¹ NOW when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, lo! Magians from the East came to Jerusalem,

² saying, Where is he that is born king of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the East, and are come to pay him homage.

³ Now when Herod the king heard this, he was much agitated, and all Jerusalem with him.

⁴ And assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he enquired of them, where the Messiah should be born.

⁵ Then they answered him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet¹,

1. Micah, v. 2.

⁶ “And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah, art in no respect the least amongst the princes of Judah, for from thee shall go forth the Ruler, who shall conduct my people Israel.”

⁷ Thereupon Herod secretly calling to him the Magians, enquired very particularly of them the time of the star’s appearing,

⁸ and sending them to Bethlehem said, Go, and procure the most exact information respecting this child; and when you have found him, bring me intelligence, that I may come, and pay him homage also.

⁹ So having heard the king, they went on; and lo, the star, which they had seen in the East, had gone before them, till it came and stood over the place where the infant was.

¹⁰ And when they saw the star, they were exceedingly transported with joy.

¹¹ And coming into the house, they found the infant with Mary his mother, and falling prostrate, they paid their homage to him. And opening their treasures, they made their offerings to him, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

¹² And having received warning in a dream not to go back to Herod, they departed into their own country by another road.

¹³ Now when they were gone, behold an angel of the Lord appeared unto Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the infant and his mother by night, and flee into Egypt, and stay there, till I speak to thee, for Herod will search for the infant to destroy it.

¹⁴ So rising up, he took the babe and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt,

¹⁵ and was there till the death of Herod; that what was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, might be fulfilled, saying¹, “Out of Egypt have I called my son.”

1. Hos. ii. 1.

¹⁶ Then Herod, perceiving that he was treated delusively by the Magians, was greatly exasperated, and he sent and slew all the male infants, that were in Bethlehem, and in all its territories, from their entering their second year and all under it, according to the time, which he had accurately enquired from the Magians.

¹⁷ Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying¹,

1. Jer. xxxi. 15.

¹⁸ “A cry was heard at Ramah, lamentation, and wailing, and bitter moaning, Rachel weeping for her children, and will not be comforted, because they are no more.”

¹⁹ Now when Herod was dead, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

²⁰ saying, Arise, and take the little boy and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they who sought the life of the infant are dead.

²¹ So he arose, and took the child and his mother, and came unto the land of Israel.

²² But hearing that Archelaus reigned in Judea in the stead of Herod his father, he was afraid to go thither. And being divinely warned in a dream, he retired into the country of Galilee,

²³ and came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that what was said by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he shall be called a Nazarean.