The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Matthew 02
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of
Judea in the days of King Herod,
behold, wise men† from the east came to
Jerusalem, saying,
2 “Where is he who is born King of the
Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and
have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard it, he was troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
4 Gathering together all the chief priests
and scribes of the people, he asked them
where the Christ would be born.
5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of
Judea, for this is written through the
prophet,
6 ‘You Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are in no way least among the princes
of Judah; for out of you shall come a governor
who shall shepherd my people, Israel.’ ”*
7 Then Herod secretly called the wise
men, and learned from them exactly what
time the star appeared.
8 He sent them to Bethlehem, and said,
“Go and search diligently for the young
child. Whenyouhave foundhim, bring me
word, so that I also may come and worship
him.”
9 They, having heard the king, went their
way; and behold, the star, which they saw
in the east, went before them until it came
and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced
with exceedingly great joy.
11 They came into the house and saw
the young child with Mary, his mother,
and they fell down and worshiped him.
Opening their treasures, they offered to
him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 Being warned in a dream not to return
to Herod, they went back to their own
country another way.
13 Now when they had departed, behold,
an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in
a dream, saying, “Arise and take the young
child and his mother, and flee into Egypt,
and stay there until I tell you, for Herod
will seek the young child to destroy him.”
14 He arose and 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 by the Lord through the prophet,
saying, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”*
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was
mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly
angry, and sent out and killed all the male
children who were in Bethlehem and in
all the surrounding countryside, from two
years old and under, according to the exact
time which he had learned from the wise men.
17 Then that which was spoken by
Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying,
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
lamentation, weeping and great
mourning, Rachel weeping for her children;
she wouldn’t be comforted, because they
are no more.”*
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an
angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to
Joseph in Egypt, saying,
20 “Arise and take the young child andhis
mother, and go into the land of Israel, for
those who sought the young child’s life are
dead.”
21 He arose and took the young child
and his mother, and came into the land of
Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was
reigning over Judea in the place of his
father, Herod, he was afraid to go there.
Being warned in a dream, he withdrew
into the region of Galilee,
23 and came and lived in a city called
Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken through the prophets that he
will be called a Nazarene.