Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

For This Reason, I Paul, a Prisoner of Christ For You Gentiles...

3 For this reason, I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you the Gentiles—

For I Am a Steward of God’s Plan To Make Gentiles Partakers of His Promises

² ... if indeed you heard-of the stewardship^[a] of the grace of God having been given^[b] to me for you, ³ that by way of revelation the mystery was made-known to me (just as I wrote-before in brief, ⁴ with reference to which you are able, while reading, to perceive my understanding in^[c] the mystery of Christ) ⁵ which in other generations was not made-known to the sons of humans as it was now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit— ⁶ that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs and fellow-body-members and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the good-news, ⁷ of which I was made a minister^[d] in-accordance-with the gift of the grace of God having been given^[e] to me by-way-of the working of His power.

It Was Granted To Me To Enlighten Everyone To See The Creator’s Long Hidden Plan

⁸ This grace was given to me, the less-than-least of all saints, that I might announce-as-good-news to the Gentiles the untraceable riches of Christ, ⁹ and enlighten everyone to see what is the stewardship^[f] of the mystery having been hidden from the past ages in God, the One having created all things, ¹⁰ so that now the multifaceted wisdom of God might be made-known to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places through the church, ¹¹ in-accordance-with the purpose of the ages^[g] which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in Whom we have boldness and access in confidence through faith^[h] in Him.

Magi Arrive Seeking The Newborn King. King Herod Sends Them To Bethlehem

2 Now Jesus having been born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod^[a] the king, behold— magi^[b] from the east arrived in Jerusalem, ² saying “Where is the One having been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east^[c] and came to pay-homage to Him”. ³ And having heard it, King Herod was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ And having gathered-together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he was inquiring from them as to where the Christ was [to be] born. ⁵ And the ones said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea. For thus it has been written through the prophet [in Mic 5:2]: ⁶ ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah. For One ruling^[d] will come out of you Who will shepherd My people Israel’”. ⁷ Then Herod, having called the magi secretly, learned-accurately from them the time of the appearing of the star. ⁸ And having sent them to Bethlehem, he said, “Having gone, search-out accurately^[e] concerning the Child. And when you find Him, report to me so that I also, having come, may pay-homage to Him”.

A Star Leads Them To The Child, To Whom They Give Gifts

⁹ And the ones, having heard the king, proceeded. And behold— the star which they saw in the east was going-ahead-of them, until having come, it stood^[f] over where the Child was. ¹⁰ And having seen the star, they rejoiced an extremely great rejoicing. ¹¹ And having come into the house^[g], they saw the Child with Mary His mother. And having fallen-down, they paid homage to Him. And having opened their treasure-chests, they offered gifts to Him— gold and frankincense and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their country by another way.