Matthew 2:1-18
Visitors from the East
Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 âWhere is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.â
3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, âWhere is the Messiah supposed to be born?â
5 âIn Bethlehem in Judea,â they said, âfor this is what the prophet wrote:
6 âAnd you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.ââ
7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8 Then he told them, âGo to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!â
9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.
The Escape to Egypt
13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. âGet up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,â the angel said. âStay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.â
14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15 and they stayed there until Herodâs death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: âI called my Son out of Egypt.â
16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise menâs report of the starâs first appearance. 17 Herodâs brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
18 âA cry was heard in Ramahâ
weeping and great mourning.
Rachel weeps for her children,
refusing to be comforted,
for they are dead.â
Luke 2:41-52
Jesus Speaks with the Teachers
41 Every year Jesusâ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. 43 After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didnât miss him at first, 44 because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didnât show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.
45 When they couldnât find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. 46 Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48 His parents didnât know what to think. âSon,â his mother said to him, âwhy have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.â
49 âBut why did you need to search?â he asked. âDidnât you know that I must be in my Fatherâs house?â 50 But they didnât understand what he meant.
51 Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.
52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.