1 N ow when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, asking,

2 W here is He Who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east at its rising and have come to worship Him.

3 W hen Herod the king heard this, he was disturbed and troubled, and the whole of Jerusalem with him.

4 S o he called together all the chief priests and learned men (scribes) of the people and anxiously asked them where the Christ was to be born.

5 T hey replied to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

6 A nd you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are not in any way least or insignificant among the chief cities of Judah; for from you shall come a Ruler ( Leader) Who will govern and shepherd My people Israel.

7 T hen Herod sent for the wise men secretly, and accurately to the last point ascertained from them the time of the appearing of the star '> how long the star had made itself visible since its rising in the east].

8 T hen he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go and search for the Child carefully and diligently, and when you have found Him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship Him.

9 W hen they had listened to the king, they went their way, and behold, the star which had been seen in the east in its rising went before them until it came and stood over the place where the young Child was.

10 W hen they saw the star, they were thrilled with ecstatic joy.

11 A nd on going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then opening their treasure bags, they presented to Him gifts—gold and frankincense and myrrh.

12 A nd receiving an answer to their asking, they were divinely instructed and warned in a dream not to go back to Herod; so they departed to their own country by a different way.

13 N ow after they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, Get up! '> Tenderly] take unto you the young Child and His mother and flee to Egypt; and remain there till I tell you, for Herod intends to search for the Child in order to destroy Him.

14 A nd having risen, he took the Child and His mother by night and withdrew to Egypt

15 A nd remained there until Herod’s death. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, Out of Egypt have I called My Son.

16 T hen Herod, when he realized that he had been misled by the wise men, was furiously enraged, and he sent and put to death all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that territory who were two years old and under, reckoning according to the date which he had investigated diligently and had learned exactly from the wise men.

17 T hen was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

18 A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they were no more.

19 B ut when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt

20 A nd said, Rise, '> tenderly] take unto you the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.

21 T hen he awoke and arose and '> tenderly] took the Child and His mother and came into the land of Israel.

22 B ut because he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in the place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being divinely warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee.

23 H e went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled: He shall be called a Nazarene.