1Ježiš sa narodil v Betleheme, v Judsku, za vlády kráľa Herodesa. V tom čase prišli do Jeruzalema astrológovia z východných krajín2a vypytovali sa: „Kde je ten židovský kráľ, ktorý sa práve narodil? Videli sme na východe jeho hviezdu a prišli sme sa mu pokloniť.“3Táto novina veľmi znepokojila kráľa Herodesa, ale aj všetkých obyvateľov Jeruzalema.4Zvolal všetkých veľkňazov a učiteľov Zákona a vyzvedal sa ich, kde sa má Mesiáš narodiť.5Odpovedali mu: „V Betleheme, v Judsku, lebo prorok Micheáš predpovedal:6Betlehem, nie si najbezvýznamnejší v Judsku, lebo z teba vyjde vojvodca, ktorý sa bude starať o môj ľud ako pastier o ovce.“7Herodes si tajne pozval astrológov z východu a podrobne sa ich vypytoval, kedy sa tá hviezda po prvý raz zjavila.8Poslal ich do Betlehema a poveril úlohou: „Choďte a dôkladne zistite všetko o tom dieťati, a keď ho nájdete, príďte mi to oznámiť; aj ja sa mu pôjdem pokloniť.“9Astrológovia kráľa vypočuli a dali sa na cestu.10Hviezda sa im znova zjavila a viedla ich až na miesto, kde bolo dieťa. Nevýslovne sa z toho tešili.11Vošli do domu a našli tam dieťa s jeho matkou Máriou. Padli pred ním na kolená a klaňali sa mu. Potom otvorili klenotnice a dali mu vzácne dary: zlato, kadidlo a drahocenný olej.12Vo sne ich však Boh varoval, aby sa nevracali k Herodesovi. Do svojej krajiny sa teda pobrali inou cestou.
Útek do Egypta
13Po ich odchode sa Jozefovi vo sne zjavil anjel a prikázal mu: „Vstaň, vezmi dieťa i jeho matku a uteč s nimi do Egypta; zostaň tam, kým ti nepoviem. Herodes bude totiž pátrať po dieťati, aby ho zahubil.“14Jozef hneď v noci vstal, vzal dieťa i matku a pobral sa s nimi do Egypta.15Tam boli až do smrti kráľa Herodesa. Tak sa splnilo, čo povedal Pán ústami proroka: „Z Egypta som povolal svojho syna.“16Keď Herodes zistil, že ho astrológovia oklamali, vzbĺkol hnevom, do Betlehema i do jeho okolia poslal vojakov a dal povraždiť všetkých chlapcov do dvoch rokov; tento vek vyrátal podľa údajov astrológov.17Vtedy sa splnilo Jeremiášovo proroctvo:18„V Ráme počuť nárek, plač a kvílenie. To Ráchel oplakáva svojich synov a nedá sa potešiť, lebo už nie sú nažive.“19Keď Herodes zomrel, Jozefovi sa znova ukázal vo sne anjel20a povedal mu: „Vezmi dieťa i jeho matku a vráť sa do izraelskej krajiny, lebo už zomreli tí, čo chceli dieťa zabiť.“21Jozef poslúchol a vrátil sa.22Veľmi sa však zľakol, keď sa cestou dozvedel, že Herodesovým nástupcom v Judsku je jeho syn Archelaus. Vo sne dostal ďalší pokyn od Boha, aby šiel do Galiley.23Usadil sa v Nazarete, a tým sa splnilo ďalšie proroctvo o Mesiášovi, že sa bude volať Nazaretský.
1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men[1] from the east came to Jerusalem, (Gn 25,6; 1 Kr 4,30; Lk 1,5; Lk 2,4; Lk 2,15; Jn 7,42)2saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose[2] and have come to worship him.” (Nm 24,17; Jer 23,5; Jer 30,9; Zach 9,9; Mt 8,2; Mt 27,11; Mt 27,37; Zjv 22,16)3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;4and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. (Mt 1,17)5They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:6“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” (2 Sam 5,2; Ez 34,23; Mich 5,2; Jn 21,15; Zjv 7,17)7Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.8And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”9After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.10When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.11And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. (Ex 30,23; 1 Sam 9,7; Ž 45,8; Ž 72,10; Iz 60,6; Jn 19,39; Zjv 18,13)12And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. (Gn 20,6; Gn 31,11; Nm 12,6; Jób 33,15; Mt 2,13; Mt 2,19; Mt 2,22; Mt 27,19)
The Flight to Egypt
13Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” (Mt 1,20; Mt 2,12; Mt 2,19; Mt 2,22)14And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt15and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (Oz 11,1; Mt 1,22)
Herod Kills the Children
16Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.17Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: (Mt 1,22; Mt 27,9)18“A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.” (Gn 42,13; Gn 42,36; Jer 31,15; Nár 5,7)
The Return to Nazareth
19But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,20saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” (Ex 4,19)21And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. (Mt 2,12)23And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene. (Mt 1,22; Mt 4,13; Mk 1,9; Lk 1,26; Lk 2,39; Lk 4,16; Jn 1,45)