Wise Men Visit the King

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem,^{(A) 2} saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?^(B) For we saw his star at its rising^(C) and have come to worship him.”^[a]

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:

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.”^[c](F)

⁹ After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. ¹¹ Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him.^[d] 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 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 kill 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.^[e](J)

The Massacre of the Innocents

¹⁶ Then Herod, when he realized that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years 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,

The Return to Nazareth

¹⁹ After Herod died, an angel of the Lord 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 intended to kill the child 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 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 would be called a Nazarene.^(O)

The Family’s Return to Nazareth

³⁹ When they had completed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.^{(A) 40} The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was on him.^(B)

In His Father’s House

⁴¹ Every year his parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival.^{(C) 42} When he was twelve years old, they went up according to the custom of the festival.^{(D) 43} After those days were over,^(E) as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents^[a] did not know it. ⁴⁴ Assuming he was in the traveling party, they went a day’s journey. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. ⁴⁶ After three days, they found him in the temple sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ And all those who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him,^(F) “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”^(G)

⁴⁹ “Why were you searching for me?” he asked them. “Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?”^{[b] 50} But they did not understand what he said to them.^(H)

In Favor with God and with People

⁵¹ Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother kept all these things in her heart.^{(I) 52} And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.^(J)