Mattityahu 2

¹Now after Yehoshua was born in Beit-Lechem Yehudah, in the days of Herod king — hinei! — chachamim from eretz Mizrach (the land of the East) arrived in Yerushalayim,[#2:1 the Great, the Roman client]

²saying, Where is he that is born Melech HaYehudim? For we have seen his KOCHAV (star) in the Mizrach and come to fall down before him.[#2:2 Num 24:17]

³Because Herod the king heard this, he was terribly shaken, and all Yerushalayim with him.

⁴And assembling all the Rashei Hakohanim and Sofrim of the people, he inquired of them the place where Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was to be born.

⁵They told him, In Beit-Lechem Yehudah; because so it stands written by the Navi:

⁶And YOU, BEIT-LECHEM, (Bethlehem, Mic 5:1 [2]) in eretz Yehudah are by no means least among the shtetlach (towns) or ruling of Yehudah; because out of you will come a Moshel (Ruler) who will be the Ro'eh Ami Yisroel.[#2:6b alafim]

⁷Then Herod secretly summoned the chachamim and ascertained from them the exact date of the manifestation of the KOCHAV.

⁸Then he sent them to Beit-Lechem, saying, Go and make a thorough search for the yeled (child) ; as soon as you have found him, report to me, so that I, as you, may come and fall down before him.

⁹After they heard the king, they departed, and hinei! The KOCHAV they had seen in the Mizrach (East) was going ahead of them until it came and stood above the place where the yeled was.

¹⁰When they saw the KOCHAV, they rejoiced with exceedingly great nachas (joy) .

¹¹And, entering the bais (house) , they beheld the yeled with Miryam, his Em, and prostrated themselves before him. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

¹²And having been warned in a chalom (dream) not to return to Herod, they took refuge in their own country by another way.

¹³And when they had gone — hinei! — a malach Hashem appeared to Yosef in a chalom (dream) , saying, Arise, and take the yeled and his Em, and flee to Eretz Mitzrayim (Egypt) , and stay there until I tell you, for Herod is about to seek the yeled to destroy him.[#2:13 Ben Dovid]

¹⁴So, having got up, Yosef took the yeled, and his Em by night and departed for Eretz Mitzrayim.[#2:14 ben Dovid]

¹⁵And Yosef was there until the mot Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by Hashem through the Navi, UMIMITZRAYIM KARATI LIVNI (Out of Egypt have I called my Son) .[#2:15 ben Dovid; #2:15 Hos 11:1]

¹⁶When Herod saw that he had been outwitted by the chachamim, he was greatly enraged, and he ordered the slaughter of all the yeladim in Beit-Lechem and its vicinity who were two years old or under, in accordance with the time that he had learned from the chachamim.

¹⁷Then came the fulfillment of what was spoken through Yirmeyah HaNavi:

¹⁸KOL BRAMAH NISHMAH (A voice was heard in Ramah) , a voice of bitter weeping and mourning. Rachel is crying for her yeladim; she refuses to be comforted, because they are no more.[#2:18 Jer 31:14; #2:18 15]

¹⁹When Herod died, hinei, in Eretz Mitzrayim a malach Hashem appeared to Yosef in a chalom (dream) ,[#2:19 ben Dovid]

²⁰saying, Arise, and take the yeled and his Em and go to Eretz Yisroel, for those seeking the life of the yeled are dead.

²¹And Yosef arose and took the yeled and his Em, and entered Eretz Yisroel.[#2:21 ben Dovid]

²²And when Yosef heard that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as king of Yehudah, Yosef was afraid to go there. And, having been warned in a chalom, he departed into the districts of the Galil.[#2:22 ben Dovid; #2:22 ben Dovid]

²³And Yosef made his home in the shtetl (Jewish village) called Natzeret, so that which was spoken by the Neviim might be fulfilled: He will be called a Natzri.[#2:23 ben Dovid; #2:23 i.e., Moshiach the Netzer, Tzemach, Isa 11:1; Jer 23:5; Zech 3:8; Isa 53:2; Zech 6:11-12]