New Living Translation NLT
Common English Bible CEB
1 Jesus 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,
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After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east 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.”
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They asked, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We've seen his star in the east, and we've come to honor him."
3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.
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When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him.
4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
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He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born.
5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
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They said, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote:
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.’ ”
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You, Bethlehem, land of Judah, by no means are you least among the rulers of Judah, because from you will come one who governs, who will shepherd my people Israel."
7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared.
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Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared.
8 Then 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!”
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He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search carefully for the child. When you've found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him."
9 After 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.
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When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was.
10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!
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When they saw the star, they were filled with joy.
11 They 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.
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They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 When 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.
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Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.
13 After 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.”
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When the magi had departed, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up. Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod will soon search for the child in order to kill him."
14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother,
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Joseph got up and, during the night, took the child and his mother to Egypt.
15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”
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He stayed there until Herod died. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I have called my son out of Egypt.
16 Herod 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.
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When Herod knew the magi had fooled him, he grew very angry. He sent soldiers to kill all the children in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding territory who were two years old and younger, according to the time that he had learned from the magi.
17 Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
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This fulfilled the word spoken through Jeremiah the prophet:
18 “A cry was heard in Ramah— weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.”
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A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and much grieving. Rachel weeping for her children, and she did not want to be comforted, because they were no more.
19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.
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After King Herod died, an angel from 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.”
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"Get up," the angel said, "and take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel. Those who were trying to kill the child are dead."
21 So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother.
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Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.
22 But 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.
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But when he heard that Archelaus ruled over Judea in place of his father Herod, Joseph was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he went to the area of Galilee.
23 So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
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He settled in a city called Nazareth so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled: He will be called a Nazarene.
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