1Now after Yehoshua was born in Beit-Lechem Yehudah, in the days of Herod ¹⁴king — hinei! — chachamim from eretz Mizrach (the land of the East) arrived in Yerushalayim,

2saying, Where is he that is born Melech HaYehudim? For we have seen his KOCHAV ¹⁵(star) in the Mizrach and come to fall down before him.

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 ¹⁶of Yehudah; because out of you will come a Moshel (Ruler) who will be the Ro'eh Ami Yisroel.

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 ¹⁷in 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.

14So, having got up, Yosef ¹⁸took the yeled, and his Em by night and departed for Eretz Mitzrayim.

15And Yosef ¹⁹was there until the mot Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by Hashem through the Navi, UMIMITZRAYIM KARATI LIVNI ²⁰(Out of Egypt have I called my Son).

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 ²¹(A voice was heard in Ramah), ²²a voice of bitter weeping and mourning. Rachel is crying for her yeladim; she refuses to be comforted, because they are no more.

19When Herod died, hinei, in Eretz Mitzrayim a malach Hashem appeared to Yosef ²³in a chalom (dream),

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 ²⁴arose and took the yeled and his Em, and entered Eretz Yisroel.

22And when Yosef ²⁵heard that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as king of Yehudah, Yosef ²⁶was afraid to go there. And, having been warned in a chalom, he departed into the districts of the Galil.

23And Yosef ²⁷made 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. ²⁸