Matthew 2
2
The Wise Men Visit
1Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea when Herod was king. After Jesus’ birth wise men #2:1 Or “astrologers.” from the east arrived in Jerusalem. 2They 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.”
3When King Herod and all Jerusalem heard about this, they became disturbed. 4He called together all the chief priests and the experts in the Scriptures and tried to find out from them where the Messiah was supposed to be born.
5They told him, “In Bethlehem in Judea. The prophet wrote about this:
6Bethlehem 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.”
7Then Herod secretly called the wise men and found out from them exactly when the star had appeared. 8As 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.”
9After 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. 10They were overwhelmed with joy to see the star. 11When 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.#2:11 Myrrh is a fragrant resin used for perfumes, embalming, and deodorizers.
12God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they left for their country by another road.
The Escape to Egypt
13After 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.”
14Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left for Egypt that night. 15He stayed there until Herod died. What the Lord had spoken through the prophet came true: “I have called my son out of Egypt.”
16When 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. 17Then 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 comforted
because they were dead.”
From Egypt to Nazareth
19After Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20The 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.”
21Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to Israel. 22But 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 23and made his home in a city called Nazareth. So what the prophets had said came true: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
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.