The Gospel According to St. Matthew

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 2 -

(Micah 5:1–6)

When Jesus then was borne at Bethleem in Iudea, in the dayes of Herod the King, beholde, there came Wisemen from the East to Hierusalem,

Saying, Where is that King of the Iewes that is borne? for wee haue seene his starre in the East, and are come to worship him.

When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and all Hierusalem with him.

And gathering together all the chiefe Priestes and Scribes of the people, hee asked of them, where Christ should be borne.

And they saide vnto him, At Beth-leem in Iudea: for so it is written by the Prophet,

And thou Beth-leem in the lande of Iuda, art not the least among the Princes of Iuda: For out of thee shall come the gouernour that shall feede that my people Israel.

Then Herod priuily called the Wisemen, and diligently inquired of them the time of the starre that appeared,

And sent them to Beth-leem, saying, Goe, and searche diligently for the babe: and when ye haue founde him, bring mee worde againe, that I may come also, and worship him.

So when they had heard the King, they departed: and loe, the starre which they had seene in the East, went before them, till it came and stoode ouer the place where the babe was.

And when they sawe the starre, they reioyced with an exceeding great ioy,

And went into the house, and founde the babe with Mary his mother, and fell downe, and worshipped him, and opened their treasures, and presented vnto him giftes, euen golde, and frankincense, and myrrhe.

And after they were warned of God in a dreame, that they should not go againe to Herod, they returned into their countrey another way.

The Flight to Egypt

(Hosea 11:1–7)

After their departure, behold, the Angel of the Lord appeareth to Ioseph in a dreame, saying, Arise, and take the babe and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there til I bring thee word: for Herod will seeke the babe, to destroy him.

So he arose and tooke the babe and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt,

And was there vnto the death of Herod, that that might be fulfilled, which is spoken of the Lord by the Prophet, saying, Out of Egypt haue I called my sonne.

Weeping and Great Mourning

(Jeremiah 31:1–25)

Then Herod, seeing that he was mocked of the Wisemen, was exceeding wroth, and sent foorth, and slew all the male children that were in Beth-leem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two yeere old and vnder, according to the time which he had diligently searched out of the Wisemen.

Then was that fulfilled which is spoken by the Prophet Ieremias, saying,

In Rhama was a voyce heard, mourning, and weeping, and great howling: Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they were not.

The Return to Nazareth

(Luke 2:39–40)

And whe Herod was dead, behold, an Angel of the Lord appeareth in a dreame to Ioseph in Egypt,

Saying, Arise, and take the babe and his mother, and goe into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the babes life.

Then he arose vp and tooke the babe and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

But whe he heard that Archelaus did reigne in Iudea in stead of his father Herod, he was afraide to go thither: yet after he was warned of God in a dreame, he turned aside into the parts of Galile,

And went and dwelt in a citie called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets, which was, That hee should be called a Nazarite.

(Micah 5:1–6)

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, behold, wise men

(a)

from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,

“Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ would be born.

They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is written through the prophet,

‘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.’”(b)

Then Herod secretly called the wise men, and learned from them exactly what time the star appeared.

He sent them to Bethlehem, and said, “Go and search diligently for the young child. When you have found him, bring me word, so that I also may come and worship him.”

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.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

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.

Being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country another way.

The Flight to Egypt

(Hosea 11:1–7)

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.”

He arose and took the young child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt,

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.”(c)

Weeping and Great Mourning

(Jeremiah 31:1–25)

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.

Then that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying,

“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.”(d)

The Return to Nazareth

(Luke 2:39–40)

But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying,

“Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the young child’s life are dead.”

He arose and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

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,

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.

Footnotes

(a)2:1 The word for “wise men” (magoi) can also mean teachers, scientists, physicians, astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, or sorcerers.

(b)2:6 ℘ Micah 5:2

(d)2:18 ℘ Jeremiah 31:15