¹⁶ He went to Nazareth,^(A) where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue,^(B) as was his custom. He stood up to read,^{(C) 17} and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

²⁰ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down.^(G) The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. ²¹ He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled^(H) in your hearing.”

²² All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.^(I)

²³ Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown^(J) what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”^(K)

²⁴ “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.^{(L) 25} I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land.^{(M) 26} Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon.^{(N) 27} And there were many in Israel with leprosy^[b] in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”^(O)

²⁸ All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. ²⁹ They got up, drove him out of the town,^(P) and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. ³⁰ But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.^(Q)

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

¹⁶ As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” ¹⁸ At once they left their nets and followed him.^(A)

¹⁹ When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. ²⁰ Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit^(B)

²¹ They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.^{(C) 22} The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.^{(D) 23} Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, ²⁴ “What do you want with us,^(E) Jesus of Nazareth?^(F) Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”^(G)

²⁵ “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!”^{(H) 26} The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.^(I)

²⁷ The people were all so amazed^(J) that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” ²⁸ News about him spread quickly over the whole region^(K) of Galilee.

Jesus Heals Many^(L)(M)

²⁹ As soon as they left the synagogue,^(N) they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. ³⁰ Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. ³¹ So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up.^(O) The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

³² That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.^{(P) 33} The whole town gathered at the door, ³⁴ and Jesus healed many who had various diseases.^(Q) He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.^(R)

Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place^(S)

³⁵ Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.^{(T) 36} Simon and his companions went to look for him, ³⁷ and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

³⁸ Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”^{(U) 39} So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues^(V) and driving out demons.^(W)