< Matthew 2 >
1 Now, when, Jesus, was born in Bethlehem of Judaea, in the days of Herod the king, lo! wise men from eastern parts, came into Jerusalem:
2 saying—Where is he that hath been born king of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east, and have come to bow down to him.
3 But, when King Herod heard, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;
4 and, assembling all the high-priests and scribes of the people, he was enquiring of them—Where is, the Christ, to be born?
5 And, they, said to him, In Bethlehem of Judaea, —for, so, is it written through the prophet:
6 And, thou, Bethlehem, land of Judah, by no means least, art thou, among the governors of Judah, —For, out of thee, shall one come forth to govern, Who shall shepherd my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, privately, calling the wise men, ascertained from them the time of the appearing star;
8 and sending them to Bethlehem, said—Go search out accurately concerning the child, —and, as soon as ye find it, bring report unto me, that, I also, may come and bow myself down to it.
9 Now, they, hearing the king, went, and lo! the star which they had seen in the east, was going before them, until it went and stood over where the child was;
10 and, seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy;
11 and, coming into the house, they saw the child, with Mary its mother, —and, falling down, prostrated themselves unto it, and, opening their treasures, offered unto it gifts—gold and frankincense and myrrh;
12 and, being instructed by dream, not to return unto Herod, by another way, retired they unto their own country.
13 Now, when they had retired, lo! a messenger of the Lord, appeareth by dream unto Joseph, saying, Arise, take unto thee the child and its mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there, until I tell thee, —for Herod is about to seek the child, to destroy it.
14 And, he, arising, took unto him the child and its mother, by night, and retired into Egypt;
15 and was there, until the death of Herod, —that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt, called I my son.
16 Then Herod, seeing that he had been mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly enraged, —and sent and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all its bounds, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men.
17 Then was fulfilled, that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
18 A voice, in Ramah, was heard, weeping and great mourning, —Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, —because they are not.
19 But, when Herod was, dead, lo! a messenger of the Lord, appeareth by dream unto Joseph in Egypt;
20 saying—Arise! and take unto thee the child and its mother, and be journeying into the land of Israel, —for they are dead, who were seeking the life of the child.
21 And, he, arising, took unto him the child and its mother, and entered into the land of Israel.
22 Hearing, however, that, Archelaus, was reigning over Judaea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid, thither, to go, —and so, being instructed by dream, he retired into the parts of Galilee;
23 and came and fixed his dwelling in a city called Nazareth, —that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets—A Nazarene, shall he be called.
