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
The Voice
Mary and Joseph name their baby Jesus, but sometimes He is referred to as Immanuel, because by coming to dwell with us, living and dying among us, He would be able to save us from our sin.
2 Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem, in the province of Judea, at the time when King Herod reigned. Not long after Jesus was born, magi, wise men or seers from the East, made their way from the East to Jerusalem. These wise men made inquiries.
These men from the East come looking for the One who has been born who will save His people from sin.
Wise Men: 2 Where is this newborn, who is the King of the Jews? When we were far away in the East we saw His star, and we have followed its glisten and gleam all this way to worship Him.
3 King Herod began to hear rumors of the wise men’s quest, and he, and all of his followers in Jerusalem, were worried. 4 So Herod called all of the leading Jewish teachers, the chief priests and head scribes, and he asked them where Hebrew tradition claimed the long-awaited Anointed One would be born.
Scribes and Priests: 5 An ancient Hebrew prophet, Micah, said this:
6 But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are no poor relation—
For from your people will come a Ruler
who will be the shepherd of My people Israel.[a]
From that prophecy we learn that the Savior would be born in the town of Bethlehem, in the province of Judea. This information in hand, Herod orders the wise men to come to his chambers in secret; and when they arrive, Herod quizzes them.
7 Herod called the wise men to him, demanding to know the exact time the special star had appeared to them. 8 Then Herod sent them to Bethlehem.
Herod: Go to Bethlehem and search high and low for this Savior child; and as soon as you know where He is, report it to me so that I may go and worship Him.
9-10 The wise men left Herod’s chambers and went on their way. The star they had first seen in the East reappeared—a miracle that, of course, overjoyed and enraptured the wise men. The star led them to the house where Jesus lay; 11 and as soon as the wise men arrived, they saw Him with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. They unpacked their satchels and gave Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
These are exceptionally good gifts, for gold is what is given a king, and Jesus is the King of kings; incense is what you expect to be given a priest, and Jesus is the High Priest of all high priests; myrrh ointment is used to heal, and Jesus is a healer. But myrrh is also used to embalm corpses—and Jesus was born to die.
12 And then, just as Joseph did a few months before, the wise men had a dream warning them not to go back to Herod. The wise men heeded the dream. Ignoring Herod’s instructions, they returned to their homes in the East by a different route.
13 After the wise men left, a messenger of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.
Messenger of the Lord (to Joseph): Get up, take the child and His mother, and head to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you it is safe to leave. For Herod understands that Jesus threatens him and all he stands for. He is planning to search for the child and kill Him. But you will be safe in Egypt.
14 So Joseph got up in the middle of the night; he bundled up Mary and Jesus, and they left for Egypt.[b]
16 After a few months had passed, Herod realized he’d been tricked. The wise men were not coming back. Herod, of course, was furious. He simply ordered that all boys who lived in or near Bethlehem and were two years of age and younger be killed. He knew the baby King was this age because of what the wise men told him.
Herod knows ordinary babies will die in this purge, but he doesn’t care—Herod is not so much cold-blooded as pragmatic, willing to do whatever is necessary to kill this new supposed King. And so all those other baby boys die. But, of course, Herod’s plan ultimately fails. He doesn’t know the baby Savior has been whisked to safety in Egypt.
17 This sad event had long been foretold by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 A voice will be heard in Ramah,
weeping and wailing and mourning out loud all day and night.
The voice is Rachel’s, weeping for her children,
her children who have been killed;
she weeps, and she will not be comforted.[c]
15 Joseph, Mary, and Jesus stayed in Egypt until Herod died. This fulfilled yet another prophecy. The prophet Hosea once wrote, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
19 And after Herod died, a messenger of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt:
Messenger of the Lord: 20 You may go home now. Take the child and His mother and go back to the land of Israel, for the people who were trying to take the child’s life are now dead.
21 So Joseph got up and took Mary and Jesus and returned to the land of Israel. 22 Soon he learned that Archelaus, Herod’s oldest and notoriously brutal son, was ruling Judea. Archelaus might not be any friendlier than Herod had been. Joseph was simply afraid. He had another dream, and in this dream, he was warned away from Judea; so Joseph decided to settle up north in a district called Galilee, 23 in a town called Nazareth. And this, too, fulfilled what the prophets have taught, “The Savior will be a Nazarene.”
Matthew 2
King James Version
2 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,
2 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.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 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.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 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.
9 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.
Copyright © 2004 by World Bible Translation Center
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.