1 Now when the birth of Jesus took place in Beth-lehem of Judaea, in the days of Herod the king, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is the King of the Jews whose birth has now taken place? We have seen his star in the east and have come to give him worship.
3 And when it came to the ears of Herod the king, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And he got together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, questioning them as to where the birth-place of the Christ would be.
5 And they said to him, In Beth-lehem of Judaea; for so it is said in the writings of the prophet,
6 You Beth-lehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the chiefs of Judah: out of you will come a ruler, who will be the keeper of my people Israel.
7 Then Herod sent for the wise men privately, and put questions to them about what time the star had been seen.
8 And he sent them to Beth-lehem and said, Go and make certain where the young child is; and when you have seen him, let me have news of it, so that I may come and give him worship.
9 And after hearing the king, they went on their way; and the star which they saw in the east went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the young child was.
10 And when they saw the star they were full of joy.
11 And they came into the house, and saw the young child with Mary, his mother; and falling down on their faces they gave him worship; and from their store they gave him offerings of gold, perfume, and spices.
12 And it was made clear to them by God in a dream that they were not to go back to Herod; so they went into their country by another way.
13 And when they had gone, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream, saying, Get up and take the young child and his mother, and go into Egypt, and do not go from there till I give you word; for Herod will be searching for the young child to put him to death.
14 So he took the young child and his mother by night, and went into Egypt;
15 And was there till the death of Herod; so that the word of the Lord through the prophet might come true, Out of Egypt have I sent for my son.
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was very angry; and he sent out, and put to death all the male children in Beth-lehem and in all the parts round about it, from two years old and under, acting on the knowledge which he had got with care from the wise men.
17 Then the word of Jeremiah the prophet came true,
18 In Ramah there was a sound of weeping and great sorrow, Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be comforted for their loss.
19 But when Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord came in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20 Saying, Get up and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: because they who were attempting to take the young child's life are dead.
21 And he got up, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when it came to his ears that Archelaus was ruling over Judaea in the place of his father Herod, he was in fear of going there; and God having given him news of the danger in a dream, he went out of the way into the country parts of Galilee.
23 And he came and was living in a town named Nazareth: so that the word of the prophets might come true, He will be named a Nazarene.
1 希律王执政的时候， 耶稣生在犹太的伯利恒。那时， 有几个占星家从东方来到耶路撒冷，
2 说： "那生下来作犹太人的王的在哪里？我们看见他的星出现， 特来朝拜他。"
3 希律王听见了就心里不安， 全耶路撒冷的居民也是这样。
4 他就召集所有的祭司长和民间的经学家， 问他们基督应该生在哪里。
5 他们回答： "在犹太的伯利恒。因为有先知在经上这样说：
6 ‘犹大地的伯利恒啊！ 你在犹大的领袖中， 并不是最小的， 因为必有一位领袖从你那里出来， 牧养我的子民以色列。’"
7 希律暗中把占星家召来， 仔细查问他们， 那颗星什么时候出现，
8 然后派他们到伯利恒去， 说： "你们去细心寻访那小孩， 找到了就向我报告， 好叫我也去拜他。"
9 他们听命去了。他们在东方看见的那颗星， 忽然在他们前头， 领他们到那小孩所在的地方， 就在上头停住了。
10 他们看见那颗星， 欢喜极了；
11 进了房子， 看见小孩和他母亲马利亚， 就俯伏拜他， 并且打开宝盒， 把黄金、乳香、没药作礼物献给他。
12 后来他们在梦中得着指示不要回到希律那里去， 就从别的路回乡去了。
13 他们走了以后， 主的使者在梦中向约瑟显现， 说： "起来， 带着孩子和他母亲逃到埃及去， 留在那里， 直到我再指示你， 因为希律要寻找这孩子， 把他杀掉。"
14 约瑟就起来， 连夜带着孩子和他母亲往埃及去，
15 住在那里， 直到希律死了， 为的是要应验主借先知所说的： "我从埃及召我的儿子出来。"
16 希律见自己被占星家愚弄了， 就大怒， 于是照着他从占星家所问得的日子， 下令把伯利恒和附近地方， 两岁以下的小孩全都杀死。
17 这就应验了耶利米先知所说的：
18 "在拉玛听见有声音， 是痛哭、极大哀号的声音； 拉结为她的儿女哀哭， 不肯受安慰， 因为他们都不在了。"
19 希律死后， 在埃及， 主的使者在梦中向约瑟显现，
20 说： "那些要杀害这孩子的人已经死了。起来， 带着孩子和他母亲回以色列地去吧。"
21 约瑟就起来， 带着小孩子和他母亲回到以色列地。
22 只是听见亚基老接续他父亲希律作了犹太王， 他就不敢到犹太地去； 又在梦中得了指示， 于是往加利利境去，
23 来到拿撒勒城住下， 这样就应验了先知所说的： "他必称为拿撒勒人。"