Herod the Great

1Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem, in the land of Judea. Herod was king at that time. Wise men from a country in the east came to Jerusalem.

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,

NoteBethlehem was a small town. Judea was the part of the land around Jerusalem. Herod was a king who ruled there for the Romans. The wise men were men who studied the stars.

2They asked, "Where is the baby who was born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east. We have come to worship him."

Saying, 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.

Note"The Jews" means God's people who lived in that land. Long ago people watched the sky for signs. A new star could mean a new king had been born.

3When King Herod heard this, he was upset. Everyone in Jerusalem was upset too.

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

NoteHerod was upset because he wanted to stay king. A new king could take his place.

4Herod called together the leading priests and the scribes, the men who studied and copied God's writings. He asked them where the Christ, God's promised king, would be born.

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

NotePriests were men who led worship at God's temple. Scribes copied God's words by hand, so they knew them well. "Christ" means "the chosen one." God had promised to send him.

5They told him, "In Bethlehem, in Judea. A prophet, a man who told people what God said, wrote it this way:

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

NoteA prophet was a person who told others what God said. Prophets lived long before Jesus was born.

6'Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are not the smallest of Judah's leading towns. A ruler will come out of you. He will care for my people Israel like a shepherd.'"

And 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.

NoteJudah was the family group that lived in that part of the land. A shepherd takes care of sheep and keeps them safe. So a ruler like a shepherd takes care of his people.

7Then Herod called the wise men to meet him in secret. He asked them carefully when the star first appeared.

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

8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and look hard for the child. When you find him, come and tell me. Then I can go and worship him too."

And 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.

NoteHerod said he wanted to worship the child. He was not telling the truth.

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

When 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.

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

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

11They went into the house. They saw the child with Mary his mother. They bowed down to the ground and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure bags. They gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And 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.

NoteFrankincense and myrrh came from the sap of trees. They smelled sweet when they were burned. They cost as much as gold. These were gifts fit for a king. Bowing all the way to the ground showed great honor.

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

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

NoteIn those days God sometimes gave people a message while they were asleep.

13After the wise men left, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. The angel said, "Get up. Take the child and his mother and hurry away to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you to come back. Herod is going to look for the child to kill him."

And 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.

NoteAn angel is a messenger God sends. Egypt was a big country far to the south. Walking there took many days. Herod was not king there, so it was safe.

14Joseph got up. That same night he took the child and his mother and left for Egypt.

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

15He stayed there until Herod died. This made the Lord's words through the prophet come true: "I called my son out of Egypt."

And 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.

NoteThese words come from an older book of the Bible. Long before, God had brought his people out of Egypt.

16Herod saw that the wise men had fooled him. He was very angry. He sent out an order. All the boys in Bethlehem and the towns nearby were killed. Only boys two years old and younger were killed. He picked that age from what the wise men had told him.

Then 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.

NoteThe King James says "coasts." Here that word means the land around the town. It has nothing to do with the sea. "Wroth" is an old word for very angry.

17So the words of Jeremiah the prophet came true. He had said:

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

NoteJeremiah was a prophet. He lived hundreds of years before Jesus was born.

18"A voice was heard in the town of Ramah. There was crying and loud, sad weeping. Rachel was weeping for her children. She would not let anyone comfort her, because they were gone."

In 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.

NoteRamah was a town north of Jerusalem. Rachel was a mother of Israel's families long, long ago. Many of her family lived near Ramah. The words show her crying for children who were gone.

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

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

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."

Saying, 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.

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

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

22But he heard that Archelaus was now ruling Judea instead of his father Herod. Joseph was afraid to go there. God warned him in a dream, so he went to the part of the country called Galilee.

But 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:

NoteArchelaus was Herod's son. He ruled Judea after his father died. Galilee was farther north, away from him. The King James says "in the room of his father." "In the room of" just means "in place of."

23He went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This made the words of the prophets come true: "He will be called a Nazarene."

And 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.

NoteNazareth was a small town in Galilee. A Nazarene means a person from Nazareth.