Matthew 2:16-18

Easy-to-Read Version

Herod Kills the Baby Boys in Bethlehem

¹⁶Herod saw that the wise men had fooled him, and he was very angry. So he gave an order to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem and the whole area around Bethlehem. Herod had learned from the wise men the time the baby was born. It was now two years from that time. So he said to kill all the boys who were two years old and younger. ¹⁷This gave full meaning to what God said through the prophet Jeremiah:

¹⁸“A sound was heard in Ramah—
    bitter crying and great sadness.
Rachel cries for her children,
    and she cannot be comforted,
    because her children are gone.” ^(A)

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