Wise Men Visit the King

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem,(A) 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]

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 rulers of Judah:
Because out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.[b](E)

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.”[c](F)

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.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:2 Or to pay him homage
  2. 2:6 Mc 5:2
  3. 2:8 Or and pay him homage
  4. 2:11 Or they paid him homage

The Visit of the Wise Men

After Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of Judea during the reign[a] of King Herod, wise men[b] arrived in Jerusalem from the east and asked, “Where is the one who was born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east[c] and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, as was all of Jerusalem. He called together all the high priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah[d] was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, because that is what was written by the prophet:

‘O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
    you are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
because from you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd[e] my people Israel.’”[f]

Then Herod secretly called together the wise men, found out from them the time the star had appeared, and sent them to Bethlehem. He told them,[g] “As you go, search carefully for the child. When you find him, tell me so that I, too, may go and worship him.”

After listening to the king, they set out, and the star they had seen in the east[h] went ahead of them until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were ecstatic with joy. 11 After they went into the house and saw the child with his mother Mary, they fell down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasure sacks and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they left for their own country by a different road.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 2:1 Lit. days
  2. Matthew 2:1 Lit. magoi (Magi); i.e. Aramaic speaking wise men from Mesopotamia; or magi-astrologers; and so throughout the chapter; cf. Dan 1:4
  3. Matthew 2:2 Or at its rising
  4. Matthew 2:4 Or Christ
  5. Matthew 2:6 Or govern
  6. Matthew 2:6 Cf. Mic 5:2; 2 Sam 5:2
  7. Matthew 2:8 The Gk. lacks them
  8. Matthew 2:9 Or at its rising