When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the [a]Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “(A)In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written [b]by [c]the prophet:

(B)And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
For from you will come forth a Ruler
Who will (C)shepherd My people Israel.’”

Then Herod secretly called for the magi and determined from them the exact [d]time (D)the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 2:4 From Gr Christos, which means Messiah (Heb for Anointed One)
  2. Matthew 2:5 Or through
  3. Matthew 2:5 I.e., Micah
  4. Matthew 2:7 Lit time of the appearing star

Herod Slaughters Babies

16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by (A)the magi, he became very enraged, and sent men and (B)killed all the boys who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity [a]who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. 17 Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

18 (C)A voice was heard in Ramah,
Weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
And she refused to be comforted,
Because they were no more.”

19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord *(D)appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said,

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 2:16 Lit from two...and under

Bible Gateway Recommends