Matthew 2:13-23

The Flight to Egypt

13 Now when they had gone, behold, an ¹angel of the Lord ²appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him."

14 So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt.

15 He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "³OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED ⁴MY SON."

Herod Slaughters Babies

16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by ⁵the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and ⁶slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.

17 Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

18 "⁷A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED * TO BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE."

19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord ⁸appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said,

20 "Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child's life are dead."

21 So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.

22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being ⁹warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee,

23 and came and lived in a city called ¹⁰Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: "He shall be called a ¹¹Nazarene."

Cross References

• 1. Acts 5:19; Acts 10:7; Acts 12:7-11
• 2. Matthew 2:12, 19
• 3. Hosea 11:1; Numbers 24:8
• 4. Exodus 4:22
• 5. Matthew 2:1
• 6. Isaiah 59:7
• 7. Jeremiah 31:15
• 8. Matthew 1:20; Matthew 2:12, 13, 22
• 9. Matt 2:12, 13, 19
• 10. Luke 1:26; Luke 2:39; John 1:45, 46
• 11. Mark 1:24; John 18:5, 7; John 19:19

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "he"
• [b]. Lit "was"
• [c]. Lit "he"