The Magi visit the Messiah
1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi2:1 Traditionally wise men from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’
3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5‘In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written:
6‘ “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.”2:6 Micah 5:2,4’
7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.’
9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
The escape to Egypt
13When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.’
14So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’2:15 Hosea 11:1
16When Herod realised that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18‘A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.’2:18 Jer. 31:15
The return to Nazareth
19After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.’
21So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.
A visita dos sábios
1Jesus nasceu na cidade de Belém na Judeia, durante o reinado de Herodes. Por aquela altura, chegaram a Jerusalém, vindos de terras do Oriente, uns homens sábios 2que inquiriram: “Onde está o rei dos judeus que acaba de nascer? Pois vimos a sua estrela lá no Oriente e viemos para o adorar.”
3O rei Herodes ficou muito preocupado ao ouvir isto e toda a cidade de Jerusalém também. 4Então o rei mandou reunir os principais sacerdotes judaicos e os especialistas na Lei2.4 Trata-se dos escribas que copiavam a Lei de Moisés e que também se dedicavam a interpretá-la. e perguntou-lhes onde haveria de nascer o Cristo.
5“Em Belém”, responderam-lhe, “pois o profeta Miqueias escreveu o seguinte:
6‘Tu, Belém, na terra de Judá,
não és de forma alguma a menor
entre as localidades principais de Judá;
porque sairá de ti um governador
para conduzir o meu povo de Israel.’ ”2.6 Mq 5.2, 4.
7Então Herodes enviou um recado secreto àqueles sábios do Oriente, pedindo que lhe fossem falar; e soube pela boca deles a altura exata em que tinham visto a estrela pela primeira vez. 8“Vão a Belém e procurem cuidadosamente esse menino. Quando o encontrarem, venham dizer-me, para que também possa ir adorá-lo!”
9Terminado o encontro, os sábios retomaram o caminho. A estrela que tinham visto no oriente ia adiante deles, parando sobre o lugar em que estava o menino. 10Ao tornar a ver a estrela, a alegria deles foi grande. 11Entrando na casa onde estavam o bebé e Maria, sua mãe, inclinaram-se diante dele em adoração e seguidamente ofereceram-lhe ouro, incenso e mirra. 12Contudo, quando regressaram à sua terra, não passaram por Jerusalém para informar Herodes, visto que Deus os avisara, por meio de um sonho, de que deveriam voltar por outro caminho.
A fuga para o Egito
13Depois de terem partido, um anjo do Senhor avisou José em sonhos: “Levanta-te e foge para o Egito com o menino e sua mãe, e fica por lá até eu te dizer que voltes, pois o rei Herodes vai procurar matá-lo.” 14Naquela mesma noite José partiu para o Egito com Maria e o menino, 15e ficou lá até à morte do rei Herodes, cumprindo-se assim as palavras do profeta: “Do Egito chamei o meu filho.”2.15 Os 11.1.
16Herodes ficou furioso ao saber que os sábios o tinham enganado. Mandou então soldados a Belém com ordem para matar todas as crianças até aos dois anos de idade, tanto na cidade como nos arredores, visto terem passado dois anos desde que os sábios tinham dito que a estrela lhes aparecera pela primeira vez. 17Este ato deu cumprimento à profecia de Jeremias:
18“Ouve-se em Ramá um clamor,
amargas lamentações e um pranto imenso;
é Raquel chorando pelos seus filhos;
e está absolutamente inconsolável,
porque foram-se definitivamente.”2.18 Jr 31.15.
O regresso a Nazaré
19Quando Herodes morreu, o anjo do Senhor apareceu de novo em sonhos a José, no Egito: 20“Levanta-te e leva outra vez a criança e a sua mãe para Israel, pois já morreram aqueles que procuravam a morte do menino.”
21José voltou então para Israel com Jesus e a mãe. 22Já a caminho, assustou-se ao saber que o novo rei era Arquelau, filho de Herodes. Contudo, num outro sonho, foi avisado de que não se dirigisse para a Judeia, mas seguisse antes para a Galileia. 23Ficou a morar em Nazaré e cumpriu-se, assim, a predição dos profetas acerca do Cristo: “Chamar-se-á nazareno.”
