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📖 Matthew Chapter 1 (KJV)

The following is the complete text of Matthew chapter 1 from the Chinese Union Version of the Bible (1919 edition, public domain).

1. The genealogy of Jesus Christ, the descendant of Abraham, the son of David:
2 Abraham begot Isaac; Isaac begot Jacob; Jacob begot Judah and his brothers;
3 Judah begot Perez and Zerah from Tamar; Perez begot Hezron; Hezron begot Aram;
4 Aram begot Amminadab; Amminadab begot Nashon; Nashon begot Salmon;
5 Salmon begot Boaz from Rahab; Boaz begot Obed from Ruth; Obed begot Jesse;
6 Jesse begot King David. David begot Solomon from Uriah's wife;
7 Solomon begot Rehoboam; Rehoboam begot Abijah; Abijah begot Asa;
8 Asa begot Jehoshaphat; Jehoshaphat begot Jehoram; Jehoram begot Uzziah;
9 Uzziah begot Jotham; Jotham begot Ahaz; Ahaz begot Hezekiah;
10 Hezekiah begat Manasseh; Manasseh begat Amon; Amon begat Josiah;
11 When the people were exiled to Babylon, Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers.
12 After they migrated to Babylon, Jeconiah begat Shealtiel; Shealtiel begat Zerubbabel;
13 Zerubbabel begot Abid; Abid begot Eliakim; Eliakim begot Asso;
14 Aso begot Zadok; Zadok begot Akin; Akin begot Elud;
15 Elu begot Eleazar; Eleazar begot Mattan; Mattan begot Jacob;
16 James begot Joseph, who was Mary’s husband, and Jesus, who is called the Christ, was born of Mary.
17 So there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David; fourteen generations from David to the exile to Babylon; and fourteen generations from the exile to Babylon to Christ.
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
19 Her husband Joseph was a righteous man and did not want to publicly disgrace her, so he wanted to divorce her quietly.
20 While he was thinking about these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”
21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
22 All these things were done to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet.
23 says, “A virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call his name Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph awoke, he got up and did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and took a wife as his wife;
25 But he did not sleep with her until she gave birth to a son, and he named him Jesus.

Introduction

Matthew chapter 1 opens the New Testament with three genealogies spanning fourteen generations from Abraham and David to Jesus, demonstrating that God's plan has never ceased from ancient times to the present. This chapter not only records history but also proclaims the birth of Jesus Christ, fulfilling many prophecies of the Old Testament and providing assurance that "God is with us." Through Mary's conception by the Holy Spirit, Joseph's obedience, and the revelation of the angels, the chapter reveals the holiness and wonder of the Savior's coming.