| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1Jesus 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, | 1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the time of King Herod, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem |
| 2“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” | 2saying, "Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." |
| 3King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. | 3When King Herod heard this he was alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him. |
| 4He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” | 4After assembling all the chief priests and experts in the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. |
| 5“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: | 5"In Bethlehem of Judea," they said, "for it is written this way by the prophet: |
| 6‘And 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.’ ” | 6And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are in no way least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'" |
| 7Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. | 7Then Herod privately summoned the wise men and determined from them when the star had appeared. |
| 8Then he told them, “Go 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!” | 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, inform me so that I can go and worship him as well." |
| 9After 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. | 9After listening to the king they left, and once again the star they saw when it rose led them until it stopped above the place where the child was. |
| 10When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! | 10When they saw the star they shouted joyfully. |
| 11They 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. | 11As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. |
| 12When 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 | 12After being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back by another route to their own country. |
| 13After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” | 13After they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to look for the child to kill him." |
| 14That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, | 14Then he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and went to Egypt. |
| 15and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.” | 15He stayed there until Herod died. In this way what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet was fulfilled: "I called my Son out of Egypt." |
| 16Herod 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 men’s report of the star’s first appearance. | 16When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men to kill all the children in Bethlehem and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men. |
| 17Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: | 17Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: |
| 18“A cry was heard in Ramah— weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.” The Return to Nazareth | 18"A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud wailing, Rachel weeping for her children, and she did not want to be comforted, because they were gone." |
| 19When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. | 19After Herod had died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt |
| 20“Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.” | 20saying, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead." |
| 21So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. | 21So he got up and took the child and his mother and returned to the land of Israel. |
| 22But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. | 22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. After being warned in a dream, he went to the regions of Galilee. |
| 23So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.” | 23He came to a town called Nazareth and lived there. Then what had been spoken by the prophets was fulfilled, that Jesus would be called a Nazarene. |
|
