Weymouth New Testament in Modern Speech: Matthew | Page 2

honorable art thou among princely places in Judah! For from thee shall come a prince--one who shall be the Shepherd of My People Israel.'" 002:007 Thereupon Herod sent privately for the Magi and ascertained from them the exact time of the star's appearing. 002:008 He then directed them to go to Bethlehem, adding, "Go and make careful inquiry about the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and do him homage." 002:009 After hearing what the king said, they went to Bethlehem, while, strange to say, the star they had seen in the east led them on until it came and stood over the place where the babe was. 002:010 When they saw the star, the sight filled them with intense joy. 002:011 So they entered the house; and when they saw the babe with His mother Mary, they prostrated themselves and did Him homage, and opening their treasure-chests offered gifts to Him-- gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 002:012 But being forbidden by God in a dream to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by a different route. 002:013 When they were gone, and angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise: take the babe and His mother and escape to Egypt, and remain there till I bring you word. For Herod is about to make search for the child in order to destroy Him." 002:014 So Joseph roused himself and took the babe and His mother by night and departed into Egypt. 002:015 There he remained till Herod's death, that what the Lord had said through the Prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called My Son." 002:016 Then Herod, finding that the Magi had trifled with him, was furious, and sent and massacred all the boys under two years of age, in Bethlehem and all its neighbourhood, according to the date he had so carefully ascertained from the Magi. 002:017 Then were these words, spoken by the Prophet Jeremiah, fulfilled, 002:018 "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and bitter lamentation: It was Rachel bewailing her children, and she refused to be comforted because there were no more." 002:019 But after Herod's death an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said to him, 002:020 "Rise from sleep, and take the child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead." 002:021 So he roused himself and took the child and His mother and came into the land of Israel. 002:022 But hearing that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod on the throne of Judaea, he was afraid to go there; and being instructed by God in a dream he withdrew into Galilee, 002:023 and went and settled in a town called Nazareth, in order that these words spoken through the Prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazarene." 003:001 About this time John the Baptist made his appearance, preaching in the Desert of Judaea. 003:002 "Repent," he said, "for the Kingdom of the Heavens is now close at hand." 003:003 He it is who was spoken of through the Prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying aloud, `In the desert prepare ye a road for the Lord: make His highway straight.'" 003:004 This man John wore a garment of camel's hair, and a loincloth of leather; and he lived upon locusts and wild honey. 003:005 Then large numbers of people went out to him--people from Jerusalem and from all Judaea, and from the whole of the Jordan valley-- 003:006 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, making full confession of their sins. 003:007 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he exclaimed, "O vipers' brood, who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 003:008 Therefore let your lives prove your change of heart; 003:009 and do not imagine that you can say to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our forefather,' for I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones. 003:010 And already the axe is lying at the root of the trees, so that every tree which does not produce good fruit will quickly be hewn down and thrown into the fire. 003:011 I indeed am baptizing you in water on a profession of repentance; but He who is coming after me is mightier than I: His sandals I am not worthy to carry for a moment; He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire. 003:012 His winnowing-shovel is in His hand, and He will make a thorough clearance of His threshing-floor, gathering His wheat into the storehouse, but burning