The Nativity of the Messiah

18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.(A) 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man,(B) and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.(C)

20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit.(D) 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus,[a](E) because He will save His people from their sins.”(F)

22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

23 See, the virgin will become pregnant
and give birth to a son,
and they will name Him Immanuel,[b]

which is translated “God is with us.”(G)

24 When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her(H) 25 but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son.[c] And he named Him Jesus.(I)

Wise Men Seek the King

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem,(J) saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?(K) For we saw His star in the east[d](L) and have come to worship Him.”[e]

When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes(M) of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.

“In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet:

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.(N)[f]

Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. 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.”[g](O)

After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen in the east![h] 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.[i] Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.(P) 12 And being warned(Q) 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.”(R) 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.(S)[j]

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[k] old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men.(T) 17 Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

18 A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping,[l] and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
and she refused to be consoled,
because they were no more.(U)[m]

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 1:21 Jesus is the Gk form of the Hb name “Joshua,” which = “The Lord saves” or “Yahweh saves.”
  2. Matthew 1:23 Is 7:14
  3. Matthew 1:25 Other mss read to her firstborn son
  4. Matthew 2:2 Or star at its rising
  5. Matthew 2:2 Or to pay Him homage
  6. Matthew 2:6 Mc 5:2
  7. Matthew 2:8 Or and pay Him homage
  8. Matthew 2:9 Or star . . . at its rising
  9. Matthew 2:11 Or they paid Him homage
  10. Matthew 2:15 Hs 11:1
  11. Matthew 2:16 Lit were from two years
  12. Matthew 2:18 Other mss read Ramah, lamentation, and weeping,
  13. Matthew 2:18 Jr 31:15

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[a]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.(A) 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[b] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce(B) her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel(C) of the Lord appeared to him in a dream(D) and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c](E) because he will save his people from their sins.”(F)

22 All this took place to fulfill(G) what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[d](H) (which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel(I) of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.(J)

The Magi Visit the Messiah

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea,(K) during the time of King Herod,(L) Magi[e] from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?(M) We saw his star(N) when it rose and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem(O) in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’[f](P)

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.(Q) Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts(R) of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned(S) in a dream(T) not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

The Escape to Egypt

13 When they had gone, an angel(U) of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.(V) “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”(W)

14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled(X) what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”[g](Y)

16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:(Z)

18 “A voice is heard in Ramah,
    weeping and great mourning,
Rachel(AA) weeping for her children
    and refusing to be comforted,
    because they are no more.”[h](AB)

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 1:18 Or The origin of Jesus the Messiah was like this
  2. Matthew 1:19 Or was a righteous man and
  3. Matthew 1:21 Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which means the Lord saves.
  4. Matthew 1:23 Isaiah 7:14
  5. Matthew 2:1 Traditionally wise men
  6. Matthew 2:6 Micah 5:2,4
  7. Matthew 2:15 Hosea 11:1
  8. Matthew 2:18 Jer. 31:15