The Wise Men

Title ideas:God shows magi [who lived far away] where to find Jesus. Magi at Jesus’ Birth.Magi honor the baby Jesus.

In a country [Iran or Iraq] far away [from Israel] to the east, there were [lived] magi who watched the sky and stars. One year, some of these magi travelled to the big city called Jerusalem, in the country called Israel.

They said to men in Jerusalem, “While in the east, we saw a star that signaled that a new King has been born for you [the] Jews. So, we have come to honor [worship] him.”

When someone told this to Jews’ King Herod, he became worried [jealous], so he ordered the Jewish religious chiefs [leaders] to come [go] see him. He asked them, “Our holy book [Bible] says that God would send a Messiah. Where was that Messiah to be born?”

They [the Jewish teachers] replied, “One of our holy men [Micah, God’s prophet] wrote long ago, “A ruler will come from Bethlehem; he will be like a shepherd who cares for [leads] my people.”

Then, King Herod asked the magi, “What day [months ago] did you first see that signal star?” After they replied, he said, “After you find the child, come tell me where he is, so that I, too, may go to honor [worship] him.”

After the magi left [departed from Herod], they saw in the sky the same star they had seen before. This made them glad. So they followed [went towards / in the direction of] the star, and came [southwards] to Bethlehem.

They came to a [Joseph’s] house, where they found Mary and her child Jesus. They bowed down to honor [worship] Jesus.

Next, the magi gave [to] them gifts. They gave them gold [money] and very precious [expensive] spices [used for burial, called frankincense and myrrh].

God [knowing that King Herod planned to kill Jesus] spoke to [warned] the magi in a dream, saying, “Do not go back [or report] to Herod!” So, when the magi left Bethlehem, they did not go [travel] through Jerusalem. They returned to their own country in a different way.

Next, God sent an angel that [who] spoke to Joseph in a dream, saying, “King Herod will soon send soldiers [warriors] to kill the child [Jesus].

“So wake up now! Lead the child [Jesus] and his mother to Egypt [in the south]. Stay in Egypt until I [speak to you again and] tell you to come back [return here].

When King Herod realized that the magi had gone away and had not reported to him, he became [more] angry.

So he ordered some soldiers, “Go to Bethlehem and its nearby villages! Kill all their boys that are two years and younger!”

The soldiers obeyed King Herod, and killed all the little boys. This made families very sad. [Many women and men mourned loudly for their dead babies.] A year later, King Herod died [was killed / eaten by worms in his belly].

After Herod died, God sent an angel that [who] spoke again to Joseph in a dream, saying: “Leave Egypt, and lead the child and his mother back to Israel Land. Those who wanted to kill the child have died.”

When they came back to Israel, Herod’s son was the new king [in Jerusalem]. So Joseph led [took] the child Jesus and mother to stay in a distant [northern] village [called] Nazareth.