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

Wise Men Visit Jesus

Now after[a] Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star at its rising[b] and have come to worship him.” And when[c] King Herod heard it,[d] he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him, and after[e] calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired from them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet,

‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
for from you will go out a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’”[f]

Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and[g] determined precisely from them the time when[h] the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and[i] said, “Go, inquire carefully concerning the child, and when you have found him, report to me so that I also may come and[j] worship him.” After[k] they listened to the king, they went out, and behold, the star which they had seen at its rising[l] led them until it came and[m] stood above the place where the child was. 10 Now when they[n] saw the star, they rejoiced with very great joy. 11 And when they[o] came into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and[p] worshiped him. And opening their treasure boxes, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 2:1 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was born”)
  2. Matthew 2:2 Or, “when it rose”; traditionally rendered “in the east” by many English versions
  3. Matthew 2:3 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
  4. Matthew 2:3 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  5. Matthew 2:4 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“calling together”) which is understood as temporal
  6. Matthew 2:6 A quotation from Mic 5:2
  7. Matthew 2:7 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“summoned”) has been translated as a finite verb
  8. Matthew 2:7 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“appeared”)
  9. Matthew 2:8 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sent”) has been translated as a finite verb
  10. Matthew 2:8 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“may come”) has been translated as a finite verb
  11. Matthew 2:9 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“listened to”) which is understood as temporal
  12. Matthew 2:9 Or, “when it rose”; traditionally rendered “in the east” by many English versions
  13. Matthew 2:9 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb
  14. Matthew 2:10 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
  15. Matthew 2:11 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“came”) which is understood as temporal
  16. Matthew 2:11 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“fell down”) has been translated as a finite verb