马太福音 2
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
智者来朝拜
2 希律王执政期间，耶稣降生在犹太的伯利恒城。
当时有几位智者[a]从东方来到耶路撒冷， 2 问道：“那生来做犹太人之王的在哪里呢？我们在东方看见祂的星，特来朝拜祂。”
3 希律王听后，心里不安，全城的人都感到不安。 4 希律王就召来祭司长和律法教师，问他们：“基督在哪里降生呢？”
5 他们回答说：“在犹太的伯利恒，因为先知这样记载，
6 “‘犹大地区的伯利恒啊！
你在犹大各城中并不是最小的，
因为有一位君王要从你那里出来，
牧养我的以色列子民。’”
7 于是，希律暗中召见那几位智者，仔细查问那星出现的准确时间， 8 然后派他们去伯利恒，并吩咐道：“你们去仔细寻访那个小孩，找到了，就回来报信，我也好去朝拜祂。”
9 他们听了王的吩咐，就去了。忽然，那颗曾在东方出现的星又出现在他们前面，引领他们来到小孩耶稣所在的地方，便停下来。 10 他们看见那颗星，喜出望外。
11 他们进了屋子，看见孩子和祂母亲玛丽亚，就俯伏在地上拜祂，并打开盛宝物的盒子献上黄金、乳香和没药作礼物。 12 他们在梦中得到指示不可回希律那里，便改道返回了家乡。
逃往埃及
13 他们离开之后，主的天使在梦中向约瑟显现，说：“起来，带着小孩子和祂母亲逃往埃及，住在那里等候我的通知，因为希律要寻找这孩子，杀害祂。” 14 于是，约瑟起来带着孩子和祂母亲连夜逃往埃及， 15 并在那里一直住到希律死了。这就应验了主借着先知所说的话：“我把儿子从埃及召出来。”
16 希律见自己被智者愚弄，大为恼怒，便照着智者所说的时间推算，下令把伯利恒附近两岁以下的男孩杀光。 17 这正应验了耶利米先知的话：
18 “在拉玛有痛哭哀号的声音，
是拉结在为儿女哀痛，
不肯接受安慰，
因为他们都死了！”
定居拿撒勒
19 希律死后，主的天使在梦中向在埃及的约瑟显现，说： 20 “起来，带着孩子和祂母亲回以色列去吧！因为要杀害孩子的人已经死了。” 21 约瑟就起来，带着孩子和祂母亲返回以色列。
22 但约瑟听闻亚基劳继承父亲希律的王位统治犹太，就不敢回犹太。这时，他在梦中得到主的指示，便前往加利利地区， 23 定居在拿撒勒镇。这应验了先知的话：“祂将被称为拿撒勒人。”
Footnotes
- 2:1 “智者”或译“占星家”下同7节和16节。
Matthew 2
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Wise Men Seek the King
2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem,(A) 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?(B) For we saw His star in the east[a](C) and have come to worship Him.”[b]
3 When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes(D) of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.
5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet:
6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the leaders of Judah:
because out of you will come a leader
who will shepherd My people Israel.”(E)[c]
7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. 8 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 can go and worship Him.”[d](F)
9 After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen in the east![e] It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure. 11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him.[f] Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.(G) 12 And being warned(H) in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.
The Flight into Egypt
13 After they were gone, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to destroy Him.”(I) 14 So he got up, took the child and His mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called My Son.(J)[g]
The Massacre of the Innocents
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the male children in and around Bethlehem who were two years[h] old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men.(K) 17 Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
18 A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping,[i] and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
and she refused to be consoled,
because they were no more.(L)[j]
The Holy Family in Nazareth
19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,(M) 20 saying, “Get up! Take the child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, because those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21 So he got up, took the child and His mother, and entered the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus[k] was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee.(N) 23 Then he went and settled in a town called Nazareth to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, that He will be called a Nazarene.(O)
Footnotes
- Matthew 2:2 Or star at its rising
- Matthew 2:2 Or to pay Him homage
- Matthew 2:6 Mc 5:2
- Matthew 2:8 Or and pay Him homage
- Matthew 2:9 Or star . . . at its rising
- Matthew 2:11 Or they paid Him homage
- Matthew 2:15 Hs 11:1
- Matthew 2:16 Lit were from two years
- Matthew 2:18 Other mss read Ramah, lamentation, and weeping,
- Matthew 2:18 Jr 31:15
- Matthew 2:22 A son of Herod the Great who ruled a portion of his father’s kingdom 4 b.c.–a.d. 6
Matthew 2
Modern English Version
The Visit of the Wise Men
2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, wise men came from the east to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who was born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
3 When Herod the king heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where Christ should be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote:
6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are no longer least among the princes of Judah;
for out of you shall come a Governor,
who will shepherd My people Israel.’[a]”
7 Then Herod, when he had privately called the wise men, carefully inquired of them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring me word again, so that I may come and worship Him also.”
9 When they heard the king, they departed. And the star which they saw in the east went before them until it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with great excitement. 11 And when they came into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary, His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 But being warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.
The Escape to Egypt
13 Now when they departed, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and escape to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word. For Herod will seek the young Child to kill Him.”
14 When he rose, he took the young Child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt, 15 and remained there until the death of Herod, to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called My Son.”[b]
The Killing of the Infants
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was utterly furious and sent forth and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and the surrounding region, from two years old and under, based on the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet:
18 “In Ramah a voice was heard,
grieving and weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be comforted,
because they are no more.”[c]
The Return From Egypt
19 But when Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.”
21 And he rose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Nevertheless, being warned by God in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
Footnotes
Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.