Not counting women and children, there were about five thousand men who ate.

Not counting children and women, there were four thousand men who ate.

He called a child, had him stand among them,

saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.”

Then he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and went to Egypt.

So he got up and took the child and his mother and returned to the land of Israel.

And whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me.

“To what should I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to one another,

and said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn around and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven!

Whoever then humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Then little children were brought to him for him to lay his hands on them and pray. But the disciples scolded those who brought them.

After they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to look for the child to kill him.”

He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, inform me so that I can go and worship him as well.”

After listening to the king they left, and once again the star they saw when it rose led them until it stopped above the place where the child was.

As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”