Matthew 2

1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem,

2saying, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.”

3When King Herod 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 Messiah was to be born.

5And they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet:

6And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.

7Then Herod secretly summoned the magi and determined from them the exact time when the star had appeared,

8And after sending them to Bethlehem, he said, “Go and search carefully for the child, and when you find him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship him.”

9After hearing the king, they went on their way, and behold, the star that they had seen in the east went before them until it came and stood over where the child was.

10And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

11And when they came into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they paid homage to him, and opening their treasure chests they offered him gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh.

12And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their own country by another route.

13After 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 stay there until I tell you; for Herod is about to seek the child in order to destroy him.”

14So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and departed for Egypt.

15and was there until the death of Herod, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

16Then Herod, seeing that he had been tricked by the magi, became very angry, and sending men, he killed all the boys in Bethlehem and in all its surrounding districts, from two years old and under, according to the exact time he had determined from the magi.

17Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying:

18A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning: Rachel weeping for her children, and she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.

19But after Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.

20saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those seeking the child’s life are dead.”

21So he rose, took the child and his mother, and entered 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. And after being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the regions of Galilee,

23And he came and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled: “He will be called a Nazarene.”