Matthew, 2

1. After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, suddenly some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east

1. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying,

2. asking, 'Where is the infant king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.'

2. "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him."

3. When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem.

3. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;

4. He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

4. and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

5. They told him, 'At Bethlehem in Judaea, for this is what the prophet wrote:

5. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet:

6. And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least among the leaders of Judah, for from you will come a leader who will shepherd my people Israel.'

6. `And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.'"

7. Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared

7. Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared;

8. and sent them on to Bethlehem with the words, 'Go and find out all about the child, and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.'

8. and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him."

9. Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And suddenly the star they had seen rising went forward and halted over the place where the child was.

9. When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was.

10. The sight of the star filled them with delight,

10. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy;

11. and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.

11. and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

12. But they were given a warning in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way.

12. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

13. After they had left, suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.'

13. Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him."

14. So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt,

14. And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt,

15. where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I called my son out of Egypt.

15. and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt have I called my son."

16. Herod was furious on realising that he had been fooled by the wise men, and in Bethlehem and its surrounding district he had all the male children killed who were two years old or less, reckoning by the date he had been careful to ask the wise men.

16. Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men.

17. Then were fulfilled the words spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

17. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

18. A voice is heard in Ramah, lamenting and weeping bitterly: it is Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted because they are no more.

18. "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more."

19. After Herod's death, suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt

19. But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying,

20. and said, 'Get up, take the child and his mother with you and go back to the land of Israel, for those who wanted to kill the child are dead.'

20. "Rise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead."

21. So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, went back to the land of Israel.

21. And he rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.

22. But when he learnt that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as ruler of Judaea he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the region of Galilee.

22. But when he heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.

23. There he settled in a town called Nazareth. In this way the words spoken through the prophets were to be fulfilled: He will be called a Nazarene.

23. And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazarene."