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The Visit of the Magi

¹ Now after Jesus was ^(C1)born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of ^(C2)Herod the king, ^(F1)magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,² "Where is He who has been born ^(C1)King of the Jews? For we saw ^(C2)His star in the east and have come to worship Him."³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.⁴ Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the ^(F1)Messiah was to be born.⁵ They said to him, "^(C1)In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written ^(F1)by the prophet:

⁶ '^(C1)AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH,
ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH;
FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER
WHO WILL ^(C2)SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.'"

⁷ Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them ^(F1)the exact time ^(C1)the star appeared.⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him."⁹ After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was.¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.¹¹ After coming into the house they saw the Child with ^(C1)Mary His mother; and they ^(F1)fell to the ground and ^(C2)worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.¹² And having been ^(C1)warned by God ^(C2)in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

The Flight to Egypt

¹³ Now when they had gone, behold, an ^(C1)angel of the Lord ^(*)(C2)appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him."

¹⁴ So ^(F1)Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt.¹⁵ He ^(F1)remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "^(C1)OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED ^(C2)MY SON."

Herod Slaughters Babies

¹⁶ Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by ^(C1)the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and ^(C2)slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.¹⁷ Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

¹⁸ "^(C1)A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH,
WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING,
RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN;
AND SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED,
BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE."

¹⁹ But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord ^(*)(C1)appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said,²⁰ "Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child's life are dead."²¹ So ^(F1)Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.²² But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being ^(C1)warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee,²³ and came and lived in a city called ^(C1)Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: "He shall be called a ^(C2)Nazarene."