Matthew 2
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Visit of the Magi
2 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem,(A) 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east[b] and have come to pay him homage.”(B) 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah[c] was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet:(C)
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 is to shepherd[d] my people Israel.’ ”(D)
7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi[e] and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east,[f] until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped,[g] they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.(E) 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.(F)
The Escape to Egypt
13 Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”(G) 14 Then Joseph[h] got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt(H) 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”
The Massacre of the Infants
16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi,[i] he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the magi.[j] 17 Then what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”(I)
The Return from Egypt
19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20 “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” 21 Then Joseph[k] got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee.(J) 23 There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazarene.”[l](K)
Matthew 2
Lexham English Bible
Wise Men Visit Jesus
2 Now after[a] Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star at its rising[b] and have come to worship him.” 3 And when[c] King Herod heard it,[d] he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him, 4 and after[e] calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired from them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
for from you will go out a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”[f]
7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and[g] determined precisely from them the time when[h] the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and[i] said, “Go, inquire carefully concerning the child, and when you have found him, report to me so that I also may come and[j] worship him.” 9 After[k] they listened to the king, they went out, and behold, the star which they had seen at its rising[l] led them until it came and[m] stood above the place where the child was. 10 Now when they[n] saw the star, they rejoiced with very great joy. 11 And when they[o] came into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and[p] worshiped him. And opening their treasure boxes, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.
Joseph, Mary, and Jesus Escape to Egypt
13 Now after they had gone away, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph, saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to seek the child to destroy him.” 14 So he got up and[q] took the child and his mother during the night and went away to Egypt. 15 And he was there until the death of Herod, in order that what was said by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying,
“Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Herod Has Innocent Children Murdered
16 Then Herod, when he[r] saw that he had been deceived by the wise men, became very angry, and he sent soldiers[s] and[t] executed all the children in Bethlehem and in all the region around it from the age of two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined precisely from the wise men. 17 Then what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled, saying,
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she did not want to be comforted,
because they exist no longer[u].”[v]
Joseph, Mary, and Jesus Return to Nazareth
19 Now after[w] Herod had died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared 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 who were seeking the life of the child are dead.” 21 So he got up and[x] took the child and his mother and entered[y] the land of Israel. 22 But when he[z] heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream, he took refuge in the regions of Galilee. 23 And he came and[aa] lived in a town called Nazareth, in order that what was said by the prophets would be fulfilled:[ab] “He will be called a Nazarene.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 2:1 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was born”)
- Matthew 2:2 Or, “when it rose”; traditionally rendered “in the east” by many English versions
- Matthew 2:3 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 2:3 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 2:4 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“calling together”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 2:6 A quotation from Mic 5:2
- Matthew 2:7 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“summoned”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 2:7 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“appeared”)
- Matthew 2:8 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sent”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 2:8 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“may come”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 2:9 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“listened to”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 2:9 Or, “when it rose”; traditionally rendered “in the east” by many English versions
- Matthew 2:9 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 2:10 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 2:11 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“came”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 2:11 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“fell down”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 2:14 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“got up”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 2:16 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 2:16 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 2:16 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sent”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 2:18 Literally “they are not”
- Matthew 2:18 A quotation from Jer 31:15
- Matthew 2:19 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“had died”)
- Matthew 2:21 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“got up”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 2:21 Literally “entered into”
- Matthew 2:22 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 2:23 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 2:23 Literally “that”; the conjunction could be understood (1) to introduce a direct quotation, serving a function similar to modern English quotation marks, and thus not translated; or (2) to introduce an indirect quotation, in which case it could be translated “that he would be called a Nazarene”
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