< Matiu 2 >

1 Mgbe a mụchara Jisọs na Betlehem nke Judịa nʼoge Herọd bụ eze, ndị amamihe si ọwụwa anyanwụ bịaruru Jerusalem,
Now after the birth of Jesus, which took place at Bethlehem in Judaea in the reign of King Herod, excitement was produced in Jerusalem by the arrival of certain Magi from the east,
2 na-ajụ ajụjụ sị, “Olee ebe ọ nọ, bụ onye a mụrụ ịbụ eze ndị Juu? Anyị hụrụ kpakpando ya nʼọwụwa anyanwụ, ma bịa ịkpọ isiala nye ya.”
inquiring, "Where is the newly born king of the Jews? For we have seen his Star in the east, and have come here to do him homage."
3 Mgbe eze Herọd nụrụ nke a, obi lọrọ ya mmiri nke ukwuu, ya na ndị niile bi na Jerusalem.
Reports of this soon reached the king, and greatly agitated not only him but all the people of Jerusalem.
4 Mgbe ọ kpọkọtara ndịisi nchụaja na ndị ozizi iwu niile, ọ jụrụ ha, olee ebe e kwuru na a ga-amụ Kraịst ahụ.
So he assembled all the High Priests and Scribes of the people, and anxiously asked them where the Christ was to be born.
5 Ha zara ya sị, “Na Betlehem nke Judịa. Nʼihi na otu a ka onye amụma ahụ dere nʼakwụkwọ sị,
"At Bethlehem in Judaea," they replied; "for so it stands written in the words of the Prophet,
6 “‘Ma gị onwe gị, Betlehem, dị nʼala Juda, ị dịghị nta karịchasịa nʼetiti ndị ọchịchị Juda, nʼihi na ọ bụ site na gị ka onye ọchịchị ga-esi pụta, onye ga-achị ndị nke m Izrel.’”
"'And thou, Bethlehem in the land of Judah, by no means the least honorable art thou among princely places in Judah! For from thee shall come a prince--one who shall be the Shepherd of My People Israel.'"
7 Mgbe ahụ Herọd kpọrọ ndị amamihe ahụ na nzuzo jụpụta ha banyere oge kpakpando ahụ ji pụta ìhè.
Thereupon Herod sent privately for the Magi and ascertained from them the exact time of the star's appearing.
8 O zipụrụ ha ije Betlehem sị ha, “Gaanụ lee anya nke ọma chọpụta ebe nwantakịrị ahụ nọ. Mgbe unu chọtara ya, bịanụ mee ka m mara, ka m gaakwa kpọọ isiala nye ya.”
He then directed them to go to Bethlehem, adding, "Go and make careful inquiry about the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and do him homage."
9 Mgbe ha nụrụ okwu eze, ha pụrụ gawa, ma kpakpando ahụ ha hụrụ nʼọwụwa anyanwụ pụtakwara ọzọ, na-aga nʼihu ha ruo mgbe ọ bịara guzo nʼelu ebe nwantakịrị ahụ nọ.
After hearing what the king said, they went to Bethlehem, while, strange to say, the star they had seen in the east led them on until it came and stood over the place where the babe was.
10 Ha ṅụrịrị ọṅụ nke ukwuu mgbe ha hụrụ kpakpando ahụ.
When they saw the star, the sight filled them with intense joy.
11 Ka ha banyere nʼụlọ ahụ, ha hụrụ nwantakịrị ahụ na nne ya Meri, ha gburu ikpere nʼala ma kpọọrọ ya isiala. Ha meghere akpa akụ ha nye ya onyinye ọlaedo na ọkpụrụkpụ eso osisi na-esi isi ụtọ a na-akpọ frankisens, ya na máá.
So they entered the house; and when they saw the babe with His mother Mary, they prostrated themselves and did Him homage, and opening their treasure-chests offered gifts to Him--gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 Nʼihi na a dọrọ ha aka na ntị na nrọ ka ha ghara ịlaghachikwuru Herọd, ha sitere nʼụzọ ọzọ laghachi obodo ha.
But being forbidden by God in a dream to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by a different route.
13 Mgbe ndị amamihe ahụ lasịrị, mmụọ ozi Onyenwe anyị mere ka Josef hụ ya na nrọ, ọ sịrị ya, “Bilie ọsịịsọ kpọrọ nwantakịrị a na nne ya gbalaa Ijipt. Alọghachikwala tutu ruo mgbe m ga-agwa gị, nʼihi na Herọd na-achọ nwantakịrị a ka o gbuo ya.”
When they were gone, and angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise: take the babe and His mother and escape to Egypt, and remain there till I bring you word. For Herod is about to make search for the child in order to destroy Him."
14 Nʼoge abalị, Josef biliri kpọrọ Meri na nwantakịrị ahụ gbalaa Ijipt.
So Joseph roused himself and took the babe and His mother by night and departed into Egypt.
15 Ebe ahụ ka ha nọgidere tutu ruo mgbe Herọd nwụrụ. Nke a mere ka okwu ahụ Onyenwe anyị kwuru site nʼọnụ onye amụma mezuo. “Ọ bụkwa site nʼIjipt ka m kpọpụtara nwa m.”
There he remained till Herod's death, that what the Lord had said through the Prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."
16 Iwe were Herọd nke ukwuu mgbe ọ chọpụtara na ndị amamihe ahụ aghọọla ya aghụghọ. Nʼihi ya, o nyere iwu banyere Betlehem na obodo nta ndị ọzọ gbara ya gburugburu, ka ha gbuo ụmụntakịrị niile nọ nʼobodo ndị a, bụ ndị gbara site nʼafọ abụọ gbadaa, dị ka ihe ọ nụtara site nʼọnụ ndị amamihe si dị.
Then Herod, finding that the Magi had trifled with him, was furious, and sent and massacred all the boys under two years of age, in Bethlehem and all its neighbourhood, according to the date he had so carefully ascertained from the Magi.
17 E sitekwara otu a mezuo amụma ahụ Jeremaya buru sị,
Then were these words, spoken by the Prophet Jeremiah, fulfilled,
18 “A nụrụ otu olu na Rema, ịkwa akwa na oke iru ụjụ dị, Rechel na-akwa akwa nʼihi ụmụ ya; ọ dịghị nkasiobi ọbụla dịrị ya, nʼihi na ha adịghịkwa.”
"A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and bitter lamentation: It was Rachel bewailing her children, and she refused to be comforted because there were no more."
19 Mgbe Herọd nwụrụ, mmụọ ozi Onyenwe anyị bịakwutere Josef na nrọ nʼIjipt
But after Herod's death an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said to him,
20 sị ya, “Bilie, kpọrọ nwantakịrị ahụ na nne ya laghachi nʼala Izrel nʼihi na ndị na-achọ igbu ya anwụọla.”
"Rise from sleep, and take the child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead."
21 Ya mere, o biliri, kpọọrọ nwantakịrị ahụ na nne ya, laghachi nʼala Izrel.
So he roused himself and took the child and His mother and came into the land of Israel.
22 Mgbe ọ nụrụ na eze ọhụrụ gbanwere Herọd na Judịa bụ nwa ya a na-akpọ Akelus, egwu tụrụ Josef ịlaghachi ebe ahụ. Ma nʼihi na adọwo ya aka na ntị na nrọ, ọ wezugara onwe ya gaa nʼakụkụ Galili.
But hearing that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod on the throne of Judaea, he was afraid to go there; and being instructed by God in a dream he withdrew into Galilee,
23 Ọ gara biri nʼobodo a na-akpọ Nazaret. E sitekwara otu a mezuo okwu ọnụ ndị amụma sị na, “A ga-akpọ ya onye Nazaret.”
and went and settled in a town called Nazareth, in order that these words spoken through the Prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

< Matiu 2 >