Matthew 2

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, suddenly some wisemen came to Jerusalem from the east	1 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,
2 asking, 'Where is the infant king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose and have come to do himhomage.'	2 saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage."
3 When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem.	3 When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 He called together al the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where theChrist was to be born.	4 Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.
5 They told him, 'At Bethlehem in Judaea, for this is what the prophet wrote:	5 They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet:
6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least among the leaders of Judah,for from you wil come a leader who wil shepherd my people Israel.'	6 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"
7 Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which thestar had appeared	7 Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance.
8 and sent them on to Bethlehem with the words, 'Go and find out all about the child, and when you havefound him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.'	8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage."
9 Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And suddenly the star they had seen risingwent forward and halted over the place where the child was.	9 After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
10 The sight of the star fil ed them with delight,	10 They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
11 and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and fal ing to their knees they didhim homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.	11 and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 But they were given a warning in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own countryby a different way.	12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.
13 After they had left, suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Get up,take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tel you, because Herodintends to search for the child and do away with him.'	13 When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him."
14 So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt,	14 Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt.
15 where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through theprophet: I cal ed my son out of Egypt.	15 He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called my son."
16 Herod was furious on realising that he had been fooled by the wise men, and in Bethlehem and itssurrounding district he had al the male children killed who were two years old or less, reckoning by the date hehad been careful to ask the wise men.	16 When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.
17 Then were fulfilled the words spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:	17 Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:
18 A voice is heard in Ramah, lamenting and weeping bitterly: it is Rachel weeping for her children,refusing to be comforted because they are no more.	18 "A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more."
19 After Herod's death, suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt	19 When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt
20 and said, 'Get up, take the child and his mother with you and go back to the land of Israel, for thosewho wanted to kil the child are dead.'	20 and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead."
21 So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, went back to the land of Israel.	21 He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.
22 But when he learnt that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as ruler of Judaea he was afraid togo there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the region of Galilee.	22 But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee.
23 There he settled in a town cal ed Nazareth. In this way the words spoken through the prophets were tobe fulfil ed: He wil be cal ed a Nazarene.	23 He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazorean."