馬太福音 2
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
智者來朝拜
2 希律王執政期間，耶穌降生在猶太的伯利恆城。
當時有幾位智者[a]從東方來到耶路撒冷， 2 問道：「那生來做猶太人之王的在哪裡呢？我們在東方看見祂的星，特來朝拜祂。」
3 希律王聽後，心裡不安，全城的人都感到不安。 4 希律王就召來祭司長和律法教師，問他們：「基督在哪裡降生呢？」
5 他們回答說：「在猶太的伯利恆，因為先知這樣記載，
6 『猶大地區的伯利恆啊！
你在猶大各城中並不是最小的，
因為有一位君王要從你那裡出來，
牧養我的以色列子民。』」
7 於是，希律暗中召見那幾位智者，仔細查問那星出現的準確時間， 8 然後派他們去伯利恆，並吩咐道：「你們去仔細尋訪那個小孩，找到了，就回來報信，我也好去朝拜祂。」
9 他們聽了王的吩咐，就去了。忽然，那顆曾在東方出現的星又出現在他們前面，引領他們來到小孩耶穌所在的地方，便停下來。 10 他們看見那顆星，喜出望外。
11 他們進了屋子，看見孩子和祂母親瑪麗亞，就俯伏在地上拜祂，並打開盛寶物的盒子獻上黃金、乳香和沒藥作禮物。 12 他們在夢中得到指示不可回希律那裡，便改道返回了家鄉。
逃往埃及
13 他們離開之後，主的天使在夢中向約瑟顯現，說：「起來，帶著小孩子和祂母親逃往埃及，住在那裡等候我的通知，因為希律要尋找這孩子，殺害祂。」 14 於是，約瑟起來帶著孩子和祂母親連夜逃往埃及， 15 並在那裡一直住到希律死了。這就應驗了主藉著先知所說的話：「我把兒子從埃及召出來。」
16 希律見自己被智者愚弄，大為惱怒，便照著智者所說的時間推算，下令把伯利恆附近兩歲以下的男孩殺光。 17 這正應驗了耶利米先知的話：
18 「在拉瑪有痛哭哀號的聲音，
是拉結在為兒女哀慟，
不肯接受安慰，
因為他們都死了！」
定居拿撒勒
19 希律死後，主的天使在夢中向在埃及的約瑟顯現，說： 20 「起來，帶著孩子和祂母親回以色列去吧！因為要殺害孩子的人已經死了。」 21 約瑟就起來，帶著孩子和祂母親返回以色列。
22 但約瑟聽聞亞基勞繼承父親希律的王位統治猶太，就不敢回猶太。這時，他在夢中得到主的指示，便前往加利利地區， 23 定居在拿撒勒鎮。這應驗了先知的話：「祂將被稱為拿撒勒人。」
Footnotes
- 2·1 「智者」或譯「占星家」下同7節和16節。
ᎣᏍᏛ ᎧᏃᎮᏛ ᎹᏚ ᎤᏬᏪᎳᏅᎯ 2
Cherokee New Testament
2 ᏥᏌᏃ ᎤᏕᏅ ᎦᏚᏱ ᎦᏚᎲ ᏧᏗᏱ, ᎾᎯᏳ ᏤᎮ ᎡᎶᏛ ᎤᎬᏫᏳᎯ, ᎬᏂᏳᏉ ᎤᏂᎷᏤ ᏥᎷᏏᎵᎻ ᎠᏂᎦᏔᎿᎢ ᏅᏙ ᏗᎧᎸᎬ ᎢᏗᏢ ᏧᏂᎶᏎᎢ,
2 ᎯᎠ ᏄᏂᏪᏎᎢ; ᎭᏢ Ꮎ ᏧᏕᏅ ᎤᎬᏫᏳᎯ ᎠᏂᏧᏏ ᎤᎾᏤᎵᎦ, ᎣᎩᎪᎲᏰᏃ ᎤᏤᎵ ᏃᏈᏏ ᏗᎧᎸᎬ ᎢᏗᏢ, ᎠᎴ ᎣᏣᏓᏙᎵᏍᏓᏁᎵᎦ.
3 ᎡᎶᏛᏃ ᎤᎬᏫᏳᎯ ᎤᏛᎦᏅ ᎾᏍᎩ, ᎤᏪᎵᎯᏍᏗ ᎤᏓᏅᏓᏕᎢ, ᎠᎴ ᏂᎦᏛ ᏥᎷᏏᎵᎻ ᎠᏁᎯ.
4 ᏚᎳᏫᏛᏃ ᏂᎦᏛ ᏄᏂᎬᏫᏳᏒ ᎠᏥᎸ ᎠᏁᎶᎯ, ᎠᎴ ᏴᏫ ᏗᏃᏪᎳᏁᎯ, ᏚᏛᏛᏁᎢ, ᎾᎿ ᎤᏕᏗ ᎨᏒ ᎦᎶᏁᏛ.
5 ᎯᎠᏃ ᏂᎬᏩᏪᏎᎴᎢ; ᏧᏗᏱ ᎦᏚᏱ ᎦᏚᎲᎢ; ᎯᎠᏰᏃ ᏄᏩᏅ ᎤᏬᏪᎳ ᎠᏙᎴᎰᏍᎩ;
6 ᎠᎴ ᏂᎯ ᎦᏚᏱ ᎦᏚᎲ ᏧᏗᏱ, ᎥᏝᏍᎩᏂ ᏣᏍᏗᎧᏂ ᏱᎩ, ᏥᎶᏓᏑᏯ ᏄᏂᎬᏫᏳᏒ ᏧᏗᏱ, ᏂᎯᏰᏃ ᏓᏣᏄᎪᏥ ᏗᏆᏤᎵ ᏴᏫ ᎢᏏᎵ-ᏗᎧᏁᏤᎯ.
7 ᎿᏉᏃ ᎡᎶᏛ ᎤᏕᎵᏛ ᏫᏚᏯᏅᎲ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎠᏂᎦᏔᎿᎢ, ᎣᏍᏛ ᏚᏛᏘᏌᏁ ᎢᏳᏉ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏃᏈᏏ ᎤᎾᏄᎪᏨᎢ.
8 ᎠᎴ ᏚᏅᏎ ᎦᏚᏱ, ᎯᎠ ᏄᏪᏎᎢ; ᎢᏤᎾ ᎣᏍᏛ ᏪᏥᏲᎦ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎤᏍᏗ ᎠᏲᎵ, ᎢᏳᏃ ᎡᏥᏩᏛᎲᎭ, ᎢᏍᎩᏃᏁᎵᎸᎭ, ᎠᏴᏃ ᎾᏍᏉ ᏫᏥᎷᏨᎭ, ᎠᎴ ᏥᏯᏓᏙᎵᏍᏓᏁᎸᎭ.
9 ᎤᎾᏛᎦᏃᏁᎸᏃ ᎤᎬᏫᏳᎯ ᎤᎾᏂᎩᏎᎢ, ᎬᏂᏳᏉᏃ ᏃᏈᏏ, ᎾᏍᎩ ᎤᏂᎪᎲᎯ ᏗᎧᎸᎬ ᎢᏗᏢ, ᎢᎬᏱ ᎤᏁᏅᎡᎴᎢ, ᎬᏂ ᏭᎷᏥᎸ ᎠᎴ ᎤᎴᏫᏍᏔᏅ ᎦᎸᎳᏗᏢ ᎾᎿ ᎠᏥᎵ ᎡᎲᎢ.
10 ᎤᏂᎪᎲᏃ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏃᏈᏏ, ᎤᎶᏔᏅᎯ ᎤᎾᎵᎮᎵᏤᎢ.
11 ᎠᏓᏁᎸᏃ ᎤᏂᏴᎸ ᎤᏂᎪᎮ ᎠᏲᏝ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏥ ᎺᎵ, ᎠᎴ ᎡᎳᏗ ᏚᎾᏓᏅᏁᎢ, ᎤᎾᏓᏙᎵᏍᏓᏁᎴᎢ, ᎠᎴ ᏧᎬᏩᎶᏗ ᎤᏂᎳᏅᏛ ᏚᏂᏍᏚᎢᏒ ᎤᏂᏁᎸᏁ ᏅᎾᎵᏍᎪᎸᏔᏅᎯ, ᎠᏕᎸ-ᏓᎶᏂᏛ, ᎠᎴ ᎤᎦᎾᏍᏛ ᎦᏩᏒᎩ ᎠᏜ, ᎠᎴ ᎻᎳ.
12 ᎠᎾᏍᎩᏓᏍᎬᏃ ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᏚᏁᏤᎸ ᎡᎶᏛᏱ ᏭᏂᎶᎯᏍᏗᏱ ᏂᎨᏒᎾ, ᎤᎾᏂᎩᏒ ᎤᏣᏘᏂᏉ ᎢᏗᏢ ᏭᏂᎶᏎ ᎢᎤᏁᏅ ᎤᎾᏤᎵᎪᎯ.
13 ᎤᎾᏂᎩᏒᏃ ᎬᏂᏳᏉ ᏗᎧᎿᏩᏗᏙᎯ ᎤᏅᏏᏛ ᏱᎰᏩ ᎬᏂᎨᏒ ᏄᏛᏁᎴ ᏦᏩ ᎠᏍᎩᏓᏍᎬᎢ, ᎯᎠ ᏄᏪᏎᎴᎢ; ᏔᎴᎲᎦ, ᎠᎴ ᏔᏘᏄᎦ ᎠᏲᎵ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏥ ᎠᎴ ᎭᎵᏘ, ᎢᏥᏈ ᏫᎶᎯ, ᎾᎿᏃ ᏪᎮᏍᏗ ᎬᏂ ᏫᎬᏁᏤᎸᎭ, ᎡᎶᏛᏰᏃ ᎠᏎ ᏛᏲᎵ ᎤᏍᏗ ᎠᏲᎵ ᎤᎯᏍᏗᏱ.
14 ᎿᏉᏃ ᏚᎴᏅ ᎤᏘᏅᏎ ᎠᏲᎵ ᎠᎴ ᏅᏥ ᏒᏃᏱ, ᎠᎴ ᎢᏥᏈᏱ ᏭᎶᏎᎢ.
15 ᎠᎴ ᎾᎿ ᏪᎮ ᎬᏂ ᎡᎶᏛ ᎤᏲᎱᏒ; ᎤᏙᎯᏳᏁ ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᎤᏁᏨᎢ, ᎠᏙᎴᎰᏍᎩ ᏧᏮᏔᏁᎢ, ᎯᎠ ᏥᏄᏪᏎᎢ; ᎢᏥᏈᏱ ᏫᏥᏯᏅᎲ ᎠᏇᏥ.
16 ᎿᏉᏃ ᎡᎶᏛ ᎤᏙᎴᎰᏒ ᎠᏂᎦᏔᎿᎢ ᎬᏩᎵᏓᏍᏔᏅᎢ, ᎤᏣᏔᏅᎯ ᎤᏔᎳᏬᏎᎢ, ᎠᎴ ᎤᏓᏅᏎ ᏫᏚᏂᎰᏁ ᏂᎦᏛ ᏗᏂᏲᎵ ᎦᏚᏱ ᎠᏁᎯ, ᎠᎴ ᏂᎦᏛ ᏂᎬᎾᏛ ᎾᎿᏂ, ᏔᎵ ᎢᏳᎾᏕᏘᏴᏛ ᏩᏍᏘ, ᎾᎯᏳ ᏅᏓᏳᏓᎴᏅᏛ ᏥᏓᎵᏏᎾᎯᏍᏓᏁᎮ ᏥᏓᏛᏛᎮᎸᎥᏍᎨ ᎠᏂᎦᏔᎿᎢ.
17 ᎿᏉᏃ ᎤᏙᎯᏳᏁ ᏤᎵᎹᏯ ᎠᏙᎴᎰᏍᎩ ᎤᏁᏨᎯ, ᎠᎴ ᏥᏄᏪᏎᎢ;
18 ᎴᎹᏱ ᎧᏁᎬ ᎤᎾᏛᎦᏅᎩ, ᏓᏂᏴᎬᎢ, ᎠᎴ ᏓᎾᏠᏱᎲᎢ, ᎠᎴ ᎤᏣᏘ ᎤᏁᎷᎬᎢ; ᎴᏥᎵ ᏓᏍᎪᏂᎲ ᏧᏪᏥ, ᎠᎴ ᏄᏚᎵᏍᎬᎾ ᎨᏒ ᎤᏄᏬᎯᏍᏗᏱ, ᏅᏗᎦᎵᏍᏙᏗᏍᎬ ᎾᏁᎲᎾᏉ ᎨᏒᎢ.
19 ᎿᏉᏃ ᎡᎶᏛ ᎤᏲᎱᏒ, ᎬᏂᏳᏉ ᏗᎧᎿᏩᏗᏙᎯ ᏱᎰᏩ ᎤᏤᎵᎦ ᎬᏂᎨᏒ ᏄᏛᏁᎴ ᏦᏩ ᎠᏍᎩᏓᏍᎬ ᎢᏥᏈᏱ,
20 ᎯᎠ ᏄᏪᏎᎴᎢ; ᏔᎴᎲᎦ ᎠᎴ ᎭᏘᏄᎦ ᎠᏲᎵ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏥ, ᎠᎴ ᎮᎾ ᎢᏏᎵᏱ, ᎿᏉᏰᏃ ᏚᏂᏲᎱᏒ ᎠᏲᎵ ᎬᏅ ᏧᏂᏲᎲᎩ.
21 ᏚᎴᏅᏃ ᎤᏘᏅᏎ ᎠᏲᎵ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏥ, ᎠᎴ ᎢᏏᎵᏱ ᏭᎷᏤᎢ.
22 ᎠᏎᏃ ᎤᏛᎦᏅ ᎠᏥᎳ ᎤᎬᏫᏳᎯ ᎨᏒ ᏧᏗᏱ ᎤᏙᏓ ᎡᎶᏛ ᎤᏓᏁᏟᏴᏍᏓᏁᎸᎢ, ᎤᏍᎦᎴ ᎾᎿ ᏭᎶᎯᏍᏗᏱ; ᎠᏎᏃ ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᎤᏪᏯᏔᏅᎯ ᎨᏒ ᎠᏍᎩᏓᏍᎬᎢ, ᎨᎵᎵ ᏭᎪᎸᏍᏔᏁᎢ;
23 ᎦᏚᎲᏃ ᎾᏎᎵᏗ ᏧᏙᎢᏛ ᏭᎷᏨ ᎾᎿ ᎡᎮᎢ. ᎾᏍᎩᏃ ᎤᏙᎯᏳᏁ ᎠᎾᏙᎴᎰᏍᎩ ᏧᏂᏁᏤᎢ, ᎾᏎᎵᏗ ᎡᎯ ᎠᎪᏎᎮᏍᏗ, ᏧᎾᏛᏁᎢ.
Matthew 2
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 2
The Wise Men Render Homage to the Messiah.[a] 1 After Jesus had been born in Bethlehem[b] of Judea during the reign of King Herod, wise men traveled from the east and arrived in Jerusalem, 2 inquiring, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw the rising of his star, and we have come to pay him homage.”
3 On hearing about their inquiry, King Herod was greatly troubled, as was true of the whole of Jerusalem. 4 Therefore, he summoned all the chief priests[c] and the scribes and questioned them about where the Christ was to be born. 5 They replied, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus has the prophet written:
6 ‘And you, 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 shepherd my people Israel.’ ”[d]
7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men, and he ascertained from them the exact time of the star’s appearance, 8 after which he sent them on to Bethlehem, saying: “Go forth and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, so that I can go and pay him homage.”
9 After receiving these instructions from the king, the wise men set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising proceeded ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 The sight of the star filled them with great joy, 11 and when they entered the house they beheld the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they paid him homage. Then they opened their treasure chests and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.[e] 12 And since they had been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their own country by another route.
13 The Flight into Egypt. After the wise men had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and instructed him, “Arise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt. Remain there until I tell you. Herod seeks the child to kill him.” 14 Therefore, he got up, took the child and his mother, and departed that night for Egypt, 15 where they remained until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”[f]
16 The Slaughter of the Innocents at Bethlehem. When Herod realized that the wise men had deceived him, he flew into a rage and issued an order to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and the surrounding area who were two years old or less, in accordance with the information that he had obtained from the wise men. 17 [g]Thus were fulfilled the words that had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
lamenting and sobbing bitterly:
Rachel weeping for her children,
and refusing to be consoled,
because they were no more.”
19 The Return to the Land of Israel.[h] After the death of Herod, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Arise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought to kill the child are dead.”[i] 21 He got up, took the child and his mother, and returned to the land of Israel.
22 But when Joseph learned that Archelaus[j] had succeeded his father Herod in Judea, he was afraid to go there. After he had been warned in a dream concerning this, he withdrew to the region of Galilee. 23 He settled in a town called Nazareth,[k] so that what had been spoken through the Prophets might be fulfilled: “He shall be called a Nazorean.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 2:1 We shall never be able to identify with certainty these men of study and prayer, who may also have been astrologers (called by a Persian name, “Magi”). Orientals thought that a new star appeared at the birth of great persons (Num 24:17). In any case, the hour has come for pagans to share in the joy of encounter with God. This Gospel also confirms the expectation of Israel and cites the Prophets (Mic 5:1; 2 Sam 5:1-3): the new future of the People of God originates in the dynasty of David and in his native place, Bethlehem (1 Sam 16), but the mission of the Messiah goes beyond religious and national frontiers. The Messianic age is beginning (see Ps 72:10-11; Isa 9:1, 5; 49:23; 60:1-5; Lk 2:30-34).
- Matthew 2:1 Bethlehem: about five miles south of Jerusalem.
- Matthew 2:4 Chief priests: in the plural signifies the high priest now in office and his predecessors and members of their respective families. Herod’s act of consulting with the chief priests and teachers of the Law has some affinity with a Jewish legend about the child Moses in which Pharaoh is warned by sacred scribes about the coming birth of a deliverer of Israel from Egypt and plots to destroy the deliverer.
- Matthew 2:6 This prophecy of Micah (5:1) had been pronounced seven centuries earlier.
- Matthew 2:11 Because of the Old Testament texts of Ps 72:11, 16; Isa 60:6, the wise men were thought to be kings. House: indicates that the wise men did not visit Jesus on the night of his birth as did the shepherds. Although there are three gifts, this does not mean there were three wise men.
- Matthew 2:15 The citation from Hos 11:1, which originally referred to God’s calling Israel (God’s son) out of Egypt, is here applied to Jesus. Just as Israel was called out of Egypt at the time of the Exodus, so Jesus, the Son of God, will be called out of Egypt at the New Exodus.
- Matthew 2:17 The citation of Jer 31:15 originally referred to Rachel, the wife of Jacob, weeping for her children taken into exile in 721 B.C. Matthew applies it to the mourning for the Holy Innocents.
- Matthew 2:19 Herod died in 4 B.C. We do not know for sure to which prophecies (note the plural “Prophets”) v. 23 is alluding. Some believe Matthew is here thinking of the Old Testament declarations that the Messiah would be despised (e.g., Ps 22:6; Isa 53:3), for “Nazorean” was a synonym for “despised” (see Jn 1:45f). Or he may be saying that according to the plan of God Jesus was to live his childhood and youth in Nazareth and begin his ministry there. Some think “Nazorean” fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah (11:1): Jesus is the “shoot” (nezer in Hebrew) of the race of Abraham and David.
- Matthew 2:20 For those who sought to kill the child are dead: another subtle reference to the Moses-Christ parallel. After fleeing from Egypt because the Pharaoh sought to kill him, Moses was told to return in similar words: “for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead” (Ex 4:19).
- Matthew 2:22 Archelaus: son of Herod who ruled Judea and Samaria for ten years (4 B.C. to A.D. 6) and was deposed because of his cruelty. After him Judea became a Roman province administered by “procurators” appointed by the Emperor. Galilee: the northern part of Palestine, whose principal cities were: Capernaum, Cana, Nazareth, and Tiberias. Its people were not very highly esteemed by the Jews of Jerusalem and Judea (see Jn 1:46; 7:52) probably because of the strong Hellenization of the region and the mixed (Jew-Gentile) population there. It was the primary region of Jesus’ public ministry and is viewed as a providential indicator of his Messianic mission to the Gentiles (see Isa 66:18f; Am 9:11f).
- Matthew 2:23 Nazareth: a town that stands on the last spurs of the Galilean hills, some 87 miles north of Jerusalem.
