Matthew 2
International Children’s Bible
Wise Men Come to Visit Jesus
2 Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the time when Herod was king. After Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. 2 They asked, “Where is the baby who was born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east. We came to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard about this new king of the Jews, he was troubled. And all the people in Jerusalem were worried too. 4 Herod called a meeting of all the leading priests and teachers of the law. He asked them where the Christ would be born. 5 They answered, “In the town of Bethlehem in Judea. The prophet wrote about this in the Scriptures:
6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
you are important among the rulers of Judah.
A ruler will come from you.
He will be like a shepherd for my people, the Israelites.’” Micah 5:2
7 Then Herod had a secret meeting with the wise men from the east. He learned from them the exact time they first saw the star. 8 Then Herod sent the wise men to Bethlehem. He said to them, “Go and look carefully to find the child. When you find him, come tell me. Then I can go worship him too.”
9 The wise men heard the king and then left. They saw the same star they had seen in the east. It went before them until it stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When the wise men saw the star, they were filled with joy. 11 They went to the house where the child was and saw him with his mother, Mary. They bowed down and worshiped the child. They opened the gifts they brought for him. They gave him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 But God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they went home to their own country by a different way.
Jesus’ Parents Take Him to Egypt
13 After they left, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. The angel said, “Get up! Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Herod will start looking for the child to kill him. Stay in Egypt until I tell you to return.”
14 So Joseph got up and left for Egypt during the night with the child and his mother. 15 Joseph stayed in Egypt until Herod died. This was to make clear the full meaning of what the Lord had said through the prophet. The Lord said, “I called my son out of Egypt.”[a]
Herod Kills the Baby Boys
16 When Herod saw that the wise men had tricked him, he was very angry. So he gave an order to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem and in all the area around Bethlehem who were two years old or younger. This was in keeping with the time he learned from the wise men. 17 So what God had said through the prophet Jeremiah came true:
18 “A sound was heard in Ramah.
It was painful crying and much sadness.
Rachel cries for her children,
and she cannot be comforted,
because her children are dead.” Jeremiah 31:15
Joseph and Mary Return
19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. This happened while Joseph was in Egypt. 20 The angel said, “Get up! Take the child and his mother and go to Israel. The people who were trying to kill the child are now dead.”
21 So Joseph took the child and his mother and went to Israel. 22 But he heard that Archelaus was now king in Judea. Archelaus became king when his father Herod died. So Joseph was afraid to go there. After being warned in a dream, he went to the area of Galilee. 23 He went to a town called Nazareth and lived there. And so what God had said through the prophets came true: “He will be called a Nazarene.”[b]
Footnotes
- 2:15 “I called . . . Egypt.” Quotation from Hosea 11:1.
- 2:23 Nazarene A person from the town of Nazareth. Matthew may be referring to Isaiah 11:1, where the Hebrew word translated “branch” sounds like “Nazarene.”
馬 太 福 音 2
Chinese New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version
星相家拜见耶稣
2 耶稣出生在犹太的伯利恒,他出生的时候正是希律王统治的时期。耶稣出生后,几个星相家从东方来到耶路撒冷。 2 他们问∶“新出生的犹太王在哪里?我们在东方看见了显示他出生的那颗星星在天空中升起,我们就来向他敬拜。”
3 希律王听说以后,非常不安。所有的耶路撒冷人都很担心。 4 于是希律召集所有的祭司长和律法师,向他们询问基督会在哪里出生。 5 他们告诉希律:
“在犹太的伯利恒,因为先知是这样写的∶
6 ‘犹大土地上的伯利恒啊,
你对犹太诸王来说绝不是无足轻重的,
因为一位统治者要来自于你们,
他将牧养我的子民—以色列。’” (A)
7 希律王秘密召见那几位从东方来的星相家,从他们那里了解到那颗星出现的准确时间, 8 并且派遣他们去伯利恒。希律说∶“请你们仔细打听那个婴儿的下落。找到后立即向我报告,好让我也去拜见他。”
9 星相家遵照国王的指示出发了。一路上,他们在东方看见的那颗星在天上一直为他们引路,引导他们来到那婴儿的住处上方后就停止不动了。 10 他们看到这颗星时,就欣喜若狂。 11 他们走进房子,看见婴儿和他的母亲马利亚在一起,就俯身拜他。然后打开为婴儿带来的宝箱,拿出金子、乳香和没药等礼物献给他。 12 然后,他们就从另一条路回家了,因为上帝托梦给他们,警告他们不要回去见希律。
耶稣的父母带他逃往埃及
13 星相家离开后,天使出现在约瑟的梦中,对他说∶“赶快起来,带着婴儿和他的母亲,逃到埃及去吧。没有我的吩咐,你们不要离开那里。希律想要找到婴儿,杀掉他。”
14 约瑟急忙起床,连夜带着婴儿和他母亲逃往埃及。 15 他们一直住在那里,直到希律死去。这正好应验了上帝借先知的口说出的预言∶“我从埃及把我的儿子召出来。” [a]
希律屠杀伯利恒的婴儿
16 希律发现受了星相家的骗,勃然大怒。他按照星相家的话推算出婴儿的年龄,然后下令把伯利恒和附近地区的所有两岁和两岁以下的男孩统统杀掉。
17 这些事都应验了先知耶利米的预言:
18 “从拉玛那里传出伤心欲绝的哭声,
那是拉结在为她的孩子们哭泣,
她听不进别人的安慰,
因为孩子们被杀了。” (B)
约瑟和马利亚重返以色列
19 希律死后,天使又出现在约瑟的梦里,这时他正在埃及。天使对他说: 20 “赶快起来,带上婴儿和他母亲,到以色列去吧。那些想杀害这婴儿的人已经死了。”
21 于是约瑟起床,带着婴儿和他母亲,去了以色列。 22 但是当约瑟听说亚基劳继承了他父亲希律的王位,成为新的犹太国王时,很害怕回去。他又在梦中受到了警告,便带着全家离开那里到加利利去了。 23 他们在一个叫作拿撒勒的城镇上安家落户。这恰恰证实了先知的预言∶“人们说他是拿撒勒人 [b]。”
Footnotes
- 馬 太 福 音 2:15 旧约《何西阿书》11:1。
- 馬 太 福 音 2:23 拿撒勒人: 来自拿撒勒城的人。意思或许为“枝子”的名字.见旧约《以赛亚书》11:1。
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
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