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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Matthew 2
2
1 #
Lk 2.4-7; 1.5. 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#Jer 23.5; Zech 9.9; Mk 15.2; Jn 1.49; Num 24.17. “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.” 3When Herod the king heard this, he 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 was to be born. 5#Jn 7.42. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet:
6 #
Mic 5.2. ‘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.’ ”
7Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; 8and 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.” 9When 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. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; 11#Mt 1.18; 12.46. 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#Mt 2.22; Acts 10.22; Heb 11.7. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
13Now 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.” 14And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, 15#Hos 11.1; Ex 4.22. 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.”
16Then 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. 17Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 #
Jer 31.15. “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 #
Mt 1.20; 2.13. But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, 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.” 21And he rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22But 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#Lk 1.26; Is 11.1; Mk 1.24. 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.”
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