2:1 Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, and in the days of King Herod, official advisors came to Jerusalem from the east.

2:2 They asked, “Where is the one born King of the Judeans? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

2:3 This disturbed not only King Herod but all of Jerusalem as well.

2:4 So he summoned all the ruling priests and scripture scholars to determine where the Anointed was to be born.

2:5 And they told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea. This is how it is written through the prophet:

2:6 ‘And you, Bethlehem of Judah: you are not at all the least significant among the governors of Judah! For out of you will come a leader who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

2:7 Then Herod consulted privately with the official advisors to determine the precise time when the star appeared.

2:8 And he sent them into Bethlehem with these instructions: “Go and search carefully for the little one, and if you find him, tell me so that I can come and worship him.”

2:9 Upon hearing this from the king they went off, when suddenly the star they had seen in the east appeared! It went ahead of them until it came to a stop above the little one’s location.

2:10 They were extremely happy to see the star.

2:11 Now when they arrived at the house they saw the little one with his mother Mary. They fell down and worshiped him, and they presented him with gifts such as gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

2:12 But they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, so they took another route to their homeland.

2:13 After they had gone, suddenly a Messenger of the Master appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Wake up! Take the little one and his mother, and run away to Egypt. Stay there until I talk to you again, because Herod intends to kill the child.”

2:14 So he woke up and took the child and his mother away that very night to Egypt,

2:15 where he stayed until Herod died. This was in fulfillment of the word of the Master through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

2:16 When Herod realized that the official advisors had made him look like a fool, he was extremely furious. So he had all the children in Bethlehem killed if they were two years old or younger, according to the precise time he had learned from the official advisors.

2:17 Then the writing of the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

2:18 “A sound is heard in Ramah, of wailing and deep grief. Rachel is sobbing for her children, and she cannot be consoled, for they are dead and gone.”

2:19 After Herod died, a Messenger of the Master appeared to Joseph in a dream while he was still in Egypt.

2:20 He told him, “Wake up! Take the little one and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were out to take the child’s life are dead.”

2:21 So he woke up and took the little one and his mother to the land of Israel.

2:22 But when he heard that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod to rule in Judea, he was afraid to go there. And having been divinely warned in another dream, he went into the province of Galilee.

2:23 He settled in the city of Nazareth in fulfillment of the declaration of the prophet, “He will be called a Nazarene.”