CHAPTER 2

(A.D. 1)

THE VISIT OF THE MAGI FROM THE EAST

¹Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea (Mic. 5:2) in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came Wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

²Saying, Where is He Who is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His Star in the east, and are come to worship Him.

³When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

⁴And when he had gathered all the Chief Priests and Scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

⁵And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the Prophet,

⁶And thou Bethlehem, in the Land of Judah, are not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of you shall come a Governor, Who shall rule My people Israel (Mic. 5:2).

⁷Then Herod, when he had privily (privately) called the Wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

⁸And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when you have found Him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship Him also.

⁹When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was (not Bethlehem, but some other place, maybe Nazareth).

¹⁰When they saw the star (where the star stopped), they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

¹¹And when they were come into the house (not the stable where He was born in Bethlehem), they saw the young Child with Mary His Mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

¹²And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT

¹³And when they were departed, behold, the 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 bring you word: for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.

¹⁴When he arose, he took the young Child and His Mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

¹⁵And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called My Son (Hos. 11:1).

SLAUGHTER OF THE CHILDREN IN BETHLEHEM

¹⁶Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the Wise men (they ignored his demand that when they found the Child, they were to come back and report to him), was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and killed all the children who were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the Wise men (these words decide that two years, or nearly so, had elapsed since Herod had seen the Wise men).

¹⁷Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the Prophet, saying,

¹⁸In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not (Jer. 31:15).

THE RETURN FROM EGYPT TO NAZARETH

¹⁹But when Herod was dead, behold, an Angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt (this is the third of four dreams given to Joseph by theLord),

²⁰Saying, Arise, and take the young Child and His Mother, and go into the Land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young Childs life.

²¹And he arose, and took the young Child and His Mother, and came into the Land of Israel.

²²But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee (the fourth and final dream recorded as given by the Lord to Joseph):

²³And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene (the word Nazareneis meant to portray the action instead of the location; He would be despised, as Nazareth was despised [Jn. 1:46]).