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.
8. Then he sent them to Bethlehem. He said, “Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, come tell me. Then I can go worship him too.”
9. After the wise men heard the king, they left. They saw the same star they had seen in the east, and they followed it. The star went before them until it stopped above the place where the child was.
10. They were very happy and excited to see the star.
11. The wise men came to the house where the child was with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened the boxes of gifts they had brought for him. They gave him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12. But God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they went home to their own country a different way.
13. After the wise men left, an angel from the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. The angel said, “Get up! Take the child with his mother and escape to Egypt. Herod wants to kill the child and will soon start looking for him. Stay in Egypt until I tell you to come back.”
14. So Joseph got ready and left for Egypt with the child and the mother. They left during the night.