Matthew 2
Living Bible
2 Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem, in Judea, during the reign of King Herod.
At about that time some astrologers from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in far-off eastern lands and have come to worship him.”
3 King Herod was deeply disturbed by their question, and all Jerusalem was filled with rumors.[a] 4 He called a meeting of the Jewish religious leaders.
“Did the prophets tell us where the Messiah would be born?” he asked.
5 “Yes, in Bethlehem,” they said, “for this is what the prophet Micah[b] wrote:
6 ‘O little town of Bethlehem, you are not just an unimportant Judean village, for a Governor shall rise from you to rule my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod sent a private message to the astrologers, asking them to come to see him; at this meeting he found out from them the exact time when they first saw the star. Then he told them, 8 “Go to Bethlehem and search for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him too!”
9 After this interview the astrologers started out again. And look! The star appeared to them again, standing over Bethlehem.[c] 10 Their joy knew no bounds!
11 Entering the house where the baby and Mary, his mother, were, they threw themselves down before him, worshiping. Then they opened their presents and gave him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 But when they returned to their own land, they didn’t go through Jerusalem to report to Herod, for God had warned them in a dream to go home another way.
13 After they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up and flee to Egypt with the baby and his mother,” the angel said, “and stay there until I tell you to return, for King Herod is going to try to kill the child.” 14 That same[d] night he left for Egypt with Mary and the baby, 15 and stayed there until King Herod’s death. This fulfilled the prophet’s prediction,
“I have called my Son from Egypt.”[e]
16 Herod was furious when he learned that the astrologers had disobeyed him. Sending soldiers to Bethlehem, he ordered them to kill every baby boy two years old and under, both in the town and on the nearby farms, for the astrologers had told him the star first appeared to them two years before. 17 This brutal action of Herod’s fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah,
18 “Screams of anguish come from Ramah,[f]
Weeping unrestrained;
Rachel weeping for her children,
Uncomforted—
For they are dead.”
19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and told him, 20 “Get up and take the baby and his mother back to Israel, for those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”
21 So he returned immediately to Israel with Jesus and his mother. 22 But on the way he was frightened to learn that the new king was Herod’s son, Archelaus. Then, in another dream, he was warned not to go to Judea, so they went to Galilee instead 23 and lived in Nazareth. This fulfilled the prediction of the prophets concerning the Messiah,
“He shall be called a Nazarene.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 2:3 and all Jerusalem was filled with rumors, literally, “and all Jerusalem with him.”
- Matthew 2:5 Micah, implied; see Micah 5:2.
- Matthew 2:9 appeared to them again, standing over Bethlehem, literally, “went before them until it came and stood over where the baby lay.”
- Matthew 2:14 same, implied.
- Matthew 2:15 Compare Hosea 11:1.
- Matthew 2:18 Ramah, or “the region of Ramah.”
Matthew 2
Legacy Standard Bible
The Visit of the Magi
2 Now after Jesus was (A)born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of (B)Herod the king, behold, [a]magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born (C)King of the Jews? For we saw (D)His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3 And when Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he was inquiring of them where the [b]Christ was to be born. 5 And they said to him, “(E)In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written [c]by the prophet:
6 ‘(F)And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
For out of you shall come forth a Leader
Who will (G)shepherd My people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod secretly called the magi and carefully determined from them [d]the time (H)the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” 9 Now after hearing the king, they went their way; and behold, the star, which they had seen in the east, was going on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. 10 And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And after coming into the house they saw the Child with (I)Mary His mother; and they [e]fell to the ground and (J)worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been (K)warned (L)in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi departed for their own country by another way.
The Flight to Egypt
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an (M)angel of the [f]Lord *(N)appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.”
14 So [g]Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and departed for Egypt. 15 And he [h]remained there until the death of Herod, in order that what had been spoken by the [i]Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying, “(O)Out of Egypt I called (P)My Son.”
Herod Slaughters Children
16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by (Q)the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and (R)slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had carefully determined from the magi. 17 Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying,
18 “(S)A voice was heard in Ramah,
Weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
And she was refusing to be comforted,
Because they were no more.”
19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the [j]Lord *(T)appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, 20 “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” 21 So [k]Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being (U)warned by God in a dream, he departed for the district of Galilee, 23 and came and lived in a city called (V)Nazareth, so that what was spoken through the prophets would be fulfilled: “He shall be called a (W)Nazarene.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 2:1 A class of wise men specializing in astronomy, astrology, and natural science
- Matthew 2:4 Messiah
- Matthew 2:5 Or through
- Matthew 2:7 Lit the time of the appearing star
- Matthew 2:11 Face down in a prone position to indicate worship; lit prostrated
- Matthew 2:13 In OT, Yahweh, cf. 2 Kin 1:3
- Matthew 2:14 Lit he
- Matthew 2:15 Lit was
- Matthew 2:15 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Hos 1:1
- Matthew 2:19 In OT, Yahweh, cf. 2 Kin 1:3
- Matthew 2:21 Lit he
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