Matthew 2 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of King Herod, wise men came from the east to 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,
2 “Where is the King of the Jews who has been born?” they asked. “We saw his star in the east and we've come to worship 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.”
3 When King Herod heard about it, he was very disturbed, and the whole of Jerusalem with him.
3 When King Herod heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 Herod summoned all the chief priests and religious teachers of the people, and asked them where the Messiah was supposed to be born.
4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ would be born.
5 “Bethlehem in Judea,” they told him, “for that's what the prophet wrote:
5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is written through the prophet,
6 ‘Bethlehem in the land of Judea, you are certainly not the least important of Judah's leading cities, for a leader will come from you who will be the shepherd for 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.’”
7 Then Herod called the wise men and met with them in private and found out from them exactly when the star appeared.
7 Then Herod secretly called the wise men, and learned from them exactly what time the star appeared.
8 He sent them to Bethlehem, telling them, “When you get there, search for the child. Once you find him let me know so that I can come and worship him too.”
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.”
9 After they had heard what the king had to say they went on their way, and the star which they had seen in the east led them until it stopped right 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.
10 When they saw the star they couldn't contain their happiness!
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
11 They went into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. They bowed and worshiped him. Then they opened their bags of treasure and presented him with gifts of 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.
12 Warned by a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by a different route.
12 Being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country another way.
13 After they'd left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, and told him, “Get up, and take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt. Remain there until I tell you, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill 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.”
14 So Joseph got up and took the boy and his mother, and left during the night for Egypt.
14 He arose and took the young child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt,
15 They stayed there until Herod's death. This fulfilled what the Lord said through the prophet, “I called my son out of Egypt.”
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.”
16 When Herod realized he'd been fooled by the wise men, he got very angry. He sent men to kill all the young boys in Bethlehem and the regions nearby who were two years old and under. This was based on the time frame he'd discovered from the wise men.
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.
17 In this way Jeremiah's prophecy was fulfilled:
17 Then that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying,
18 “The sound of terrible weeping and mourning was heard in Rama, Rachel crying for her children. They are dead, and she can't be comforted.”
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.”
19 After Herod died the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and told him,
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying,
20 “Get up! Take the child and his mother, and return to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”
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.”
21 So Joseph got up and took the boy and his mother, and returned to the land of Israel.
21 He arose and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But Joseph was afraid to go there after he learned that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as king of Judea. Warned in a dream, Joseph went to the Galilee area
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,
23 and settled down in Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said, “He will 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.
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)