Matthew 2
2
Visitors from the East
1Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men#2:1 Or royal astrologers; Greek reads magi; also in 2:7, 16. from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose,#2:2 Or star in the east. and we have come to worship him.”
3King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
5“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
6‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities#2:6a Greek the rulers. of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’#2:6b Mic 5:2; 2 Sam 5:2.”
7Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”
9After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.
The Escape to Egypt
13After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”#2:15 Hos 11:1.
16Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. 17Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
18“A cry was heard in Ramah—
weeping and great mourning.
Rachel weeps for her children,
refusing to be comforted,
for they are dead.”#2:18 Jer 31:15.
The Return to Nazareth
19When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20“Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”
21So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. 22But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. 23So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
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Matthew 2: NLT
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Matthew 2
2
Wise Men Visit Jesus
1 Now after#*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was born”) Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2saying, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star at its rising#Or, “when it rose”; traditionally rendered “in the east” by many English versions and have come to worship him.” 3And when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal King Herod heard it,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him, 4and after#*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“calling together”) which is understood as temporal calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired from them where the Christ was to be born. 5So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet,
6‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
for from you will go out a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”#A quotation from Mic 5:2
7Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“summoned”) has been translated as a finite verb determined precisely from them the time when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“appeared”) the star appeared. 8And he sent them to Bethlehem and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sent”) has been translated as a finite verb said, “Go, inquire carefully concerning the child, and when you have found him, report to me so that I also may come and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“may come”) has been translated as a finite verb worship him.” 9After#*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“listened to”) which is understood as temporal they listened to the king, they went out, and behold, the star which they had seen at its rising#Or, “when it rose”; traditionally rendered “in the east” by many English versions led them until it came and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb stood above the place where the child was. 10Now when they#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal saw the star, they rejoiced with very great joy. 11And when they#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“came”) which is understood as temporal came into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“fell down”) has been translated as a finite verb worshiped him. And opening their treasure boxes, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.
Joseph, Mary, and Jesus Escape to Egypt
13Now after they had gone away, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph, saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to seek the child to destroy him.” 14So he got up and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“got up”) has been translated as a finite verb took the child and his mother during the night and went away to Egypt. 15And he was there until the death of Herod, in order that what was said by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying,
“Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Herod Has Innocent Children Murdered
16Then Herod, when he#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal saw that he had been deceived by the wise men, became very angry, and he sent soldiers#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sent”) has been translated as a finite verb executed all the children in Bethlehem and in all the region around it from the age of two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined precisely from the wise men. 17Then what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled, saying,
18“A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she did not want to be comforted,
because they exist no longer#Literally “they are not”.”#A quotation from Jer 31:15
Joseph, Mary, and Jesus Return to Nazareth
19Now after#*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“had died”) Herod had died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the life of the child are dead.” 21So he got up and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“got up”) has been translated as a finite verb took the child and his mother and entered#Literally “entered into” the land of Israel. 22But when he#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream, he took refuge in the regions of Galilee. 23And he came and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb lived in a town called Nazareth, in order that what was said by the prophets would be fulfilled:#Literally “that”; the conjunction could be understood (1) to introduce a direct quotation, serving a function similar to modern English quotation marks, and thus not translated; or (2) to introduce an indirect quotation, in which case it could be translated “that he would be called a Nazarene” “He will be called a Nazarene.”
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