1 Once Jesus {Iesous, Promised Messiah} had been born in Bethlehem of Judea, during the reign of Herod the king, behold, magi {magoi: court astrologers} from eastern regions came to Jerusalem.
2 Inquiring, “Where is the one who has been born King {basileus: royal ruler} of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising, and we have come to worship {proskynesai: bow in reverence} him.”
3 But when King {basileus: political ruler} Herod heard this, he was thrown into turmoil, and all Jerusalem {Hierosolyma: city and people} shared that turmoil too.
4 After gathering all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ {Christos, Promised Messiah} was to be born {gennatai: to come to birth}.
5 But they said to him, "In Bethlehem {Bethleem: modest village} of Judea, because this is how it stands written by the prophet {prophetes: inspired speaker}."
6 And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means the least {elachiste: lowest rank} among Judah's rulers; for from you will come forth a ruler who will shepherd {poimanei: will tend} my people Israel.
7 Then Herod {Herodes: Judean client ruler}, in secret, arranged for the magi {magous: eastern astrologers} to come to him and pinned down from them the timing of the star's appearance.
8 After sending them to Bethlehem, he said, “Go and search carefully {akribos: with exact care} for the child {paidion: little one}, and when you find Him, report back to me, so that I too, having come, may worship Him.”
9 Once they had heard the king {basileos: Royal Authority}, they set out, and behold, the star {aster: Guiding Sign} they had seen at its rising went ahead of them until it came and stood above where the child was.
10 But when they saw the star, they rejoiced {echaresan: burst of joy} with overwhelming {sphodra: very intensely} delight.
11 When they came into the house, they saw the child with Mary, His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him {Iesous, Royal Child}. Then they opened their treasures {thesauros: stored valuables} and offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 And after receiving a warning in a dream not to turn back to Herod {Herodes: Threatening Ruler}, they withdrew by another road and went to their own country {chora: Native Land}.
13 Once they had gone away, look, an angel of the Lord {Kyrios, Child Protector} appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Rise, take the Child and His mother, and flee {pheuge: run for protection} into Egypt, and remain there until I speak to you; for Herod is about to search for the Child to destroy Him.”
14 But once he had risen, he took along the Child {paidion: vulnerable child} and His mother under cover of night, and withdrew into Egypt {Aigyptos: sheltering refuge}.
15 And he remained there until Herod's death, so that what had been said by the Lord {Kyrios, Covenant Speaker} through the prophet might be fulfilled: “I called My son {huios: Cherished Child} out of Egypt.”
16 Then Herod, after seeing that he had been outwitted by the magi {magoi: eastern sages}, became very angry, and after sending, he put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and in all its districts {horiois: surrounding region}, from two years old and below, according to the time he had determined precisely from the magi.
17 Then the word spoken through Jeremiah the prophet {prophetes: inspired herald} found its fulfillment {eplerothe: brought to completion}, saying,
18 In Ramah {Rama: mourning site}, a cry was heard: weeping and intense lament—Rachel was weeping over her children, and she would not accept comfort, because they were no longer present {ouk eisin: absent now}.
19 But after Herod had died, look, an angel of the Lord {Kyrios, Guiding Sovereign} made an appearance in a dream to Joseph in Egypt {Aigyptos: place of refuge}.
20 He said, “After getting up, take the child {paidion: little one} and his mother with you, and make your way to the land {ge: homeland} of Israel, for the people who were seeking the child’s life have died.”
21 After he rose {egertheis: prompt rising}, he took the child and his mother, and entered the land of Israel {Israel: covenant homeland}.
22 But after hearing that Archelaus {Archelaos: Herodian successor} was reigning over Judea in his father Herod's place, he was afraid to go there; and, having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the regions of Galilee {Galilaia: northern district}.
23 And when he came, he took up residence in a town named Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might come to completion: “He {Iesous, Prophecy Fulfiller} will be called a Nazarene {Nazoraios: one from Nazareth}.”