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The Devil Tempts Jesus

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the Devil for forty days. He did not eat anything during those days. When they came to an end, he was hungry. The Devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Jesus answered him, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”[a]

The Devil led him up to a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. The Devil told him, “I will give you all this power and the glory of these kingdoms, because it has been entrusted to me, and I can give it to anyone I want. So, if you worship me, it will all be yours.”

Jesus answered him, “It is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”[b]

The Devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here, 10 because it is written:

He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you.

11 And,

they will lift you up with their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”[c]

12 Jesus answered him, “It says: ‘You shall not test the Lord your God.’”[d]

13 When the Devil had finished every temptation, he left him until an opportune time.

A Prophet in His Hometown

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through all the surrounding area. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues and being honored by everyone.

16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. As was his custom, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free those who are oppressed,
19 and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.[e]

20 He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began to tell them, “Today, this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

22 They all spoke well of him and were impressed by the words of grace that came from his mouth. And they kept saying, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

23 He told them, “Certainly you will quote this proverb to me, ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ Do here in your hometown everything we heard you did in Capernaum.” 24 And he said, “Amen[f] I tell you: No prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 But truly I tell you: There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three years and six months, while a great famine came over all the land. 26 Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow of Zarephath, in Sidon. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was healed except Naaman the Syrian.”

28 All those who were in the synagogue were filled with rage when they heard these things. 29 They got up and drove him out of the town. They led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the middle of them and went on his way.

Jesus Drives Out a Demon

31 He went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbath. 32 They were amazed by his teaching, because his message had authority. 33 In the synagogue there was a man who was possessed by the unclean spirit of a demon. He cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Leave us alone! What do you have to do with us, Jesus the Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God!”

35 Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” The demon threw him down in front of them and came out of him without harming him.

36 They were all filled with awe and began to say to one another, “What is this message? With authority and power he commands unclean spirits, and they come out!” 37 News about him spread to every place in the surrounding area.

Jesus Heals Many

38 Jesus got up, left the synagogue, and went into Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever. They asked him to help her. 39 He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them. 40 As the sun was setting, they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases. He laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 Demons also came out of many people, crying out, “You are the Son of God!” He rebuked them and did not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

42 When it was day, he went out to a deserted place. The crowds were looking for him. They went up to him and were trying to prevent him from leaving them. 43 But he told them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns too, because that is why I was sent.” 44 And he continued to preach in the synagogues in the land of the Jews.[g]

Footnotes

  1. Luke 4:4 Deuteronomy 8:3. A few older witnesses omit but by every word of God.
  2. Luke 4:8 Deuteronomy 6:13
  3. Luke 4:11 Psalm 91:11-12
  4. Luke 4:12 Deuteronomy 6:16
  5. Luke 4:19 Isaiah 61:1-2
  6. Luke 4:24 Usually people say Amen at the end of a prayer, but Jesus used this Hebrew word at the beginning of a statement, which was unique. The inspired writer simply transliterated the Hebrew word that Jesus spoke, instead of using a Greek term. This translation does the same in English. The basic meaning is I solemnly tell you the truth.
  7. Luke 4:44 Literally Judea. Luke uses Judea here for all of Palestine, including Galilee. Some witnesses to the text read Galilee.

The Temptation of Jesus

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days, and when[a] they were completed, he was hungry. So the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, order this stone that it become bread!” And Jesus replied to him, “It is written, ‘Man will not live on bread alone.’”[b]

And he led him up and[c] showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to him, “I will give you all this domain and their glory, because it has been handed over to me, and I can give it to whomever I want. So if you will worship before me, all this will be yours.” And Jesus answered and[d] said to him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”[e]

And he brought him to Jerusalem, and had him stand on the highest point of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written,

‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    to protect you,’[f]

11 and

‘on their hands they will lift you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”[g]

12 And Jesus answered and[h] said to him, “It is said, ‘You are not to put to the test the Lord your God.’”[i] 13 And when[j] the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until a favorable time.[k]

Public Ministry in Galilee

14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news about him went out throughout all the surrounding region. 15 And he began to teach[l] in their synagogues, and[m] was praised by all.

Rejected at Nazareth

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up,[n] and according to his custom[o] he entered into the synagogue on the day of the Sabbath and stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him, and unrolling the scroll he found the place where it was written,

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because of which he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
    He has sent me
to proclaim release to the captives,
    and recovery of sight to the blind,
to send out in freedom those who are oppressed,
19     to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”[p]

20 And he rolled up the scroll and[q] gave it[r] back to the attendant and[s] sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were looking intently at him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And they were all speaking well of him, and were astonished at the gracious words that were coming out of his mouth. And they were saying, “Is this man not the son of Joseph?” 23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will tell me this parable: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ Whatever we have heard that took place in Capernaum, do here in your hometown also!” 24 And he said, “Truly I say to you that no prophet is acceptable in his own hometown. 25 But in truth I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three years and six months while a great famine took place over all the land. 26 And Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was made clean except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 And all those in the synagogue were filled with anger when they[t] heard these things. 29 And they stood up and[u] forced him out of the town and brought him up to the edge of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But he passed through their midst and[v] went on his way.

Jesus Teaches and Heals Many in Capernaum

31 And he came down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbath. 32 And they were astounded at his teaching, because he spoke[w] with authority.

33 And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon,[x] and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Ha! Leave us alone,[y] Jesus the Nazarene! Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And after[z] throwing him down in their midst, the demon came out of him without hurting him at all. 36 And amazement came upon them all, and they began to talk[aa] with one another, saying, “What word[ab] is this? For he commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they come out!” 37 And news about him went out into every place of the surrounding region.

38 And after he[ac] set out from the synagogue, he went into Simon’s house. And Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a high fever, and they asked him on behalf of her. 39 And he stood over her and[ad] rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she got up and[ae] began to serve[af] them.

40 Now as[ag] the sun was setting, all who had those who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and placing his[ah] hands on every one of them, he healed them. 41 And demons also were coming out of many, crying out and saying, “You are the Son of God!” And he rebuked them[ai] and did not permit them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.[aj]

42 And when it[ak] was day, he departed and[al] went to an isolated place. And the crowds were seeking him, and came to him and were trying to prevent him from departing from them. 43 But he said to them, “It is necessary for me to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because I was sent for this purpose. 44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 4:2 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“were completed”)
  2. Luke 4:4 A quotation from Deut 8:3; most manuscripts add “but by every word of God” here
  3. Luke 4:5 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“led … up”) has been translated as a finite verb
  4. Luke 4:8 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
  5. Luke 4:8 A quotation from Deut 6:13
  6. Luke 4:10 A quotation from Ps 91:11
  7. Luke 4:11 A quotation from Ps 91:12
  8. Luke 4:12 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
  9. Luke 4:12 A quotation from Deut 6:16
  10. Luke 4:13 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“had completed”) which is understood as temporal
  11. Luke 4:13 Or “for a while”
  12. Luke 4:15 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to teach”)
  13. Luke 4:15 Here the participle (“was praised”) is translated as a finite verb because of English style
  14. Luke 4:16 Literally “he was having been brought up”
  15. Luke 4:16 Literally “what he was accustomed to for him”
  16. Luke 4:19 A quotation from Isa 61:1–2, with one line from Isa 58:6
  17. Luke 4:20 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“rolled up”) has been translated as a finite verb
  18. Luke 4:20 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  19. Luke 4:20 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“gave … back”) has been translated as a finite verb
  20. Luke 4:28 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
  21. Luke 4:29 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“stood up”) has been translated as a finite verb
  22. Luke 4:30 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“passed”) has been translated as a finite verb
  23. Luke 4:32 Literally “his word was”
  24. Luke 4:33 Or “an unclean demonic spirit”
  25. Luke 4:34 Literally “what to us and to you”
  26. Luke 4:35 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“throwing … down”) which is understood as temporal
  27. Luke 4:36 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to talk”)
  28. Luke 4:36 Or “command”
  29. Luke 4:38 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“set out”) which is understood as temporal
  30. Luke 4:39 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“stood”) has been translated as a finite verb
  31. Luke 4:39 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“got up”) has been translated as a finite verb
  32. Luke 4:39 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to serve”)
  33. Luke 4:40 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was setting”)
  34. Luke 4:40 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  35. Luke 4:41 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  36. Luke 4:41 Or “Messiah”
  37. Luke 4:42 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was”)
  38. Luke 4:42 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“departed”) has been translated as a finite verb