A modern English translation drawn directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Translated word-for-word where possible, by a committee with scholarly oversight.
Uses the same source texts as the ESV, NASB, and most academic Bibles, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland critical edition.
Matthew 1
Matthew 1 is the opening chapter of the fortieth book of the Bible and the first chapter of the New Testament. The 25-verse chapter has two parts: a genealogy of Jesus tracing back through David to Abraham, and the account of Joseph's discovery that Mary is pregnant.
The chapter opens with the title: "The record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." What follows is a structured list of generations, organized into three groups of fourteen names: from Abraham to David, from David to the Babylonian exile, and from the exile to Jesus.
The genealogy is not a routine list. It includes some unexpected names. Four women appear, each with an irregular story: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and the wife of Uriah (Bathsheba). The line includes Gentile women and a woman taken in adultery. The point is partly that Jesus's line is broader and more complicated than a tidy royal lineage.
The second half of the chapter is narrative. Mary is engaged to Joseph but is found to be pregnant before they have come together. Joseph, described as a righteous man, decides to divorce her quietly to spare her public disgrace.
An angel appears to him in a dream. The angel tells Joseph that the child is from the Holy Spirit and that he should take Mary as his wife. The angel adds that the child is to be named Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. The chapter notes that this fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14: "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel," meaning "God with us."
The chapter closes with Joseph waking up, doing as the angel commanded, and naming the child Jesus when he is born.
Verse 1. This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Verse 2. Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Verse 3. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram.
Verse 4. Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon.
Verse 5. Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,
Verse 6. and Jesse the father of David the king. Next: David was the father of Solomon by Uriah’s wife,
Verse 7. Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa.
Verse 8. Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah.
Verse 9. Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Verse 10. Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah,
Verse 11. and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
Verse 12. After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Verse 13. Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor.
Verse 14. Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud.
Verse 15. Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob,
Verse 16. and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
Verse 17. In all, then, there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.
Verse 18. This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
Verse 19. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly.
Verse 20. But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
Verse 21. She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”
Verse 22. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Verse 23. “Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”).
Verse 24. When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and embraced Mary as his wife.
Verse 25. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a Son. And he gave Him the name Jesus.
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