Matthew · Young's Literal Translation
Matthew 2 Young's Literal Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 And Jesus having been born in Beth-Lehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, lo, mages from the east came to Jerusalem,
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 saw his star in the east, and we came to bow to him.'
2 λέγοντες· ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ τεχθεὶς βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων; εἴδομεν γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀστέρα ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ καὶ ἤλθομεν προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ.
3 And Herod the king having heard, was stirred, and all Jerusalem with him,
3 Ἀκούσας δὲ Ἡρῴδης ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐταράχθη καὶ πᾶσα Ἱεροσόλυμα μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ,
4 and having gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he was inquiring from them where the Christ is 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 Beth-Lehem of Judea, for thus it hath been written through the prophet,
5 οἱ δὲ εἶπον αὐτῷ· ἐν Βηθλεὲμ τῆς Ἰουδαίας· οὕτω γὰρ γέγραπται διὰ τοῦ προφήτου·
6 And thou, Beth-Lehem, the land of Judah, thou art by no means the least among the leaders of Judah, for out of thee shall come one leading, who shall feed 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, privately having called the mages, did inquire exactly from them the time of the appearing star,
7 Τότε Ἡρῴδης λάθρα καλέσας τοὺς μάγους ἠκρίβωσε παρ᾽ αὐτῶν τὸν χρόνον τοῦ φαινομένου ἀστέρος,
8 and having sent them to Beth-Lehem, he said, 'Having gone — inquire ye exactly for the child, and whenever ye may have found, bring me back word, that I also having come may bow to 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 they, having heard the king, departed, and lo, the star, that they did see in the east, did go before them, till, having come, it stood over where the 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 And having seen the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy,
10 ἰδόντες δὲ τὸν ἀστέρα ἐχάρησαν χαρὰν μεγάλην σφόδρα,
11 and having come to the house, they found the child with Mary his mother, and having fallen down they bowed to him, and having opened their treasures, they presented to him gifts, gold, and 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 been divinely warned in a dream not to turn back unto Herod, through another way they withdrew to their own region.
12 καὶ χρηματισθέντες κατ᾽ ὄναρ μὴ ἀνακάμψαι πρὸς Ἡρῴδην, δι᾽ ἄλλης ὁδοῦ ἀνεχώρησαν εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν.
13 And on their having withdrawn, lo, a messenger of the Lord doth appear in a dream to Joseph, saying, 'Having risen, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and be thou there till I may speak to thee, for Herod is about to seek the 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 he, having risen, took the child and his mother by night, and withdrew to Egypt,
14 Ὁ δὲ ἐγερθεὶς παρέλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ νυκτὸς καὶ ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον,
15 and he was there till the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled that was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, 'Out of Egypt I did call 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, having seen that he was deceived by the mages, was very wroth, and having sent forth, he slew all the male children in Beth-Lehem, and in all its borders, from two years and under, according to the time that he inquired exactly from the mages.
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 was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
17 τότε ἐπληρώθη τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ Ἱερεμίου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος·
18 'A voice in Ramah was heard — lamentation and weeping and much mourning — Rachel weeping [for] her children, and she would not be comforted because they are not.'
18 φωνὴ ἐν Ῥαμᾷ ἠκούσθη, θρῆνος καὶ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὀδυρμὸς πολύς· Ῥαχὴλ κλαίουσα τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς, καὶ οὐκ ἤθελε παρακληθῆναι, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσίν.
19 And Herod having died, lo, a messenger of the Lord in a dream doth appear to Joseph in Egypt,
19 Τελευτήσαντος δὲ τοῦ Ἡρῴδου ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος Κυρίου κατ᾽ ὄναρ φαίνεται τῷ Ἰωσὴφ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ
20 saying, 'Having risen, take the child and his mother, and be going to the land of Israel, for they have died — those seeking the life of the child.'
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 he, having risen, took the child and his mother, and came to the land of Israel,
21 ὁ δὲ ἐγερθεὶς παρέλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς γῆν Ἰσραήλ.
22 and having heard that Archelaus doth reign over Judea instead of Herod his father, he was afraid to go thither, and having been divinely warned in a dream, he withdrew to the parts 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 coming, he dwelt in a city named Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled that was spoken through the prophets, that 'A Nazarene he shall be called.'
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
Herod the Great
King of Judea when Jesus was born, who was troubled by the Magi's news of a newborn King of the Jews and had the boys of Bethlehem killed; he is also the king in whose days…
Cited in the guide: Matthew 2:1; Matthew 2:3; Matthew 2:16
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)