Matthew 2
The Voice
Mary and Joseph name their baby Jesus, but sometimes He is referred to as Immanuel, because by coming to dwell with us, living and dying among us, He would be able to save us from our sin.
2 Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem, in the province of Judea, at the time when King Herod reigned. Not long after Jesus was born, magi, wise men or seers from the East, made their way from the East to Jerusalem. These wise men made inquiries.
These men from the East come looking for the One who has been born who will save His people from sin.
Wise Men: 2 Where is this newborn, who is the King of the Jews? When we were far away in the East we saw His star, and we have followed its glisten and gleam all this way to worship Him.
3 King Herod began to hear rumors of the wise men’s quest, and he, and all of his followers in Jerusalem, were worried. 4 So Herod called all of the leading Jewish teachers, the chief priests and head scribes, and he asked them where Hebrew tradition claimed the long-awaited Anointed One would be born.
Scribes and Priests: 5 An ancient Hebrew prophet, Micah, said this:
6 But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are no poor relation—
For from your people will come a Ruler
who will be the shepherd of My people Israel.[a]
From that prophecy we learn that the Savior would be born in the town of Bethlehem, in the province of Judea. This information in hand, Herod orders the wise men to come to his chambers in secret; and when they arrive, Herod quizzes them.
7 Herod called the wise men to him, demanding to know the exact time the special star had appeared to them. 8 Then Herod sent them to Bethlehem.
Herod: Go to Bethlehem and search high and low for this Savior child; and as soon as you know where He is, report it to me so that I may go and worship Him.
9-10 The wise men left Herod’s chambers and went on their way. The star they had first seen in the East reappeared—a miracle that, of course, overjoyed and enraptured the wise men. The star led them to the house where Jesus lay; 11 and as soon as the wise men arrived, they saw Him with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. They unpacked their satchels and gave Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
These are exceptionally good gifts, for gold is what is given a king, and Jesus is the King of kings; incense is what you expect to be given a priest, and Jesus is the High Priest of all high priests; myrrh ointment is used to heal, and Jesus is a healer. But myrrh is also used to embalm corpses—and Jesus was born to die.
12 And then, just as Joseph did a few months before, the wise men had a dream warning them not to go back to Herod. The wise men heeded the dream. Ignoring Herod’s instructions, they returned to their homes in the East by a different route.
13 After the wise men left, a messenger of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.
Messenger of the Lord (to Joseph): Get up, take the child and His mother, and head to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you it is safe to leave. For Herod understands that Jesus threatens him and all he stands for. He is planning to search for the child and kill Him. But you will be safe in Egypt.
14 So Joseph got up in the middle of the night; he bundled up Mary and Jesus, and they left for Egypt.[b]
16 After a few months had passed, Herod realized he’d been tricked. The wise men were not coming back. Herod, of course, was furious. He simply ordered that all boys who lived in or near Bethlehem and were two years of age and younger be killed. He knew the baby King was this age because of what the wise men told him.
Herod knows ordinary babies will die in this purge, but he doesn’t care—Herod is not so much cold-blooded as pragmatic, willing to do whatever is necessary to kill this new supposed King. And so all those other baby boys die. But, of course, Herod’s plan ultimately fails. He doesn’t know the baby Savior has been whisked to safety in Egypt.
17 This sad event had long been foretold by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 A voice will be heard in Ramah,
weeping and wailing and mourning out loud all day and night.
The voice is Rachel’s, weeping for her children,
her children who have been killed;
she weeps, and she will not be comforted.[c]
15 Joseph, Mary, and Jesus stayed in Egypt until Herod died. This fulfilled yet another prophecy. The prophet Hosea once wrote, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
19 And after Herod died, a messenger of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt:
Messenger of the Lord: 20 You may go home now. Take the child and His mother and go back to the land of Israel, for the people who were trying to take the child’s life are now dead.
21 So Joseph got up and took Mary and Jesus and returned to the land of Israel. 22 Soon he learned that Archelaus, Herod’s oldest and notoriously brutal son, was ruling Judea. Archelaus might not be any friendlier than Herod had been. Joseph was simply afraid. He had another dream, and in this dream, he was warned away from Judea; so Joseph decided to settle up north in a district called Galilee, 23 in a town called Nazareth. And this, too, fulfilled what the prophets have taught, “The Savior will be a Nazarene.”
Matthew 2
New International Version
The Magi Visit the Messiah
2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea,(A) during the time of King Herod,(B) Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?(C) We saw his star(D) when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 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. 5 “In Bethlehem(E) in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘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.’[b]”(F)
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 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.”
9 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.(G) Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts(H) of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned(I) in a dream(J) 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(K) of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.(L) “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.”(M)
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(N) what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”[c](O)
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:(P)
18 “A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel(Q) weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”[d](R)
The Return to Nazareth
19 After Herod died, an angel(S) of the Lord appeared in a dream(T) 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.”(U)
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,(V) he withdrew to the district of Galilee,(W) 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth.(X) So was fulfilled(Y) what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.(Z)
Footnotes
- Matthew 2:1 Traditionally wise men
- Matthew 2:6 Micah 5:2,4
- Matthew 2:15 Hosea 11:1
- Matthew 2:18 Jer. 31:15
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
Mounce Reverse Interlinear New Testament
2 · ho · de After Jesus Iēsous was born gennaō in en Bethlehem Bēthleem of ho Judea Ioudaia in en the days hēmera of Herod hērōdēs the ho king basileus, behold idou, wise magos men from apo the East anatolē came paraginomai to eis Jerusalem Hierosolyma, 2 saying legō, “ Where pou is eimi the ho one who has been born tiktō king basileus of the ho Jews Ioudaios? For gar we saw his autos · ho star astēr at en its ho rising anatolē and kai have come erchomai to worship proskyneō him autos.” 3 Now de when king basileus Herod hērōdēs heard akouō this, · ho he was troubled tarassō, and kai all pas Jerusalem Hierosolyma with meta him autos; 4 and kai gathering synagō all pas the ho ruling archiereus priests and kai scribes grammateus of the ho people laos, he inquired pynthanomai of para them autos where pou the ho Messiah Christos was to be born gennaō. 5 They ho · de told legō him autos, “ In en Bethlehem Bēthleem of ho Judea Ioudaia, for gar thus houtōs it is written graphō by dia the ho prophet prophētēs: 6 ‘ And kai you sy, Bethlehem Bēthleem, in the land gē of Judah Ioudas, are eimi by no oudamōs means least elachistos among en the ho rulers hēgemōn of Judah Ioudas; for gar from ek you sy will come exerchomai a ruler hēgeomai who hostis will shepherd poimainō · ho my egō people laos · ho Israel Israēl.’”
7 Then tote Herod hērōdēs secretly lathrai called kaleō for the ho magi magos and found akriboō out from para them autos exactly what · ho time chronos the star astēr · ho had appeared phainō. 8 Then kai he sent pempō them autos to eis Bethlehem Bēthleem, saying legō, “ Go poreuō and search exetazō diligently akribōs for peri the ho child paidion; and de when epan you have found heuriskō him, report apangellō back to me egō, so hopōs that I kagō also may go erchomai and worship proskyneō him autos.” 9 And de having listened akouō to the ho king basileus, they ho continued poreuō their journey , and kai the ho star astēr that hos they had seen in en its ho rising anatolē went proagō before them autos until heōs it stopped histēmi over epanō the place where hou the ho child paidion was eimi. 10 And de when they caught sight of the ho star astēr, they rejoiced chairō exceedingly sphodra with great megas joy chara. 11 · kai Upon entering erchomai the ho house oikia they saw the ho child paidion with meta Mary Maria · ho his autos mother mētēr, and kai falling piptō to their knees they worshiped proskyneō him autos. Then kai opening anoigō · ho their autos treasure thēsauros chests , they presented prospherō him autos with gifts dōron, gold chrysos and kai frankincense libanos and kai myrrh smyrna. 12 And kai being warned chrēmatizō in kata a dream onar not mē to return anakamptō to pros Herod hērōdēs, they left anachōreō for eis their own autos country chōra by dia another allos way hodos. · ho
13 After they autos had gone anachōreō, · de an angel angelos of the Lord kyrios appeared phainō in kata a dream onar to ho Joseph Iōsēph, saying legō, “ Rise egeirō, take paralambanō the ho child paidion and kai · ho his autos mother mētēr, · kai flee pheugō to eis Egypt Aigyptos, and kai stay eimi there ekei until heōs an I tell legō you sy; for gar Herod hērōdēs is going mellō to search zēteō for the ho child paidion · ho to destroy apollymi him autos.” 14 So de he ho got egeirō up , took paralambanō the ho child paidion and kai · ho his autos mother mētēr by night nyx, and kai left anachōreō for eis Egypt Aigyptos, 15 and kai was eimi there ekei until heōs the ho death teleutē of Herod hērōdēs. This was to hina fulfill plēroō what ho was spoken legō by hypo the Lord kyrios through dia the ho prophet prophētēs: “ Out ek of Egypt Aigyptos I have called kaleō · ho my egō son hyios.”
16 Then tote Herod hērōdēs, when he saw that hoti he had been tricked empaizō by hypo the ho wise magos men , became furious thumoō; and kai he sent apostellō and killed anaireō all pas the ho male pais children · ho in en Bethlehem Bēthleem and kai in en all pas · ho her autos regions horion who were two years old dietēs or kai under katōterō, according kata to the ho time chronos that hos he had determined akriboō from para the ho wise magos men . 17 Then tote was fulfilled plēroō what ho was spoken legō by dia the ho prophet prophētēs Jeremiah Ieremias: 18 “A voice phōnē was heard akouō in en Ramah Rhama, weeping klauthmos and kai loud polys lamentation odyrmos, Rachel Rhachēl weeping klaiō for · ho her autos children teknon; · kai she refused ou to be comforted parakaleō, because hoti they were eimi no ou more .”
19 But de when Herod hērōdēs died teleutaō, · ho an angel angelos of the Lord kyrios appeared phainō in kata a dream onar to ho Joseph Iōsēph in en Egypt Aigyptos, 20 saying legō, “ Rise egeirō, take paralambanō the ho child paidion and kai · ho his autos mother mētēr, and kai go poreuō to eis the land gē of Israel Israēl, for gar those ho who were seeking zēteō the ho child’ s paidion life psychē · ho are dead thnēskō.” 21 · ho So de Joseph got egeirō up , took paralambanō the ho child paidion and kai · ho his autos mother mētēr, and kai went eiserchomai into eis the land gē of Israel Israēl. 22 But de when he heard akouō that hoti Archelaus Archelaos was reigning basileuō over · ho Judea Ioudaia in place anti of · ho his autos father patēr Herod hērōdēs, he was afraid phobeomai to go aperchomai there ekei, and de being warned chrēmatizō in kata a dream onar he went anachōreō into eis the ho region meros of ho Galilee Galilaia. 23 And kai he went erchomai and settled katoikeō in eis a town polis called legō Nazareth Nazaret, that hopōs what ho was spoken legō by dia the ho prophets prophētēs might be fulfilled plēroō: “ He will be called kaleō a Nazarene Nazōraios.”
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