< Matthew 2 >

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of King Herod, wise men came from the east to Jerusalem.
耶稣诞生在犹太的伯利恒,当时正是希律王执政时期。耶稣诞生后,几位智者从东方来到耶路撒冷。
2 “Where is the King of the Jews who has been born?” they asked. “We saw his star in the east and we've come to worship him.”
他们说:“犹太之王已经诞生,他在哪里?我们看到他的明星显现于东方的夜空,特来拜访。”
3 When King Herod heard about it, he was very disturbed, and the whole of Jerusalem with him.
希律王听闻此言颇感紧张,整个耶路撒冷城的民众也内心惴惴。
4 Herod summoned all the chief priests and religious teachers of the people, and asked them where the Messiah was supposed to be born.
希律召集所有的祭司长和民间的宗教老师,询问他们弥赛亚可能会诞生在何处。
5 “Bethlehem in Judea,” they told him, “for that's what the prophet wrote:
众人回答:“在犹太的伯利恒。因为先知曾写道:
6 ‘Bethlehem in the land of Judea, you are certainly not the least important of Judah's leading cities, for a leader will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”
犹大的伯利恒啊,你在犹大诸城中并非渺小,因为未来你们中将诞生一位领袖,他将带领以色列人。”
7 Then Herod called the wise men and met with them in private and found out from them exactly when the star appeared.
听闻此言,希律私下叫来几位智者,仔细询问那颗星具体出现的时间。
8 He sent them to Bethlehem, telling them, “When you get there, search for the child. Once you find him let me know so that I can come and worship him too.”
然后他派他们去伯利恒,还说:“你们到了那里后,仔细寻找那个孩子,找到后就来向我报告,我也会去拜见他。”
9 After they had heard what the king had to say they went on their way, and the star which they had seen in the east led them until it stopped right above the place where the child was.
智者于是听从国王的旨意出发,他们之前看到的那颗星位于东方,一路指引着他们,最终停在孩子所在之处的上空。
10 When they saw the star they couldn't contain their happiness!
看到这颗星,智者们分外欢喜!
11 They went into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. They bowed and worshiped him. Then they opened their bags of treasure and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
他们随即走进房屋,看见孩子与其母亲玛利亚。于是他们伏拜在孩子面前,打开宝袋,将里面的黄金、乳香、没药作为礼物送给他。
12 Warned by a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by a different route.
由于主曾托梦警告他们,不要将眼前所见禀报希律王,于是他们便从另外一条道路回到了自己的国家。
13 After they'd left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, and told him, “Get up, and take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt. Remain there until I tell you, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
智者离开后,主的天使出现在约瑟的梦中,告诉他:“快起来!带着孩子和他的母亲逃到埃及并住下,等候我的指示。因为希律一定会想方设法找到这孩子并将他除掉。”
14 So Joseph got up and took the boy and his mother, and left during the night for Egypt.
约瑟醒来后,立刻连夜带着孩子和妻子向埃及逃去。
15 They stayed there until Herod's death. This fulfilled what the Lord said through the prophet, “I called my son out of Egypt.”
此后便一直住在那里,直到希律王驾崩。这件事应验了主借先知所传达的预言:“我从埃及唤出我儿。”
16 When Herod realized he'd been fooled by the wise men, he got very angry. He sent men to kill all the young boys in Bethlehem and the regions nearby who were two years old and under. This was based on the time frame he'd discovered from the wise men.
希律发现智者欺骗了他,非常生气。根据从智者处打听的信息,他推测这个男孩应该不到两岁,于是立刻下令杀掉伯利恒城内及周边地区所有两岁以下男孩。
17 In this way Jeremiah's prophecy was fulfilled:
这正应了先知耶利米的预言:
18 “The sound of terrible weeping and mourning was heard in Rama, Rachel crying for her children. They are dead, and she can't be comforted.”
在拉玛传来可怕的痛哭与哀嚎,拉结为其子女哭泣,白发人送黑发人,这是任何安慰都无法抚平的悲伤。
19 After Herod died the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and told him,
希律王驾崩之后,主派天使向住在埃及的约瑟托梦,告诉他:
20 “Get up! Take the child and his mother, and return to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”
“出发吧!带着孩子和孩子的母亲去以色列,因为想要取这孩子性命的人已死去。”
21 So Joseph got up and took the boy and his mother, and returned to the land of Israel.
约瑟醒来后,便带着孩子和孩子的母亲动身前往以色列。
22 But Joseph was afraid to go there after he learned that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as king of Judea. Warned in a dream, Joseph went to the Galilee area
但当他听说希律之子亚基劳斯继位做了犹太王,便害怕回到以色列。由于在梦中获得警告,于是他便去了加利利,
23 and settled down in Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said, “He will be called a Nazarene.”
在一座名为拿撒勒的城市中安顿下来。这应验了先知的那句话:人们将称他为拿撒勒人。

< Matthew 2 >