Matthew 1:18–2:12

The Birth of Jesus Christ

¹⁸Now 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. ¹⁹So Joseph her husband, being righteous and not wanting to disgrace her, intended to divorce her secretly. ²⁰But 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. ²¹And she will give birth to a son, and you will call his name ‘Jesus,’ because he will save his people from their sins.” ²²Now 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 ²⁵and did not have sexual relations with^k her until she gave birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Wise Men Visit Jesus

2Now after^* Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, ²saying, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star at its rising^a and have come to worship him.” ³And when^* King Herod heard it,^* he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him, ⁴and after^* calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired from them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵So 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

⁷Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and^* determined precisely from them the time when^* the star appeared. ⁸And 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.” ⁹After^* they listened to the king, they went out, and behold, the star which they had seen at its rising^c led them until it came and^* stood above the place where the child was. ¹⁰Now when they^* saw the star, they rejoiced with very great joy. ¹¹And 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. ¹²And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.