(Micah 5:1–6)
1
And Jesus having been born in Beth-Lehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east came to Jerusalem,
2
saying, “Where is He who was born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and we came to worship Him.”
3
And Herod the king having heard, was stirred, and all Jerusalem with him,
4
and having gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he was inquiring from them where the Christ is born.
5
And they said to him, “In Beth-Lehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet:
6
And you, Beth-Lehem, the land of Judah, you are by no means the least among the leaders of Judah, for out of you will come One leading, who will feed My people Israel.”
7
Then Herod, having called the magi privately, inquired exactly from them the time of the appearing star,
8
and having sent them to Beth-Lehem, he said, “Having gone—inquire exactly for the Child, and whenever you may have found, bring me back word, that I also having come may worship Him.”
9
And they, having heard the king, departed, and behold, the star, that they saw in the east, went before them, until, having come, it stood over where the Child was.
10
And having seen the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy,
11
and having come into the house, they found the Child with His mother Mary, and having fallen down they worshiped Him, and having opened their treasures, they presented to Him gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh,
12
and having been divinely warned in a dream not to return to Herod, through another way they withdrew to their own region.
The Flight to Egypt
(Hosea 11:1–7)
13
And on their having withdrawn, behold, a messenger of the LORD appears in a dream to Joseph, saying, “Having risen, take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and be there until I may speak to you, for Herod is about to seek the Child to destroy Him.”
14
And he, having risen, took the Child and His mother by night, and withdrew to Egypt,
15
and he was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled that was spoken by the LORD through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
Weeping and Great Mourning
(Jeremiah 31:1–25)
16
Then Herod, having seen that he was deceived by the magi, was very angry, and having sent forth, he slew all the male children in Beth-Lehem, and in all its borders, from two years and under, according to the time that he inquired exactly from the magi.
17
Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
18
“A voice in Ramah was heard—weeping and much mourning—Rachel weeping [for] her children, and she would not be comforted because they are not.”
The Return to Nazareth
(Luke 2:39–40)
19
And Herod having died, behold, a messenger of the LORD appears in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20
saying, “Having risen, take the Child and His mother, and be going to the land of Israel, for they have died—those seeking the life of the Child.”
21
And he, having risen, took the Child and His mother, and came to the land of Israel,
22
and having heard that Archelaus reigns over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and having been divinely warned in a dream, he withdrew to the parts of Galilee,
23
and coming, he dwelt in a city named Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled that was spoken through the Prophets, that “He will be called a Nazarene.”
Copyright © 2020 Covenant Press and the CCC - licensed under CC BY-SA