Matthew

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

1Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a town in the region of Judea, while Herod was king. After that, wise men came from lands to the east and arrived in Jerusalem.

Note"Wise men" translates a word for scholars from the east who studied the stars. The KJV word does not mean they were simply clever men.

2Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

2They asked, "Where is the child who has been born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star rise in the east, and we came to worship him."

3When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

3When King Herod heard this, it upset him, and it upset everyone in Jerusalem too.

4And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

4So he called together all the chief priests and the teachers of the law. He asked them where the Christ was to be born.

Note"Christ" is a title, not a name. It means the chosen and promised king that God had said he would send.

5And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

5They told him, "In Bethlehem, in Judea. This is what the prophet wrote:

6And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

6'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are certainly not the smallest of Judah's ruling towns. A leader will come from you who will shepherd my people Israel.'"

7Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

7Then Herod called the wise men to a private meeting. He asked them carefully to tell him exactly when the star had appeared.

8And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, tell me, so I can go and worship him too."

9When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

9After they heard the king, they left. The star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.

10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

10When they saw the star, they were filled with joy.

11And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

11They went into the house and saw the child with his mother Mary. They knelt down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

NoteFrankincense and myrrh are tree saps that were dried and burned for their sweet smell, or used as perfume. Both were costly gifts.

12And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

12God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they returned to their own country by a different road.

13And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

13After they left, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. The angel said, "Get up. Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you to leave. Herod is going to look for the child so he can kill him."

14When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

14So Joseph got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and left for Egypt.

15And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

15He stayed there until Herod died. This happened so that what the Lord had said through the prophet would come true: "I called my son out of Egypt."

16Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

16Herod realized the wise men had tricked him, and he was furious. He sent orders to kill every boy in Bethlehem and the area around it who was two years old or younger. He chose that age from what the wise men had told him about when the star appeared.

Note"Coasts" in the KJV does not mean seashores. It means the borders or the surrounding countryside.

17Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,

17So what the prophet Jeremiah had said came true:

18In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

18"A sound was heard in Ramah: crying, weeping, and deep sadness. Rachel was weeping for her children, and she would not be comforted, because they were gone."

19But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

19After Herod died, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream while he was in Egypt.

20Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.

20The angel said, "Get up. Take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel. The men who wanted to kill the child are dead."

21And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

21So Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.

22But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:

22But he heard that Archelaus was now ruling Judea in his father Herod's place, and he was afraid to go there. God warned him in a dream, so he went instead to the region of Galilee.

23And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

23He went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This happened so that what the prophets had said would come true: "He will be called a Nazarene."