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The Angel of Adonai Appears

13 Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of Adonai appears to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the Child, to kill Him.”[a]

14 So he got up, took the Child and His mother during the night, and went to Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod’s death. This was to fulfill what was spoken by Adonai through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My son.”[b]

16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became furious. And he sent and killed all boys in Bethlehem and in all its surrounding area, from two years old and under, according to the time he had determined from the magi. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying,

18 “A voice is heard in Ramah,
    weeping and loud wailing,
Rachel sobbing for her children
    and refusing to be comforted,
    because they are no more.”[c]

19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of Adonai appears in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those seeking the Child’s life are dead.”

21 So he got up, took the Child and His mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22 But hearing that Archelaus was king of Judea in place of his father Herod, he became afraid to go there. Then after being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of the Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Natzeret,[d] to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, that Yeshua shall be called a Natzrati.

John’s Witness to Israel’s Leaders

In those days, John the Immerser came proclaiming in the wilderness of Judea, “Turn away from your sins, for the kingdom of heaven is near!” [e] For he is the one Isaiah the prophet spoke about, saying,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way of Adonai, and make His paths straight.’”[f]

Now John wore clothing from camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts[g] and wild honey. Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were being immersed by him in the Jordan River.

The Escape to Egypt

13 When they had gone, an angel(A) of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.(B) “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.”(C)

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(D) what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”[a](E)

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:(F)

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

The Return to Nazareth

19 After Herod died, an angel(I) of the Lord appeared in a dream(J) to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”(K)

21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream,(L) he withdrew to the district of Galilee,(M) 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth.(N) So was fulfilled(O) what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.(P)

John the Baptist Prepares the Way(Q)

In those days John the Baptist(R) came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven(S) has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”[c](T)

John’s(U) clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist.(V) His food was locusts(W) and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized(X) by him in the Jordan River.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 2:15 Hosea 11:1
  2. Matthew 2:18 Jer. 31:15
  3. Matthew 3:3 Isaiah 40:3