Rejection at Nazareth

16 He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up.(A) As usual, he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day(B) and stood up to read.(C) 17 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 on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me[a]
to proclaim release[b] to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.[c](D)

20 He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down.(E) And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled.”(F)

22 They were all speaking well of him[d] and were amazed by the gracious words that came from his mouth; yet they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” (G)

23 Then he said to them, “No doubt you will quote this proverb[e] to me: ‘Doctor, heal yourself. What we’ve heard that took place in Capernaum,(H) do here in your hometown also.’”

24 He also said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown.(I) 25 But I say to you, there were certainly many widows in Israel in Elijah’s days,(J) when the sky was shut up for three years and six months while a great famine came over all the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them except a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.(K) 27 And in the prophet Elisha’s time, there were many in Israel who had leprosy,[f] and yet not one of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”(L)

28 When they heard this, everyone in the synagogue was enraged. 29 They got up, drove him out of town,(M) and brought him to the edge of the hill that their town was built on, intending to hurl him over the cliff. 30 But he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.(N)

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Footnotes

  1. 4:18 Other mss add to heal the brokenhearted,
  2. 4:18 Or freedom, or forgiveness
  3. 4:18–19 Is 61:1–2
  4. 4:22 Or They were testifying against him
  5. 4:23 Or parable
  6. 4:27 Gk lepros; a term for various skin diseases; see Lv 13–14

16 And He came to (A)Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, (B)He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and (C)stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him. And He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

18 (D)The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
19 (E)To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

20 And He (F)rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and (G)sat down; and the eyes of all the people in the synagogue were intently directed at Him. 21 Now He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your [a]hearing.” 22 And all the people were [b]speaking well of Him, and admiring the [c]gracious words which were coming from His [d]lips; and yet they were saying, “(H)Is this not Joseph’s son?” 23 And He said to them, “No doubt you will [e]quote this proverb to Me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! All the miracles that we heard were done (I)in Capernaum, do here in (J)your hometown as well.’” 24 But He said, “Truly I say to you, (K)no prophet is welcome in his hometown. 25 But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel (L)in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a [f]severe famine came over all the land; 26 and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to [g](M)Zarephath, in the land of (N)Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many with leprosy in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was [h]cleansed, but only (O)Naaman the Syrian.” 28 And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; 29 and they got up and (P)drove Him out of the city, and brought Him to the [i]crest of the hill on which their city had been built, so that they could throw Him down from the cliff. 30 But He (Q)passed through their midst and went on His way.

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 4:21 Lit ears
  2. Luke 4:22 Or testifying
  3. Luke 4:22 Lit words of grace
  4. Luke 4:22 Lit mouth
  5. Luke 4:23 Lit tell me this
  6. Luke 4:25 Lit great
  7. Luke 4:26 Gr Sarepta
  8. Luke 4:27 I.e., healed
  9. Luke 4:29 Lit brow