Matthew 2 Comparison: Bible in Basic English vs New Heart English Bible
Matthew 2
1Now when the birth of Jesus took place in Beth-lehem of Judaea, in the days of Herod the king, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2Saying, Where is the King of the Jews whose birth has now taken place? We have seen his star in the east and have come to give him worship.
3And when it came to the ears of Herod the king, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4And he got together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, questioning them as to where the birth-place of the Christ would be.
5And they said to him, In Beth-lehem of Judaea; for so it is said in the writings of the prophet,
6You Beth-lehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the chiefs of Judah: out of you will come a ruler, who will be the keeper of my people Israel.
7Then Herod sent for the wise men privately, and put questions to them about what time the star had been seen.
8And he sent them to Beth-lehem and said, Go and make certain where the young child is; and when you have seen him, let me have news of it, so that I may come and give him worship.
9And after hearing the king, they went on their way; and the star which they saw in the east went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the young child was.
10And when they saw the star they were full of joy.
11And they came into the house, and saw the young child with Mary, his mother; and falling down on their faces they gave him worship; and from their store they gave him offerings of gold, perfume, and spices.
12And it was made clear to them by God in a dream that they were not to go back to Herod; so they went into their country by another way.
13And when they had gone, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream, saying, Get up and take the young child and his mother, and go into Egypt, and do not go from there till I give you word; for Herod will be searching for the young child to put him to death.
14So he took the young child and his mother by night, and went into Egypt;
15And was there till the death of Herod; so that the word of the Lord through the prophet might come true, Out of Egypt have I sent for my son.
16Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was very angry; and he sent out, and put to death all the male children in Beth-lehem and in all the parts round about it, from two years old and under, acting on the knowledge which he had got with care from the wise men.
17Then the word of Jeremiah the prophet came true,
18In Ramah there was a sound of weeping and great sorrow, Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be comforted for their loss.
19But when Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord came in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20Saying, Get up and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: because they who were attempting to take the young child's life are dead.
21And he got up, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22But when it came to his ears that Archelaus was ruling over Judaea in the place of his father Herod, he was in fear of going there; and God having given him news of the danger in a dream, he went out of the way into the country parts of Galilee.
23And he came and was living in a town named Nazareth: so that the word of the prophets might come true, He will be named a Nazarene.
Matthew 2
1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,
2"Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him."
3And when King Herod heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Messiah would be born.
5And they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written through the prophet,
6'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no way least among the princes of Judah: for out of you shall come forth a ruler, who shall shepherd my people, Israel.'"
7Then Herod secretly called the wise men, and learned from them exactly what time the star appeared.
8And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, "Go and search diligently for the young child, and when you have found him, bring me word, so that I also may come and worship him."
9And they, having heard the king, went their way; and behold, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the young child was.
10And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
11And they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12Being warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they went back to their own country another way.
13Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him."
14And he arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt,
15and was there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called my son."
16Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent out, and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under, according to the exact time which he had learned from the wise men.
17Then that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying,
18"A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she would not be comforted, because they are no more."
19But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying,
20"Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the young child's life are dead."
21And he arose and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in the place of his father, Herod, he was afraid to go there. Being warned in a dream, he withdrew into the region of Galilee,
23and came and lived in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets, that he will be called a Nazorean.
Understanding Bible in Basic English vs New Heart English Bible in Matthew 2
Bible in Basic English (BBE)
A simplified translation using a limited English vocabulary for clarity and accessibility. Helpful for new readers, ESL learners, and quick comprehension. Great for devotional reading and getting the big picture of each passage.
New Heart English Bible (NHEB)
A modern public domain translation with clear, contemporary English. Designed for readability while staying close to the source text. A solid option for both daily reading and study.
You are viewing a side-by-side comparison of Matthew 2 in the Bible in Basic English and New Heart English Bible. Comparing these two versions can help shed light on the nuances of the original text.
Key Comparison: Matthew 2:16
"Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was very angry; and he sent out, and put to death all the male children in Beth-lehem and in all the parts round about it, from two years old and under, acting on the knowledge which he had got with care from the wise men."
"Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent out, and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under, according to the exact time which he had learned from the wise men."
