Page:Bible (Douay Rheims NT, 1582).djvu/31

Rh . II.

''The Gentils come vnto Christ with their offerings, and that so openly, that the Iewes can not pretend ignorance. 3. The Iewes with Herode conspire against him. 13. He thereupon flyeth from them into Aegypt. 16. They afterward, seing their subteltie preuailed not, imagined to oppresse him by open persecution. 19. But they at length dyed, and he returneth to the land of Israel: al according to the Scriptures.''

HEN therfore was borne in Bethlehem of Iuda in the dayes of Herod the King, ″ behold, there came Sages from the East to Hierusalem, saying, where is he that is borne King of the Iewes? For we haue seene his ″ starre in the East, and ″ are come to adore him. And Herod the King hearing this, was troubled, & al Hierusalem with him. And assembling together al the high Priestes & the Scribes of the people, he enquired of them where Christ should be borne. But they sayd to him: In Bethlehem of Iuda. For so it is written by the Prophet: And thou Bethlehem the land of Iuda, art not the least among the Princes of Iuda: for out of thee shal come forth the Capitaine that shal rule my people Israel. Then Herod secretly caling the Sages, learned diligently of them the time of the starre which appeared to them; and sending them into Bethlehem, sayd: Goe, & inquire diligently of the childe; and when you shal finde him, make reporte to me, that I also may come and adore him.

Who hauing heard the king, went their way: and behold the starre which they had seen in the East, went before them, vntil it came and stoode ouer, where the childe was. And seing the starre, they reioyced with exceeding great ioy. And entring into the house, they found the childe with his mother, & faling downe ″ adored him; and opening their ″ treasures, they offered to him ″ guiftes; gold, frankincense, & myrrhe. And hauing receiued an answer in sleepe that they should not returne to Herod, they went backe an other way into their countrey.

And after they were departed, Behold an Angel of our Lord appeared in sleepe to Ioseph, saying: Arise, & take the childe and his mother, and fly into Ægipt; and be there vntil I shal tel thee. For it wil come to passe that Herod wil seeke the childe to destroy him. Who arose, & tooke the childe and his mother by night, and retired into Ægypt: and he was there vntil the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of our Lord by the Prophet, saying: ″ Out of Ægypt haue I called my sonne. Then