word, so that I also may come and do him homage.
9And they having heard the king went their way; and lo, the star, which they had seen in the east, went before them until it came and stood over the place where the little child was. 10And when they saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11And having come into the house they saw the little child with Mary his mother, and falling down did him homage. And having opened their treasures, they offered to him gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 12And being divinely instructed in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
13Now, they having departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appears in a dream to Joseph, saying, Arise, take to thee the little child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there until I shall tell thee; for Herod will seek the little child to destroy it. 14And, having arisen, he took to him the little child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt. 15And he was there until the death of Herod, that that might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
16Then Herod, seeing that he had been mocked by the magi, was greatly enraged; and sent and slew all the boys which were in Bethlehem, and in all its borders, from two years and under, according to the time which he had accurately inquired from the magi. 17Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremias the prophet, saying, 18A voice has been heard in Rama, weeping, and great lamentation: Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
19But Herod having died, behold, an angel of the Lord appears in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, 20Arise, take to thee the little child and its mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they who sought the life of the little child are dead. 21And he arose and took to him the little child and its mother, and came into the land of Israel; 22but having heard that ‘Archelaus reigns over Judaea, instead of Herod his father,’ he was afraid to go there; and having been divinely instructed in a dream, he went away into the parts of Galilee, 23and came and dwelt in a town called Nazareth; so that that should be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets, He shall be called a Nazaraene.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.