Fluent Translation · Read & Reflect
Matthew 2
Visitors from the East
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, magi from the east came to Jerusalem,
asking, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to pay him homage.”
When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
He gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Christ was to be born.
They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, because this is what has been written through the prophet:
‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
because from you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod secretly called the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report back to me so that I too may go and pay him homage.” After hearing the king, they went on their way. And the star they had seen at its rising went ahead of them until it came and stood over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother. They fell down and paid him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another road.
Escape to Egypt
After they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and left for Egypt. He stayed there until Herod's death, so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Herod Kills the Children of Bethlehem
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He sent men and killed all the boys in Bethlehem and its surrounding region who were two years old and younger, according to the time he had learned from the magi.
Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
“A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted,
because they are no more.”
Return to Nazareth
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, because those who were seeking the child's life are dead.” So Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and entered the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. After being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee. He went and settled in a town called Nazareth, so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled: “He will be called a Nazarene.”