Matthew · Catholic Public Domain Version
Matthew 2 Catholic Public Domain Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
CPDV Catholic Public Domain Version
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
PT1904 Patriarchal Text 1904 (accented, eBible edition)
1 And so, when Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of Judah, in the days of king Herod, behold, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,
1 Τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ γεννηθέντος ἐν Βηθλεὲμ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἐν ἡμέραις Ἡρῴδου τοῦ βασιλέως, ἰδοὺ μάγοι ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν παρεγένοντο εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα
2 saying: “Where is he who was born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and we have come to adore him.”
2 “Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him.”
2 λέγοντες· ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ τεχθεὶς βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων; εἴδομεν γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀστέρα ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ καὶ ἤλθομεν προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ.
3 Now king Herod, hearing this, was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
3 When King Herod heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
3 Ἀκούσας δὲ Ἡρῴδης ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐταράχθη καὶ πᾶσα Ἱεροσόλυμα μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ,
4 And gathering together all the leaders of the priests, and the scribes of the people, he consulted with them as to where the Christ would be born.
4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ would be born.
4 καὶ συναγαγὼν πάντας τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ γραμματεῖς τοῦ λαοῦ ἐπυνθάνετο παρ᾽ αὐτῶν ποῦ ὁ Χριστὸς γεννᾶται.
5 And they said to him: “In Bethlehem of Judea. For so it has been written by the prophet:
5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is written through the prophet,
5 οἱ δὲ εἶπον αὐτῷ· ἐν Βηθλεὲμ τῆς Ἰουδαίας· οὕτω γὰρ γέγραπται διὰ τοῦ προφήτου·
6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, the land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah. For from you shall go forth the ruler who shall guide my people Israel.’ ”
6 ‘You Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no way least among the princes of Judah; for out of you shall come a governor who shall shepherd my people, Israel.’”
6 καὶ σὺ Βηθλεέμ, γῆ Ἰούδα, οὐδαμῶς ἐλαχίστη εἶ ἐν τοῖς ἡγεμόσιν Ἰούδα· ἐκ σοῦ γὰρ ἐξελεύσεται ἡγούμενος, ὅστις ποιμανεῖ τὸν λαόν μου τὸν Ἰσραήλ.
7 Then Herod, quietly calling the Magi, diligently learned from them the time when the star appeared to them.
7 Then Herod secretly called the wise men, and learned from them exactly what time the star appeared.
7 Τότε Ἡρῴδης λάθρα καλέσας τοὺς μάγους ἠκρίβωσε παρ᾽ αὐτῶν τὸν χρόνον τοῦ φαινομένου ἀστέρος,
8 And sending them into Bethlehem, he said: “Go and diligently ask questions about the boy. And when you have found him, report back to me, so that I, too, may come and adore him.”
8 He sent them to Bethlehem, and said, “Go and search diligently for the young child. When you have found him, bring me word, so that I also may come and worship him.”
8 καὶ πέμψας αὐτοὺς εἰς Βηθλεὲμ εἶπε· πορευθέντες ἀκριβῶς ἐξετάσατε περὶ τοῦ παιδίου, ἐπὰν δὲ εὕρητε, ἀπαγγείλατέ μοι, ὅπως κἀγὼ ἐλθὼν προσκυνήσω αὐτῷ.
9 And when they had heard the king, they went away. And behold, the star that they had seen in the east went before them, even until, arriving, it stood still above the place where the child was.
9 They, having heard the king, went their way; and behold, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them until it came and stood over where the young child was.
9 οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπορεύθησαν· καὶ ἰδοὺ ὁ ἀστὴρ ὃν εἶδον ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ προῆγεν αὐτούς, ἕως ἐλθὼν ἔστη ἐπάνω οὗ ἦν τὸ παιδίον·
10 Then, seeing the star, they were gladdened by a very great joy.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
10 ἰδόντες δὲ τὸν ἀστέρα ἐχάρησαν χαρὰν μεγάλην σφόδρα,
11 And entering the home, they found the boy with his mother Mary. And so, falling prostrate, they adored him. And opening their treasures, they offered him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
11 They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
11 καὶ ἐλθόντες εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν εἶδον τὸ παιδίον μετὰ Μαρίας τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ πεσόντες προσεκύνησαν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀνοίξαντες τοὺς θησαυροὺς αὐτῶν προσήνεγκαν αὐτῷ δῶρα, χρυσὸν καὶ λίβανον καὶ σμύρναν·
12 And having received a response in sleep that they should not return to Herod, they went back by another way to their own region.
12 Being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country another way.
12 καὶ χρηματισθέντες κατ᾽ ὄναρ μὴ ἀνακάμψαι πρὸς Ἡρῴδην, δι᾽ ἄλλης ὁδοῦ ἀνεχώρησαν εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν.
13 And after they had gone away, behold, an Angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: “Rise up, and take the boy and his mother, and flee into Egypt. And remain there until I tell you. For it will happen that Herod will seek the boy to destroy him.”
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.”
13 Ἀναχωρησάντων δὲ αὐτῶν ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος Κυρίου φαίνεται κατ᾽ ὄναρ τῷ Ἰωσὴφ λέγων· ἐγερθεὶς παράλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ φεῦγε εἰς Αἴγυπτον, καὶ ἴσθι ἐκεῖ ἕως ἂν εἴπω σοι· μέλλει γὰρ Ἡρῴδης ζητεῖν τὸ παιδίον τοῦ ἀπολέσαι αὐτό.
14 And getting up, he took the boy and his mother by night, and withdrew into Egypt.
14 He arose and took the young child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt,
14 Ὁ δὲ ἐγερθεὶς παρέλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ νυκτὸς καὶ ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον,
15 And he remained there, until the death of Herod, in order to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Out of Egypt, I called my son.”
15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
15 καὶ ἦν ἐκεῖ ἕως τῆς τελευτῆς Ἡρῴδου, ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἐκάλεσα τὸν υἱόν μου.
16 Then Herod, seeing that he had been fooled by the Magi, was very angry. And so he sent to kill all the boys who were in Bethlehem, and in all its borders, from two years of age and under, according to the time that he had learned by questioning the Magi.
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent out and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under, according to the exact time which he had learned from the wise men.
16 Τότε Ἡρῴδης ἰδὼν ὅτι ἐνεπαίχθη ὑπὸ τῶν μάγων, ἐθυμώθη λίαν, καὶ ἀποστείλας ἀνεῖλε πάντας τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς ἐν Βηθλεὲμ καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ὁρίοις αὐτῆς ἀπὸ διετοῦς καὶ κατωτέρω, κατὰ τὸν χρόνον ὃν ἠκρίβωσε παρὰ τῶν μάγων.
17 Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled, saying:
17 Then that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying,
17 τότε ἐπληρώθη τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ Ἱερεμίου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος·
18 “A voice has been heard in Ramah, great weeping and wailing: Rachel crying for her sons. And she was not willing to be consoled, because they were no more.”
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; she wouldn’t be comforted, because they are no more.”
18 φωνὴ ἐν Ῥαμᾷ ἠκούσθη, θρῆνος καὶ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὀδυρμὸς πολύς· Ῥαχὴλ κλαίουσα τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς, καὶ οὐκ ἤθελε παρακληθῆναι, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσίν.
19 Then, when Herod had passed away, behold, an Angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph in Egypt,
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying,
19 Τελευτήσαντος δὲ τοῦ Ἡρῴδου ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος Κυρίου κατ᾽ ὄναρ φαίνεται τῷ Ἰωσὴφ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ
20 saying: “Rise up, and take the boy and his mother, and go into the land of Israel. For those who were seeking the life of the boy have passed away.”
20 “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the young child’s life are dead.”
20 λέγων· ἐγερθεὶς παράλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ πορεύου εἰς γῆν Ἰσραήλ· τεθνήκασι γὰρ οἱ ζητοῦντες τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ παιδίου.
21 And rising up, he took the boy and his mother, and he went into the land of Israel.
21 He arose and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
21 ὁ δὲ ἐγερθεὶς παρέλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς γῆν Ἰσραήλ.
22 Then, hearing that Archelaus reigned in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in sleep, he withdrew into parts of Galilee.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in the place of his father, Herod, he was afraid to go there. Being warned in a dream, he withdrew into the region of Galilee,
22 ἀκούσας δὲ ὅτι Ἀρχέλαος βασιλεύει ἐπὶ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἀντὶ Ἡρῴδου τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, ἐφοβήθη ἐκεῖ ἀπελθεῖν· χρηματισθεὶς δὲ κατ᾽ ὄναρ ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς τὰ μέρη τῆς Γαλιλαίας,
23 And arriving, he lived in a city which is called Nazareth, in order to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “For he shall be called a Nazarene.”
23 and came and lived in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets that he will be called a Nazarene.
23 καὶ ἐλθὼν κατῴκησεν εἰς πόλιν λεγομένην Ναζαρέτ, ὅπως πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ τῶν προφητῶν ὅτι Ναζωραῖος κληθήσεται.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Archelaus
Reigned in Judea in place of his father Herod, which made Joseph afraid to settle there and led him to withdraw to Galilee.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 2:22
Joseph
The carpenter of Nazareth, a just man who became Jesus' legal father.
Cited in the guide: Matt. 1:16-25; 2:13-23; Luke 1:27; 2:1-7
Places
Nazareth
A small agricultural village never named in the Old Testament. Jesus spent his childhood and early life here before beginning his public ministry.
Cited in the guide: Luke 2:39-40; Matthew 2:23; John 1:46
Cross references (22)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Micah 5:2; John 7:42; Luke 2:4–7; Psalm 72:9–12; Luke 2:11
- 2 Numbers 24:17; Jeremiah 23:5; Revelation 22:16; Zechariah 9:9; Isaiah 9:6–7
- 3 Acts 17:6–7; John 11:47–48; Matthew 23:37; Acts 4:2; Matthew 8:29
- 4 Acts 23:9; Matthew 7:29; Acts 6:12; Matthew 21:23; Jeremiah 8:8
- 5 John 7:42; Ruth 1:1; 1 Samuel 16:1; Ruth 2:4; Ruth 4:11
- 6 Ezekiel 34:23–25; Micah 5:2; John 7:42; Isaiah 9:6–7; Genesis 49:10
- 7 1 Samuel 18:21; Psalm 83:3–4; Psalm 55:21; Psalm 64:4–6; Exodus 1:10
- 8 1 Corinthians 3:19–20; Luke 20:20–21; Jeremiah 41:5–7; Proverbs 26:24–25; Proverbs 21:30
- 9 2 Peter 1:19; Matthew 2:2; Proverbs 8:17; Psalm 25:12; Proverbs 2:1–6
- 10 Psalm 105:3; Luke 2:20; Luke 2:10; Romans 15:9–13; Psalm 67:4
- 11 Isaiah 60:6; Psalm 72:10; Luke 2:16; Matthew 2:2; Psalm 95:6
- 12 Matthew 2:22; Matthew 2:19; Matthew 2:13; Matthew 27:19; Matthew 1:20
- 13 Acts 10:7; Acts 12:11; Matthew 2:12; Exodus 1:22; Matthew 1:20
- 14 Acts 26:21; Matthew 2:20–21; Matthew 1:24
- 15 Hosea 11:1; Exodus 4:22; Numbers 24:8; Luke 24:44; Matthew 1:22
- 16 Isaiah 59:7; Proverbs 28:15; Revelation 17:6; Daniel 3:19–20; Proverbs 28:17
- 18 Jeremiah 31:15; Jeremiah 9:17–21; Jeremiah 4:31; Genesis 35:16–20; Ezekiel 2:10
- 19 Matthew 1:20; Daniel 8:25; Jeremiah 30:10; Isaiah 51:12; Psalm 139:7
- 20 Exodus 4:19; 1 Kings 12:1–3; Matthew 2:13; 1 Kings 11:21; 1 Kings 11:40
- 21 Genesis 6:22; Hebrews 11:8
- 22 Isaiah 48:17–18; John 7:52; Luke 2:39; Isaiah 30:21; Matthew 2:12–13
- 23 Judges 13:5; John 1:45–46; Mark 1:24; John 18:5; John 19:19
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
We have need of much wakefulness, and many prayers, that we may arrive at the interpretation of the passage now before us, and that we may learn who these wise men were, and whence they came, and how; and at whose persuasion, and what was the star.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… when speaking of the angel, says, "The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in sleep." Of what Lord he does himself interpret: "That it may be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, Out of Egypt have I called my son." "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call …
As wretched Herod feared, and for the Child slew the children. But fearing to lose his kingdom, he deserved not to know the King.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
"Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared:" Attempting to slay that which was born,--an act of extreme idiotcy not of madness only; since what had been said and done was enough to have withholden him from any such attempt.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
When He was about to go into Egypt, that He might overthrow the gods of Egypt made with hands, again an Angel appeareth to Joseph in a dream.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)