16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. 17 Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
18
“A cry was heard in Ramah -
weeping and great mourning.
Rachel weeps for her children,
refusing to be comforted,
for they are dead.” 1