马太福音 2
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
星象家朝拜耶稣
2 希律王执政的时候，耶稣生在犹太的伯利恒。那时，有几个星象家（“星象家”或译：“智者”）从东方来到耶路撒冷， 2 说：“那生下来作犹太人的王的在哪里？我们看见他的星出现，特来朝拜他。” 3 希律王听见了就心里不安，全耶路撒冷的居民也是这样。 4 他就召集所有的祭司长和民间的经学家，问他们基督应该生在哪里。 5 他们回答：“在犹太的伯利恒。因为有先知在经上这样说：
6 ‘犹大地的伯利恒啊！
你在犹大的领袖中，并不是最小的，
因为必有一位领袖从你那里出来，
牧养我的子民以色列。’”
7 希律暗中把星象家召来，仔细查问他们，那颗星甚么时候出现， 8 然后派他们到伯利恒去，说：“你们去细心寻访那小孩，找到了就向我报告，好叫我也去拜他。” 9 他们听命去了。他们在东方看见的那颗星，忽然在他们前头，领他们到那小孩所在的地方，就在上头停住了。 10 他们看见那颗星，欢喜极了； 11 进了房子，看见小孩和他母亲马利亚，就俯伏拜他，并且打开宝盒，把黄金、乳香、没药作礼物献给他。 12 后来他们在梦中得着指示不要回到希律那里去，就从别的路回乡去了。
逃往埃及
13 他们走了以后，主的使者在梦中向约瑟显现，说：“起来，带着孩子和他母亲逃到埃及去，留在那里，直到我再指示你，因为希律要寻找这孩子，把他杀掉。” 14 约瑟就起来，连夜带着孩子和他母亲往埃及去， 15 住在那里，直到希律死了，为的是要应验主藉先知所说的：“我从埃及召我的儿子出来。”
屠杀婴孩
16 希律见自己被星象家愚弄了，就大怒，于是照着他从星象家所问得的日子，下令把伯利恒和附近地方，两岁及以下的小孩全都杀死。 17 这就应验了耶利米先知所说的：
18 “在拉玛听见有声音，
是痛哭、极大哀号的声音；
拉结为她的儿女哀哭，
不肯受安慰，因为他们都不在了。”
从埃及回来
19 希律死后，在埃及，主的使者在梦中向约瑟显现， 20 说：“那些要杀害这孩子的人已经死了。起来，带着孩子和他母亲回以色列地去吧。” 21 约瑟就起来，带着小孩子和他母亲回到以色列地。 22 只是听见亚基老接续他父亲希律作了犹太王，他就不敢到犹太地去；又在梦中得了指示，于是往加利利境去， 23 来到拿撒勒城住下，这样就应验了先知所说的：“他必称为拿撒勒人。”
Matthew 2
Easy-to-Read Version
Wise Men Come to Visit Jesus
2 Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the time when Herod was king. After Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. 2 They asked people, “Where is the child who has been born to be the king of the Jews? We saw the star that shows he was born. We saw it rise in the sky in the east and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard about this, it upset him as well as everyone else in Jerusalem. 4 Herod called a meeting of all the leading Jewish priests and teachers of the law. He asked them where the Messiah would be born. 5 They answered, “In the town of Bethlehem in Judea, just as the prophet wrote:
6 ‘Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
you are important among the rulers of Judah.
Yes, a ruler will come from you,
and that ruler will lead Israel, my people.’” (A)
7 Then Herod had a private meeting with the wise men from the east. He learned from them the exact time they first saw the star. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem. He said, “Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, come tell me. Then I can go worship him too.”
9 After the wise men heard the king, they left. They saw the same star they had seen in the east, and they followed it. The star went before them until it stopped above the place where the child was. 10 They were very happy and excited to see the star.
11 The wise men came to the house where the child was with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened the boxes of gifts they had brought for him. They gave him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 But God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they went home to their own country a different way.
Jesus’ Parents Take Him to Egypt
13 After the wise men left, an angel from the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. The angel said, “Get up! Take the child with his mother and escape to Egypt. Herod wants to kill the child and will soon start looking for him. Stay in Egypt until I tell you to come back.”
14 So Joseph got ready and left for Egypt with the child and the mother. They left during the night. 15 Joseph stayed in Egypt until Herod died. This gave full meaning to what the Lord said through the prophet: “I called my son to come out of Egypt.”[a]
Herod Kills the Baby Boys in Bethlehem
16 Herod saw that the wise men had fooled him, and he was very angry. So he gave an order to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem and the whole area around Bethlehem. Herod had learned from the wise men the time the baby was born. It was now two years from that time. So he said to kill all the boys who were two years old and younger. 17 This gave full meaning to what God said through the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A sound was heard in Ramah—
bitter crying and great sadness.
Rachel cries for her children,
and she cannot be comforted,
because her children are gone.” (B)
Joseph and Mary Return From Egypt
19 While Joseph was in Egypt, Herod died. An angel from the Lord came to Joseph in a dream 20 and said, “Get up! Take the child with his mother and go to Israel. Those who were trying to kill the child are now dead.”
21 So Joseph took the child and the mother and went to Israel. 22 But he heard that Archelaus was now king in Judea. Archelaus became king when his father Herod died. So Joseph was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he went away to the area of Galilee. 23 He went to a town called Nazareth and lived there. This gave full meaning to what God said through the prophets. God said the Messiah[b] would be called a Nazarene.[c]
Footnotes
- Matthew 2:15
Quote from Hos. 11:1. - Matthew 2:23 the Messiah Literally, “he.” See “Messiah” in the Word List.
- Matthew 2:23 Nazarene A person from the city of Nazareth. This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “branch.” So Matthew may be referring to the promise of a “branch” of David’s family. See Isa. 11:1.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International