Cum ergo natus esset Jesus in Bethlehem Juda in diebus Herodis regis, ecce magi ab oriente venerunt Jerosolymam,

Jesus was born at Bethlehem, in Juda, in the days of king Herod. And thereupon certain wise men came out of the east to Jerusalem,

When Jesus therefore was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the days of king Herod, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

dicentes: Ubi est qui natus est rex Judæorum? vidimus enim stellam ejus in oriente, et venimus adorare eum.

who asked, Where is he that has been born, the king of the Jews? We have seen his star out in the east, and we have come to worship him.

Saying, Where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to adore him.

Audiens autem Herodes rex, turbatus est, et omnis Jerosolyma cum illo.

King Herod was troubled when he heard it, and all Jerusalem with him;

And king Herod hearing this, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Et congregans omnes principes sacerdotum, et scribas populi, sciscitabatur ab eis ubi Christus nasceretur.

so that he assembled all the chief priests and learned men among the people, and enquired of them where it was that Christ would be born.

And assembling together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where Christ should be born.

At illi dixerunt: In Bethlehem Judæ: sic enim scriptum est per prophetam:

And they told him, At Bethlehem in Juda; so it has been written by the prophet:

But they said to him: In Bethlehem of Juda. For so it is written by the prophet:

Et tu Bethlehem terra Juda, nequaquam minima es in principibus Juda: ex te enim exiet dux, qui regat populum meum Israël.

And thou, Bethlehem, of the land of Juda, art far from the least among the princes of Juda, for out of thee will arise a leader who is to be the shepherd of my people Israel.

And thou Bethlehem the land of Juda art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come forth the captain that shall rule my people Israel.

Tunc Herodes clam vocatis magis diligenter didicit ab eis tempus stellæ, quæ apparuit eis:

Then, summoning the wise men in secret, Herod questioned them closely upon the time of the star’s appearing.

Then Herod, privately calling the wise men, learned diligently of them the time of the star which appeared to them;

et mittens illos in Bethlehem, dixit: Ite, et interrogate diligenter de puero: et cum inveneritis, renuntiate mihi, ut et ego veniens adorem eum.

And he sent them on their way to Bethlehem, saying to them, Go and enquire carefully for the child, and when you have found him, bring me back word, so that I too may come and worship him.

And sending them into Bethlehem, said: Go and diligently inquire after the child, and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I also may come and adore him.

Qui cum audissent regem, abierunt, et ecce stella, quam viderant in oriente, antecedebat eos, usque dum veniens staret supra, ubi erat puer.

They obeyed the king, and went on their journey; and all at once the star which they had seen in the east was there going before them, till at last it stood still over the place where the child was.

Who having heard the king, went their way; and behold the star which they had seen in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the child was.

Videntes autem stellam gavisi sunt gaudio magno valde.

They, when they saw the star, were glad beyond measure;

And seeing the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

Et intrantes domum, invenerunt puerum cum Maria matre ejus, et procidentes adoraverunt eum: et apertis thesauris suis obtulerunt ei munera, aurum, thus, et myrrham.

and so, going into the dwelling, they found the child there, with his mother Mary, and fell down to worship him; and, opening their store of treasures, they offered him gifts, of gold and frankincense and myrrh.

And entering into the house, they found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they adored him; and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Et responso accepto in somnis ne redirent ad Herodem, per aliam viam reversi sunt in regionem suam.

Afterwards, because they had received a warning in a dream forbidding them to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by a different way.

And having received an answer in sleep that they should not return to Herod, they went back another way into their country.

Qui cum recessissent, ecce angelus Domini apparuit in somnis Joseph, dicens: Surge, et accipe puerum, et matrem ejus, et fuge in Ægyptum, et esto ibi usque dum dicam tibi. Futurum est enim ut Herodes quærat puerum ad perdendum eum.

As soon as they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, and said, Rise up, take with thee the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt; there remain, until I give thee word. For Herod will soon be making search for the child, to destroy him.

And after they were departed, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee. For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy him.

Qui consurgens accepit puerum et matrem ejus nocte, et secessit in Ægyptum:

He rose up, therefore, while it was still night, and took the child and his mother with him, and withdrew into Egypt, where he remained until the death of Herod,

Who arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod:

et erat ibi usque ad obitum Herodis: ut adimpleretur quod dictum est a Domino per prophetam dicentem: Ex Ægypto vocavi filium meum.

in fulfilment of the word which the Lord spoke by his prophet, I called my son out of Egypt.

That it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: Out of Egypt have I called my son.

Tunc Herodes videns quoniam illusus esset a magis, iratus est valde, et mittens occidit omnes pueros, qui erant in Bethlehem, et in omnibus finibus ejus, a bimatu et infra secundum tempus, quod exquisierat a magis.

Meanwhile, when he found that the wise men had played him false, Herod was angry beyond measure; he sent and made away with all the male children in Bethlehem and in all its neighbourhood, of two years old and less, reckoning the time by the careful enquiry which he had made of the wise men.

Then Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding angry; and sending killed all the men children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.

Tunc adimpletum est quod dictum est per Jeremiam prophetam dicentem:

It was then that the word spoken by the prophet Jeremy was fulfilled:

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying:

Vox in Rama audita est ploratus, et ululatus multus: Rachel plorans filios suos, et noluit consolari, quia non sunt.

A voice was heard in Rama, lamentation and great mourning; it was Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be comforted, because none is left.

A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning; Rachel bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

Defuncto autem Herode, ecce angelus Domini apparuit in somnis Joseph in Ægypto,

But as soon as Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in Egypt in a dream,

But when Herod was dead, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph in Egypt,

dicens: Surge, et accipe puerum, et matrem ejus, et vade in terram Israël: defuncti sunt enim qui quærebant animam pueri.

and said: Rise up, take with thee the child and his mother, and return to the land of Israel; for those who sought the child’s life are dead.

Saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel. For they are dead that sought the life of the child.

Qui consurgens, accepit puerum, et matrem ejus, et venit in terram Israël.

So he arose, and took the child and his mother with him, and came into the land of Israel.

Who arose, and took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

Audiens autem quod Archelaus regnaret in Judæa pro Herode patre suo, timuit illo ire: et admonitus in somnis, secessit in partes Galilææ.

But, when he heard that Archelaus was king in Judaea in the place of his father Herod, he was afraid to return there; and so, receiving a warning in a dream, he withdrew into the region of Galilee;

But hearing that Archelaus reigned in Judea in the room of Herod his father, he was afraid to go thither: and being warned in sleep retired into the quarters of Galilee.

Et veniens habitavit in civitate quæ vocatur Nazareth: ut adimpleretur quod dictum est per prophetas: Quoniam Nazaræus vocabitur.

where he came to live in a town called Nazareth, in fulfilment of what was said by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

And coming he dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was said by the prophets: That he shall be called a Nazarene.