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Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, behold, wise men[a] from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ would be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is written through the prophet,

‘You Bethlehem, land of Judah,
    are in no way least among the princes of Judah;
for out of you shall come a governor
    who shall shepherd my people, Israel.’”(A)

Then Herod secretly called the wise men, and learned from them exactly what time the star appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem, and said, “Go and search diligently for the young child. When you have found him, bring me word, so that I also may come and worship him.”

They, having heard the king, went their way; and behold, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them until it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country another way.

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.”

14 He arose and took the young child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”(B)

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent out and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under, according to the exact time which he had learned from the wise men. 17 Then that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying,

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
    lamentation, weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
    she wouldn’t be comforted,
    because they are no more.”(C)

19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, 20 “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the young child’s life are dead.”

21 He arose and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in the place of his father, Herod, he was afraid to go there. Being warned in a dream, he withdrew into the region of Galilee, 23 and came and lived in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets that he will be called a Nazarene.

Footnotes

  1. 2:1 The word for “wise men” (magoi) can also mean teachers, scientists, physicians, astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, or sorcerers.

星象家朝拜耶穌

希律王執政的時候,耶穌生在猶太的伯利恆。那時,有幾個星象家(“星象家”或譯:“智者”)從東方來到耶路撒冷, 說:“那生下來作猶太人的王的在哪裡?我們看見他的星出現,特來朝拜他。” 希律王聽見了就心裡不安,全耶路撒冷的居民也是這樣。 他就召集所有的祭司長和民間的經學家,問他們基督應該生在哪裡。 他們回答:“在猶太的伯利恆。因為有先知在經上這樣說:

‘猶大地的伯利恆啊!

你在猶大的領袖中,並不是最小的,

因為必有一位領袖從你那裡出來,

牧養我的子民以色列。’”

希律暗中把星象家召來,仔細查問他們,那顆星甚麼時候出現, 然後派他們到伯利恆去,說:“你們去細心尋訪那小孩,找到了就向我報告,好叫我也去拜他。” 他們聽命去了。他們在東方看見的那顆星,忽然在他們前頭,領他們到那小孩所在的地方,就在上頭停住了。 10 他們看見那顆星,歡喜極了; 11 進了房子,看見小孩和他母親馬利亞,就俯伏拜他,並且打開寶盒,把黃金、乳香、沒藥作禮物獻給他。 12 後來他們在夢中得著指示不要回到希律那裡去,就從別的路回鄉去了。

逃往埃及

13 他們走了以後,主的使者在夢中向約瑟顯現,說:“起來,帶著孩子和他母親逃到埃及去,留在那裡,直到我再指示你,因為希律要尋找這孩子,把他殺掉。” 14 約瑟就起來,連夜帶著孩子和他母親往埃及去, 15 住在那裡,直到希律死了,為的是要應驗主藉先知所說的:“我從埃及召我的兒子出來。”

屠殺嬰孩

16 希律見自己被星象家愚弄了,就大怒,於是照著他從星象家所問得的日子,下令把伯利恆和附近地方,兩歲及以下的小孩全都殺死。 17 這就應驗了耶利米先知所說的:

18 “在拉瑪聽見有聲音,

是痛哭、極大哀號的聲音;

拉結為她的兒女哀哭,

不肯受安慰,因為他們都不在了。”

從埃及回來

19 希律死後,在埃及,主的使者在夢中向約瑟顯現, 20 說:“那些要殺害這孩子的人已經死了。起來,帶著孩子和他母親回以色列地去吧。” 21 約瑟就起來,帶著小孩子和他母親回到以色列地。 22 只是聽見亞基老接續他父親希律作了猶太王,他就不敢到猶太地去;又在夢中得了指示,於是往加利利境去, 23 來到拿撒勒城住下,這樣就應驗了先知所說的:“他必稱為拿撒勒人。”

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.

17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,

18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.

21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:

23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem, in Judea, during the reign of King Herod.

At about that time some astrologers from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in far-off eastern lands and have come to worship him.”

King Herod was deeply disturbed by their question, and all Jerusalem was filled with rumors.[a] He called a meeting of the Jewish religious leaders.

“Did the prophets tell us where the Messiah would be born?” he asked.

“Yes, in Bethlehem,” they said, “for this is what the prophet Micah[b] wrote:

‘O little town of Bethlehem, you are not just an unimportant Judean village, for a Governor shall rise from you to rule my people Israel.’”

Then Herod sent a private message to the astrologers, asking them to come to see him; at this meeting he found out from them the exact time when they first saw the star. Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him too!”

After this interview the astrologers started out again. And look! The star appeared to them again, standing over Bethlehem.[c] 10 Their joy knew no bounds!

11 Entering the house where the baby and Mary, his mother, were, they threw themselves down before him, worshiping. Then they opened their presents and gave him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 But when they returned to their own land, they didn’t go through Jerusalem to report to Herod, for God had warned them in a dream to go home another way.

13 After they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up and flee to Egypt with the baby and his mother,” the angel said, “and stay there until I tell you to return, for King Herod is going to try to kill the child.” 14 That same[d] night he left for Egypt with Mary and the baby, 15 and stayed there until King Herod’s death. This fulfilled the prophet’s prediction,

“I have called my Son from Egypt.”[e]

16 Herod was furious when he learned that the astrologers had disobeyed him. Sending soldiers to Bethlehem, he ordered them to kill every baby boy two years old and under, both in the town and on the nearby farms, for the astrologers had told him the star first appeared to them two years before. 17 This brutal action of Herod’s fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah,

18 “Screams of anguish come from Ramah,[f]

Weeping unrestrained;

Rachel weeping for her children,

Uncomforted—

For they are dead.”

19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and told him, 20 “Get up and take the baby and his mother back to Israel, for those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”

21 So he returned immediately to Israel with Jesus and his mother. 22 But on the way he was frightened to learn that the new king was Herod’s son, Archelaus. Then, in another dream, he was warned not to go to Judea, so they went to Galilee instead 23 and lived in Nazareth. This fulfilled the prediction of the prophets concerning the Messiah,

“He shall be called a Nazarene.”

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 2:3 and all Jerusalem was filled with rumors, literally, “and all Jerusalem with him.”
  2. Matthew 2:5 Micah, implied; see Micah 5:2.
  3. Matthew 2:9 appeared to them again, standing over Bethlehem, literally, “went before them until it came and stood over where the baby lay.”
  4. Matthew 2:14 same, implied.
  5. Matthew 2:15 Compare Hosea 11:1.
  6. Matthew 2:18 Ramah, or “the region of Ramah.”