Matthew 1:18–2:12
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ occurred in this way. His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found ⌊to be pregnant⌋g by the Holy Spirit. 19 So Joseph her husband, being righteous and not wanting to disgrace her, intended to divorce her secretly. 20 But as* he was considering these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will give birth to a son, and you will call his name ‘Jesus,’ because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 Now all this happened in order that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying,
23 “Behold, the virgin ⌊will become pregnant⌋h and will give birth to a son,
and they will call his name Emmanuel,”i
which is translated, “God with us.”j 24 And Joseph, when he* woke up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and he took his wife 25 and ⌊did not have sexual relations with⌋k her until she gave birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
2 Now after* Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star at its risinga and have come to worship him.” 3 And when* King Herod heard it,* he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him, 4 and after* calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired from them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
for from you will go out a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”b
7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and* determined precisely from them the time when* the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and* said, “Go, inquire carefully concerning the child, and when you have found him, report to me so that I also may come and* worship him.” 9 After* they listened to the king, they went out, and behold, the star which they had seen at its risingc led them until it came and* stood above the place where the child was. 10 Now when they* saw the star, they rejoiced with very great joy. 11 And when they* came into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and* worshiped him. And opening their treasure boxes, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.