Mat 2 | LEB | STEP | Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,

Matthew 2

Wise Men Visit Jesus

1 Now after ^{▼▼*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was born”)} Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star at its rising ^{▼▼Or, “when it rose”; traditionally rendered “in the east” by many English versions} and have come to worship him.” 3 And when ^{▼▼*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal} King Herod heard it, ^{▼▼*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation} he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him, 4 and after ^{▼▼*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“calling together”) which is understood as temporal} calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired from them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet,

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
for from you will go out a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ” ^{▼▼A quotation from Mic 5:2}

7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and ^{▼▼*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“summoned”) has been translated as a finite verb} determined precisely from them the time when ^{▼▼*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“appeared”)} the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and ^{▼▼*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sent”) has been translated as a finite verb} said, “Go, inquire carefully concerning the child, and when you have found him, report to me so that I also may come and ^{▼▼*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“may come”) has been translated as a finite verb} worship him.” 9 After ^{▼▼*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“listened to”) which is understood as temporal} they listened to the king, they went out, and behold, the star which they had seen at its rising ^{▼▼Or, “when it rose”; traditionally rendered “in the east” by many English versions} led them until it came and ^{▼▼*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb} stood above the place where the child was. 10 Now when they ^{▼▼*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal} saw the star, they rejoiced with very great joy. 11 And when they ^{▼▼*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“came”) which is understood as temporal} came into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and ^{▼▼*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“fell down”) has been translated as a finite verb} worshiped him. And opening their treasure boxes, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.

Joseph, Mary, and Jesus Escape to Egypt

13 Now after they had gone away, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph, saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to seek the child to destroy him.” 14 So he got up and ^{▼▼*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“got up”) has been translated as a finite verb} took the child and his mother during the night and went away to Egypt. 15 And he was there until the death of Herod, in order that what was said by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying,

“Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Herod Has Innocent Children Murdered

16 Then Herod, when he ^{▼▼*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal} saw that he had been deceived by the wise men, became very angry, and he sent soldiers ^{▼▼*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation} and ^{▼▼*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sent”) has been translated as a finite verb} executed all the children in Bethlehem and in all the region around it from the age of two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined precisely from the wise men. 17 Then what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled, saying,

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she did not want to be comforted,
because ⌞they exist no longer⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “they are not”}.” ^{▼▼A quotation from Jer 31:15}

Joseph, Mary, and Jesus Return to Nazareth

19 Now after ^{▼▼*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“had died”)} Herod had died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the life of the child are dead.” 21 So he got up and ^{▼▼*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“got up”) has been translated as a finite verb} took the child and his mother and ⌞entered⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “entered into”} the land of Israel. 22 But when he ^{▼▼*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal} heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream, he took refuge in the regions of Galilee. 23 And he came and ^{▼▼*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb} lived in a town called Nazareth, in order that what was said by the prophets would be fulfilled: ^{▼▼Literally “that”; the conjunction could be understood (1) to introduce a direct quotation, serving a function similar to modern English quotation marks, and thus not translated; or (2) to introduce an indirect quotation, in which case it could be translated “that he would be called a Nazarene”} “He will be called a Nazarene.”