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¹ When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the reign of king Herod, certain eastern Magi came to Jerusalem, with this enquiry, ² Where is this king of the Jews who is now born? for we have seen his rising star, and are come to pay him homage. ³ when king Herod heard these things, he was alarm'd, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ and having assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he enquired of them where Christ was to be born. ⁵ they answered him, in Bethlehem of Judea: for these are the words of the prophet; ⁶ "And thou Bethlehem in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor that shall rule my people Israel." ⁷ Then Herod having privately sent for the Magi, enquired of them the exact time when the star appeared. ⁸ and he sent them to Bethlehem, go, said he, make an exact enquiry about the young child, and when ye have found him, let me know it, that I too may come and pay my adorations to him.

⁹ in obedience to the king, they departed, and immediately the star which they saw in the east, moved on before them, till it came to the place where the infant was, and then stood still. ¹⁰ when they observ'd this of the star, they were extreamly well pleas'd. ¹¹ and entring into the house, they saw the infant with Mary his mother, and prostrating themselves, they worshipped him: then opening their treasures, they presented him with gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² but being divinely warn'd in a dream, not to go back to Herod, they returned into their own country another way.

¹³ When they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, take the infant and his mother, flee into Egypt, and don't stir thence till I order you, for Herod will endeavour to have the child destroy'd. Joseph therefore arose, ¹⁴ took the infant and his mother by night, and fled into Egypt: ¹⁵ where he stay'd till the death of Herod: so that what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt have I called my son," was then fulfill'd.

¹⁶ Then Herod perceiving he was abused by the Magi, was full of indignation, and sent a detachment who slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and its territory, being under the age of two years, according to the limited time he had learnt of the Magi. ¹⁷ Then was fulfilled that passage of Jeremy the prophet, ¹⁸ "In Rama was a cry heard, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."

¹⁹ But after the death of Herod, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, ²⁰ saying, arise, take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they who attempted the life of the infant are dead. ²¹ then he arose, and took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. ²² but when he heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea, in the room of his father Herod, he was apprehensive of going thither, till having had a divine warning in a dream, he retired into the district of Galilee: ²³ and went to dwell in a town called Nazareth, so that those words of one of the prophets were fulfill'd, "He shall be called a Nazarene."