The offerings of the wise men: the flight into Egypt: the massacre of the Innocents.

¹ And so, when Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of Judah, in the days of king Herod, behold, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,

² saying: “Where is he who was born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and we have come to adore him.”

³ Now king Herod, hearing this, was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

⁴ And gathering together all the leaders of the priests, and the scribes of the people, he consulted with them as to where the Christ would be born.

⁵ And they said to him: “In Bethlehem of Judea. For so it has been written by the prophet:

⁶ ‘And you, Bethlehem, the land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah. For from you shall go forth the ruler who shall guide my people Israel.’ ”

⁷ Then Herod, quietly calling the Magi, diligently learned from them the time when the star appeared to them.

⁸ And sending them into Bethlehem, he said: “Go and diligently ask questions about the boy. And when you have found him, report back to me, so that I, too, may come and adore him.”

⁹ And when they had heard the king, they went away. And behold, the star that they had seen in the east went before them, even until, arriving, it stood still above the place where the child was.¹

1. 2:9The word ‘cedebat’ sometimes has the meaning of falling, or descending. The star did not merely continue to lead them forward, but it also descended as it led them through Bethlehem. Otherwise, they could not have known from a star (or comet) which location within Bethlehem was correct.(Conte)

¹⁰ Then, seeing the star, they were gladdened by a very great joy.

¹¹ And entering the home, they found the boy with his mother Mary. And so, falling prostrate, they adored him. And opening their treasures, they offered him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

¹² And having received a response in sleep that they should not return to Herod, they went back by another way to their own region.

¹³ And after they had gone away, behold, an Angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: “Rise up, and take the boy and his mother, and flee into Egypt. And remain there until I tell you. For it will happen that Herod will seek the boy to destroy him.”

¹⁴ And getting up, he took the boy and his mother by night, and withdrew into Egypt.

¹⁵ And he remained there, until the death of Herod, in order to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Out of Egypt, I called my son.”

¹⁶ Then Herod, seeing that he had been fooled by the Magi, was very angry. And so he sent to kill all the boys who were in Bethlehem, and in all its borders, from two years of age and under, according to the time that he had learned by questioning the Magi.

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

¹⁸ “A voice has been heard in Ramah, great weeping and wailing: Rachel crying for her sons. And she was not willing to be consoled, because they were no more.”¹

1. 2:18Notice that the words ‘ploratus, plorans’ are translated differently, as ‘weeping, crying.’ It sometimes happens that the same word used twice is translated by two different words in English, or that two different words in Latin are translated by the same word in English. To translated the same word in Latin by always the same word in English would result in a translation that was, at best, stilted, and, at worst, inaccurate or incorrect.(Conte)

¹⁹ Then, when Herod had passed away, behold, an Angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph in Egypt,

²⁰ saying: “Rise up, and take the boy and his mother, and go into the land of Israel. For those who were seeking the life of the boy have passed away.”

²¹ And rising up, he took the boy and his mother, and he went into the land of Israel.

²² Then, hearing that Archelaus reigned in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in sleep, he withdrew into parts of Galilee.

²³ And arriving, he lived in a city which is called Nazareth, in order to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “For he shall be called a Nazarene.”