Matthew
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of King
Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem.
“Where is he who was born king of the Jews?” they asked. “We saw his star in the east, and we came to kneel in honor before him.”
When King Herod heard about this, he was
very disturbed, as was the whole of Jerusalem.
Herod summoned all the chief priests and religious teachers of the people, and asked them where the Messiah was supposed to be born.
“Bethlehem in Judea,” they said to him, “because that is what the prophet wrote:
‘You, Bethlehem in the land of Judea, you are certainly not the least important of Judah’s leaders, because a ruler will come from you who will shepherd My people Israel.’”
Then Herod secretly called the magi and established from them when the star had appeared.
He sent them on to Bethlehem, saying, “When you get there, search for the child, and when you find him let me know so that I can go and kneel before him too.”
After listening to the king they went on their way, and the star which they had seen in the east led them onwards until it stopped above the place where the child was.
When they saw the star they were overwhelmed with joy.
They went into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. They bowed and knelt before him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Warned by God
in a dream not to go back to Herod, the magi left for their own country by a
different road.
After they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream
and said, “Get up and take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and
stay there until I tell you, because Herod is going to look for the child to kill him.”
So Joseph got up and took the boy and his mother, and left during the
night for Egypt,
and stayed there until Herod’s death, fulfilling what the
Lord had said through the prophet: “I called My son out of Egypt.”
When Herod realized he had been tricked by the magi, he was extremely
angry. He sent men to kill all the young boys two years old and under in
Bethlehem and its surrounding areas, according to the time period he had
learned from the magi.
This then fulfilled the prophecy spoken through Jeremiah:
“In Ramah a cry was heard, much weeping and mourning, Rachel crying for her children. And she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
When Herod died an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in
Egypt, and said,
“Get up and take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”
So Joseph got up and took the boy and his mother, and went back to the land of Israel.
But when he heard that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as king of Judea, Joseph was afraid to go there. Warned by God in a dream, he went to the region of Galilee,
and settled down in a village called Nazareth, to fulfill what was said through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
Matthew