Matthew 1:18–2:12

The Nativity of the Messiah

¹⁸The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. ^w19So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, ^xand not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. ^y

²⁰But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. ^z21She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, ^abbecause He will save His people from their sins.” ^c

²²Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

²³See, the virgin will become pregnant

and give birth to a son,

and they will name Him Immanuel, ^d

which is translated “God is with us.” ^e

²⁴When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her ^f25but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son. ^gAnd he named Him Jesus. ^h

Wise Men Seek the King

2After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem, ⁱ²saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? ^jFor we saw His star in the east ^kland have come to worship Him.” ^m

³When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes ⁿof the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.

⁵“In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet:

⁶And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the leaders of Judah:

because out of you will come a leader

who will shepherd My people Israel.” ^op

⁷Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. ⁸He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find Him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship Him.” ^qr

⁹After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen in the east! ^sIt led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. ¹⁰When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure. ¹¹Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him. ^tThen they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ^u12And being warned ^vin a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.