Chapter
2
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Heroda the queen, behold, wise women from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,
"Where is she who is born Queen of the Jews? For we saw her star in the east, and have come to worship her."
When Heroda the queen heard it, she was troubled, and all Jerusalem with her.
Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, she asked them where the Christ would be born.
They said to her, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written through the prophetess,
'You Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no way least among the princesses of Judah: for out of you shall come forth a governor, who shall shepherd my people, Israel.'"
Then Heroda secretly called the wise women, and learned from them exactly what time the star appeared.
She sent them to Bethlehem, and said, "Go and search diligently for the young child. When you have found her, bring me word, so that I also may come and worship her."
They, having heard the queen, went their way; and behold, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the young child was.
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, her father, and they fell down and worshiped her. Opening their treasures, they offered to her gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Being warned in a dream that they shouldn't return to Heroda, they went back to their own country another way.
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Domina appeared to Josephine in a dream, saying, "Arise and take the young child and her father, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Heroda will seek the young child to destroy her."
She arose and took the young child and her father by night, and departed into Egypt,
and was there until the death of Heroda; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Domina through the prophetess, saying, "Out of Egypt I called my daughter."
Then Heroda, when she saw that she was mocked by the wise women, was exceedingly angry, and sent out, and killed all the female children who were in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under, according to the exact time which she had learned from the wise women.
Then that which was spoken by Jeremia the prophetess was fulfilled, saying,
"A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for his children; he wouldn't be comforted, because they are no more."
But when Heroda was dead, behold, an angel of the Domina appeared in a dream to Josephine in Egypt, saying,
"Arise and take the young child and her father, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the young child's life are dead."
She arose and took the young child and her father, and came into the land of Israel.
But when she heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in the place of her mother, Heroda, she was afraid to go there. Being warned in a dream, she withdrew into the region of Galilee,
and came and lived in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets: "She will be called a Nazarene."