The Visit of the Magi

1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, [†]magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3And when Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he was inquiring of them where the [†]Christ was to be born. 5And they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written [†]by the prophet:

6‘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 SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.’”

7Then Herod secretly called the magi and carefully determined from them [†]the time the star appeared. 8And 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.” 9Now 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. 10And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11And after coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they [†]fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi departed for their own country by another way.

The Flight to Egypt

13Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the [†]Lord 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.”

14So [†]Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and departed for Egypt. 15And he [†]remained there until the death of Herod, in order that what had been spoken by the [†]Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying, “OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON.”

Herod Slaughters Children

16Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and 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. 17Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying,

18“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.”

19But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the [†]Lord 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.” 21So [†]Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he departed for the district of Galilee, 23and came and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken through the prophets would be fulfilled: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”