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,(A) saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?(B) For we saw His star in the east[a](C) and have come to worship Him.”[b]

When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes(D) 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.(E)[c]

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.”[d](F)

After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen in the east![e] 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.[f] 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 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.”(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.(J)[g]

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[h] 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,
weeping,[i] and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
and she refused to be consoled,
because they were no more.(L)[j]

The Holy Family in Nazareth

19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly 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 sought the child’s life 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[k] 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 will be called a Nazarene.(O)

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 2:2 Or star at its rising
  2. Matthew 2:2 Or to pay Him homage
  3. Matthew 2:6 Mc 5:2
  4. Matthew 2:8 Or and pay Him homage
  5. Matthew 2:9 Or star . . . at its rising
  6. Matthew 2:11 Or they paid Him homage
  7. Matthew 2:15 Hs 11:1
  8. Matthew 2:16 Lit were from two years
  9. Matthew 2:18 Other mss read Ramah, lamentation, and weeping,
  10. Matthew 2:18 Jr 31:15
  11. Matthew 2:22 A son of Herod the Great who ruled a portion of his father’s kingdom 4 b.c.–a.d. 6

Okukyala kw’Abagezigezi

(A)Yesu bwe yazaalibwa mu kibuga Besirekemu eky’omu Buyudaaya, ku mulembe gwa Kabaka Kerode, abasajja abagezigezi, abaava ebuvanjuba ne bajja mu Yerusaalemi, nga babuuza nti, (B)“Aliwa eyazaalibwa nga Kabaka w’Abayudaaya? Kubanga twalaba emmunyeenye ye nga tuli mu buvanjuba, era tuzze okumusinza.”

Awo Kabaka Kerode bwe yabiwulira ne bimweraliikiriza nnyo, era ne bonna abaali mu Yerusaalemi. N’ayita bakabona abakulu bonna n’abawandiisi b’amateeka n’abeebuuzaako ekifo Kristo gye yali agenda okuzaalibwa. (C)Ne bamuddamu nti, “Mu Besirekemu eky’omu Buyudaaya, kyawandiikibwa nnabbi nti,

(D)“ ‘Naawe Besirekemu ekya Yuda,
    toli mutono mu balangira ba Yuda,
kubanga omufuzi aliva mu ggwe,
    alifuga abantu bange Isirayiri.’ ”

Awo Kerode n’atumya Abagezigezi kyama, n’ababuuza ebiro emmunyeenye bye yalabikiramu. N’abasindika e Besirekemu ng’agamba nti, “Mugende mubuulirize ebikwata ku mwana. Bwe mumulaba, mukomeewo muntegeeze, nange ŋŋende musinze!”

Bwe baamala okuwulira Kabaka bye yabagamba ne bagenda. Bwe baafuluma, emmunyeenye eri gye baalaba ebuvanjuba n’eddamu okubalabikira n’okubakulembera, okutuusa lwe yayimirira waggulu Omwana w’ali. 10 Bwe baalaba emmunyeenye ng’eyimiridde, essanyu lyabwe ne libeera lingi nnyo! 11 (E)Bwe baayingira mu nnyumba[a] ne balaba Omwana ne Maliyamu nnyina ne bavuunama ne basinza Omwana. Ne basumulula ensawo zaabwe, ne bamutonera ebirabo, zaabu, n’obubaane n’omugavu. 12 (F)Awo bwe baalabulibwa mu kirooto baleme kuddayo wa Kerode, bwe batyo ne baddayo ewaabwe nga bayita mu kkubo eddala.

Okuddukira e Misiri

13 (G)Awo abagezigezi bwe baamala okugenda, malayika wa Mukama n’alabikira Yusufu mu kirooto n’amugamba nti, “Golokoka oddusize Omwana ne nnyina e Misiri, mubeere eyo okutuusa lwe ndibalagira okudda. Kubanga Kerode ajja kunoonya Omwana ng’ayagala okumutta.” 14 Ekiro ekyo n’asituka n’atwala Omwana ne nnyina e Misiri. 15 (H)Ne babeera eyo okutuusa Kerode bwe yafa. Mukama kye yayogerera mu nnabbi we ne kituukirira, bwe yagamba nti:

“Nayita Omwana wange okuva mu Misiri.”

Okutta Abaana Abato

16 Kerode bwe yalaba ng’Abagezigezi banyoomye ekiragiro kye, n’asunguwala nnyo, n’atuma abaserikale e Besirekemu ne mu byalo byakyo batte abaana bonna aboobulenzi ab’emyaka ebiri n’abatannagiweza, ng’asinziira ku bbanga abagezigezi lye baali bamutegeezeza mwe baalabira emmunyeenye. 17 Awo ekigambo nnabbi Yeremiya kye yayogera ne kiryoka kituukirira ng’agamba nti,

18 (I)“Eddoboozi lyawulirwa mu Laama,
    okukuba emiranga n’okukungubaga okunene,
nga Laakeeri akaabira abaana be,
    nga tewakyali asobola kumuwooyawooya,
    kubanga bonna baweddewo.”

Okuva e Misiri Okudda e Nazaaleesi

19 (J)Kerode bwe yamala okufa malayika wa Mukama n’alabikira Yusufu mu kirooto e Misiri, 20 n’amugamba nti, “Golokoka ozzeeyo Omwana ne nnyina mu Isirayiri, kubanga abaali baagala okutta Omwana bafudde.”

21 Yusufu n’asitukiramu n’azzaayo Omwana ne nnyina mu nsi ya Isirayiri. 22 (K)Naye bwe yatuuka mu kkubo n’atya nnyo bwe yawulira nga Alukerawo[b] mutabani wa Kerode ye yali alidde obwakabaka. Mukama n’amulabulira nate mu kirooto aleme kugenda Buyudaaya, bw’atyo n’alaga e Ggaliraaya 23 (L)n’atuuka mu kibuga ky’e Nazaaleesi, ne babeera omwo. Ebigambo bya bannabbi bye baayogera biryoke bituukirire nga bagamba nti: “Aliyitibwa Munnazaaleesi.”

Footnotes

  1. 2:11 nnyumba: abasajja abagezi tebaakyalira Yesu mu kiraalo ky’ente ekiro lwe yazaalibwa. Bajja wayiseewo ebbanga, kyebaava bamusanga mu nnyumba ng’ali ne nnyina. Newaakubadde ng’ebirabo byali bisatu, tekitegeeza nti abasajja abagezi baali basatu oba nti baali bakabaka.
  2. 2:22 Alukerawo yali mutabani wa Kerode nga yafuga Buyudaaya ne Samaliya, era yafugira emyaka kkumi gyokka. Yali mukambwe nnyo ate nga wa ttima, kyeyava aggyibwa ku bufuzi, n’oluvannyuma ebitundu ebyo bye yafuganga, byafugibwa abaamasaza abaali balondeddwa Kayisaali.