1. Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the time when Herod was king. After Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem.
2. They asked people, “Where is the child who has been born to be the king of the Jews? We saw the star that shows he was born. We saw it rise in the sky in the east and have come to worship him.”
3. When King Herod heard about this, it upset him as well as everyone else in Jerusalem.
4. Herod called a meeting of all the leading Jewish priests and teachers of the law. He asked them where the Messiah would be born.
5. They answered, “In the town of Bethlehem in Judea, just as the prophet wrote:
6. ‘Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are important among the rulers of Judah. Yes, a ruler will come from you, and that ruler will lead Israel, my people.’” Micah 5:2
7. Then Herod had a private meeting with the wise men from the east. He learned from them the exact time they first saw the star.