MODERN LITERAL VERSION

2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, {F} wise-men from the east came into Jerusalem, saying,
2:2 Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For* we saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.
2:3 And when Herod the king heard it, he was disturbed and all Jerusalem with him.
2:4 And gathering together all the high-priests and scribes of the people, he inquired from them where the Christ should be born.

2:5 And they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea; for* thus it has been written through the prophet,
2:6 ‘And Bethlehem, a land of Judah, you are by no means least among the governors of Judah; for* a leader will come forth from you, who will shepherd my people Israel.' {Mic. 5:2, 2Sam 5:2}

2:7 Then Herod, having called the {F} wise-men secretly, ascertained accurately from them the time of the star's appearing.
2:8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and probe out accurately the things concerning the young child. And whenever you* have found him, report to me, *that I may also come and may worship him.
2:9 And having heard the king, they went away. And behold, the star, which they saw in the east, was preceding them until it came and stood above where the young child was.
2:10 And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with extremely great joy.
2:11 And they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother. They fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they brought gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh to him. {Is. 60:6, Ps. 72:10, 15}
2:12 And being divinely-warned in a dream not to revisit Herod, they departed into their own country through another way.

2:13 Now when they had departed, behold, a messenger of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and escape into Egypt, and be there until I should tell you, because Herod is about to seek the young child to destroy him.
2:14 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt;
2:15 and they were there until the end of Herod; in order that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.' {Hos. 11:1}
2:16 Then Herod, seeing that he was mocked by the {F} wise-men, was exceedingly enraged, and sent forth soldiers and assassinated all the boys who were in Bethlehem, and in all its borders, from two years and downward, according to the time which he had ascertained accurately from the {F} wise-men.
2:17 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying,
2:18 ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, mourning, and weeping, and much anguish, Rachel weeping for her children. And she did not wish to be comforted, because they are not there.' {Jer. 31:15}

2:19 But when Herod was dead*, behold, a messenger of the Lord appears in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
2:20 saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for* those seeking the young child's life have died.
2:21 And he arose and took the young child and his mother and entered into the land of Israel.
2:22 But when he heard that Archelaus is reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being divinely-warned in a dream, he departed into the parts of Galilee,
2:23 and having come, he dwelt in a city called Nazareth; *that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, that he will be called a Nazarene.
{Footnotes: Mt 2:1, 7, 16- Or Magi, a title of Persian wise-men; Compare Esther 1:13, Dan. 2:12.}
{Mk 1:1-8 & Mt 3:1-12 & Lk 3:1-18) Judea near Jordan River 25 or 26 AD.}