Matthew 2
2
Wise Men Visit Jesus
1Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea while Herod was king. Wise men then came from the east to Jerusalem 2and asked, “Where is the child who has been born as the new king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose, and now we’ve come to worship him.”
3When King Herod heard about this, he became very concerned, as did everyone else in Jerusalem. 4He called together all the Jewish chief priests and teachers of the law to ask them where the Messiah was going to be born. 5“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “because this is what the prophet has written:
6“ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are certainly not the least important of the rulers in Judah.
A ruler will come out of you
who will care for my people Israel like a shepherd.’ ”
7Then Herod spoke privately with the wise men and found out exactly when the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and told them, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, send word to me so I can come and worship him too.”
9After the king had given them these orders, the wise men went on their way. The star they’d seen when it rose went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. 11The wise men went into the house, and there they saw the child with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him, and then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12But because they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by a different way.
Jesus’ Family Escapes to Egypt
13After the wise men had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt! Stay there until I tell you to come back, because Herod is going to try to find the child and kill him.”
14So Joseph got up in the night and left for Egypt with the child and his mother. 15They all stayed there until King Herod died. This made the words that the Lord had spoken through the prophet come true: “I called my son out of Egypt.”
16When Herod realized that the wise men had tricked him, he became very angry. He gave orders to kill all the boys two years old and younger who were living in Bethlehem and the area around it. This was because the wise men had first seen the star two years earlier. 17This made the words of Jeremiah the prophet come true. He had said,
18“A voice is heard in Ramah,
the sound of crying and deep sadness.
Rachel is crying over her children
and she refuses to be comforted,
because they are gone.”
Jesus’ Family Returns to Nazareth
19After this Herod died, and Joseph, who was still in Egypt, had a dream. An angel of the Lord appeared to him 20and said, “Get up! Take the child and his mother and go back to the land of Israel, because the people who were trying to kill him are dead.”
21So Joseph got up and took the child and his mother back to the land of Israel. 22But when he learned that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as king of Judea, he was afraid to go there. He was warned in a dream, and he went back to the land of Galilee instead. 23There he lived in a town called Nazareth. The prophets had said that Jesus would be called a Nazarene, and in this way their words came true.
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Radiate™ New Testament
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Matthew 2
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. [Num. 24:17; Jer. 23:5; Zech. 9:9.]
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. [Mic. 5:2.]
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 Egypt
15 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. [Hos. 11:1.]
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. [Jer. 31:15.]
19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt
20 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]. [Isa. 11:1.]
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