Chapter 21: The Magi

1And look! Joseph prepared to go out into Judea when a great commotion arose in Bethlehem of Judea. For magi came, saying, “Where is the king of the Jews? We saw his star in the East and have come to worship him.”

2And when Herod heard this, he was disturbed. He sent officers to the magi, summoned the chief priests, and questioned them in his palace, saying to them, “What has been written about the Christ? Where will he be born?”

3They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what is written.” And he set them (the chief priests) free.

4And he questioned the magi, saying to them, “What sign did you see concerning the one who has been born king?”

5And the magi said, “We saw an immense star shining among the other stars and dimming them so much that they were not even visible. And so we knew that a king had been born for Israel, and we came to worship him.”

6And Herod said to them, “Go and search, and if you find him, report to me so that I may also come and worship him.”

7And the magi went, and look! The star they had seen in the East led them until they came to the cave, and it stood over the head of the cave. And when they saw him with his mother Mary, the magi took gifts from their bags: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

8And having been warned by the angel not to go into Judea, they returned to their country by another way.