Matthew 4:1-17

Contemporary English Version

Jesus and the Devil

(Mark 1.12,13; Luke 4.1-13)

4 ^(A) The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert, so that the devil could test him. ²After Jesus had gone without eating^[a] for 40 days and nights, he was very hungry. ³Then the devil came to him and said, “If you are God's Son, tell these stones to turn into bread.”

⁴^(B) Jesus answered, “The Scriptures say:

‘No one can live only on food.
People need every word
that God has spoken.’ ”

⁵Next, the devil took Jesus into the holy city to the highest part of the temple. ⁶^(C) The devil said, “If you are God's Son, jump off. The Scriptures say:

‘God will give his angels
    orders about you.
They will catch you
    in their arms,
and you won't hurt
    your feet on the stones.’ ”

⁷^(D) Jesus answered, “The Scriptures also say, ‘Don't try to test the Lord your God!’ ”

⁸Finally, the devil took Jesus up on a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms on earth and their power. ⁹The devil said to him, “I will give all this to you, if you will bow down and worship me.”

¹⁰^(E) Jesus answered, “Go away Satan! The Scriptures say:

‘Worship the Lord your God
and serve only him.’ ”

¹¹Then the devil left Jesus, and angels came to help him.

Jesus Begins His Work

(Mark 1.14,15; Luke 4.14,15)

¹²^(F) When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he went to Galilee. ¹³^(G) But instead of staying in Nazareth, Jesus moved to Capernaum. This town was beside Lake Galilee in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.^[b] ¹⁴So God's promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said,

¹⁵^(H) “Listen, lands of Zebulun
    and Naphtali,
lands along the road
to the sea
    and across the Jordan.
Listen Galilee,
    land of the Gentiles!
¹⁶Although your people
    live in darkness,
they will see
    a bright light.
Although they live
    in the shadow of death,
a light will shine
    on them.”

¹⁷^(I) Then Jesus started preaching, “Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven will soon be here.”^[c]

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Footnotes

4.2 without eating: The Jewish people sometimes went without eating (also called “fasting”) to show their love for God or to show sorrow for their sins.
4.13 Zebulun and Naphtali: In Old Testament times these tribes were in northern Palestine, and in New Testament times many Gentiles lived where these tribes had once been.
4.17 The kingdom of heaven will soon be here: See the two notes at 3.2.