Luke 4
New Testament for Everyone
Temptation in the wilderness
4 Jesus returned from the Jordan, filled with the spirit. The spirit took him off into the wilderness 2 for forty days, to be tested by the devil. He ate nothing during that time, and at the end of it he was hungry.
3 “If you are God’s son,” said the devil, “tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.”
4 “It is written,” replied Jesus, “ ‘It isn’t only bread that keeps you alive.’ ”
5 The devil then took him up and showed him, in an instant, all the kingdoms of the world.
6 “I will give you authority over all of this,” said the devil, “and all the prestige that goes with it. It’s been given to me, you see, and I give it to anyone I like. 7 So it can all be yours . . . if you will just worship me.”
8 “It is written,” replied Jesus, “ ‘The Lord your God is the one you must worship; he is the only one you must serve.’ ”
9 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and stood him on a pinnacle of the Temple.
“If you are God’s son,” he said, “throw yourself down from here; 10 it’s written, after all, that ‘He will give his angels a command about you, to look after you’; 11 and ‘They will carry you in their hands, so that you won’t hit your foot against a stone.’ ”
12 “It has been said,” replied Jesus, “ ‘You mustn’t put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
13 When the devil had finished each temptation, he left him until another opportunity.
Opposition to Jesus in Nazareth
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the spirit. His reputation spread throughout the whole district. 15 He taught in their synagogues to universal acclaim.
16 He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. On the sabbath, as was his regular practice, he went into the synagogue and stood up to read. 17 They gave him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18 The spirit of the Lord is upon me
because he has anointed me
to tell the poor the good news.
He has sent me to announce release to the prisoners
and sight to the blind,
to set the wounded victims free,
19 to announce the year of God’s special favor.
20 He rolled up the scroll, gave it to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him.
21 “Today,” he began, “this scripture is fulfilled in your own hearing.”
22 Everyone remarked at him; they were astonished at the words coming out of his mouth—words of sheer grace.
“Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they said.
23 “I know what you’re going to say,” Jesus said. “You’re going to tell me the old riddle: ‘Heal yourself, doctor!’ ‘We heard of great happenings in Capernaum; do things like that here, in your own country!’
24 “Let me tell you the truth,” he went on. “Prophets never get accepted in their own country. 25 This is the solemn truth: there were plenty of widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a great famine over all the land. 26 Elijah was sent to none of them, only to a widow in the Sidonian town of Zarephath.
27 “And there were plenty of people with virulent skin diseases in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was healed—only Naaman, the Syrian.”
28 When they heard this, everyone in the synagogue flew into a rage. 29 They got up and threw him out of town. They took him to the top of the hill on which their town was built, meaning to fling him off. 30 But he slipped through the middle of them and went away.
Jesus’ authoritative healings
31 Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He used to teach them every sabbath. 32 They were astonished at his teaching, because his message was powerful and authoritative.
33 There was a man in the synagogue who had the spirit of an unclean demon.
34 “Hey, you!” he yelled out at the top of his voice. “What’s going on with you and me, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—you’re God’s Holy One!”
35 “Shut up!” Jesus rebuked him. “Come out of him!”
The demon threw the man down right there in front of them, and came out without harming him. 36 Fear came over them all. “What’s all this?” they started to say to one another. “He’s got power! He’s got authority! He tells the unclean spirits what to do, and they come out!” 37 Word about him went out to the whole surrounding region.
38 He left the synagogue and went into Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was sick with a high fever, and they asked him about her. 39 He stood in front of her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. And straight away she got up and waited on them.
40 When the sun went down, everyone who had sick people—all kinds of sicknesses—brought them to him. He laid his hands on each one in turn, and healed them. 41 Demons came out of many people, shouting out, “You are the son of God!” He sternly forbade them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.
42 When day dawned he left the town and went off to a deserted place. The crowds hunted for him, and when they caught up with him they begged him not to leave them.
43 “I must tell the good news of God’s kingdom to the other towns,” he said. “That’s what I was sent for.” 44 And he was announcing the message to the synagogues of Judaea.
Luke 4
New King James Version
Satan Tempts Jesus(A)
4 Then (B)Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and (C)was led by the Spirit [a]into the wilderness, 2 being [b]tempted for forty days by the devil. And (D)in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.
3 And the devil said to Him, “If You are (E)the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, (F)‘Man shall not live by bread alone, [c]but by every word of God.’ ”
5 [d]Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for (G)this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
8 And Jesus answered and said to him, [e]“Get behind Me, Satan! [f]For it is written, (H)‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
9 (I)Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:
(J)‘He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you,’
11 and,
(K)‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, (L)‘You shall not [g]tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
13 Now when the devil had ended every [h]temptation, he departed from Him (M)until an opportune time.
Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry(N)
14 (O)Then Jesus returned (P)in the power of the Spirit to (Q)Galilee, and (R)news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. 15 And He (S)taught in their synagogues, (T)being glorified by all.
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth(U)
16 So He came to (V)Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, (W)He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18 “The(X) Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me [i]to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To (Y)set at liberty those who are [j]oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is (Z)fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 So all bore witness to Him, and (AA)marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, (AB)“Is this not Joseph’s son?”
23 He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in (AC)Capernaum,[k] do also here in (AD)Your country.’ ” 24 Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no (AE)prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you truly, (AF)many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to [l]Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 (AG)And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”
28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were (AH)filled with [m]wrath, 29 (AI)and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. 30 Then (AJ)passing through the midst of them, He went His way.
Jesus Casts Out an Unclean Spirit(AK)
31 Then (AL)He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. 32 And they were (AM)astonished at His teaching, (AN)for His word was with authority. 33 (AO)Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, 34 saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? (AP)I know who You are—(AQ)the Holy One of God!”
35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, [n]“Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. 36 Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” 37 And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.
Peter’s Mother-in-Law Healed(AR)
38 (AS)Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was [o]sick with a high fever, and they (AT)made request of Him concerning her. 39 So He stood over her and (AU)rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.
Many Healed After Sabbath Sunset(AV)
40 (AW)When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 (AX)And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, (AY)“You are [p]the Christ, the Son of God!”
And He, (AZ)rebuking them, did not allow them to [q]speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.
Jesus Preaches in Galilee(BA)
42 (BB)Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; 43 but He said to them, “I must (BC)preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.” 44 (BD)And He was preaching in the synagogues of [r]Galilee.
Footnotes
- Luke 4:1 NU in
- Luke 4:2 tested
- Luke 4:4 NU omits but by every word of God
- Luke 4:5 NU And taking Him up, he showed Him
- Luke 4:8 NU omits Get behind Me, Satan
- Luke 4:8 NU, M omit For
- Luke 4:12 test
- Luke 4:13 testing
- Luke 4:18 NU omits to heal the brokenhearted
- Luke 4:18 downtrodden
- Luke 4:23 NU Capharnaum, here and elsewhere
- Luke 4:26 Gr. Sarepta
- Luke 4:28 rage
- Luke 4:35 Lit. Be muzzled
- Luke 4:38 afflicted with
- Luke 4:41 NU omits the Christ
- Luke 4:41 Or say that they knew
- Luke 4:44 NU Judea
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
