The Temptation of Jesus^(A)

4 Then the Spirit led Jesus [^Lup; out] into the ·desert [wilderness] to be tempted [or tested] by the devil. ² Jesus fasted for forty days and nights [^Canalogous to Israel’s forty years in the desert]. After this, he was ·very hungry [famished]. ³ The ·devil came to Jesus to tempt him [^Ltempter/tester came to Jesus], saying, “If you are the Son of God, ·tell [command] these rocks to ·become bread [turn into loaves].”

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written in the Scriptures, ‘A person lives not on bread alone, but by ·everything God says [^Levery word that comes out of God’s mouth; Deut. 8:3].’”

⁵ Then the devil ·led [took] Jesus to the holy city [^CJerusalem] and put him on ·a high place [the highest point; the pinnacle] of the Temple. ⁶ The devil said, “If you are the Son of God, ·jump [^Lthrow yourself] down, because it is written in the Scriptures:

⁷ Jesus answered him, “It also says in the Scriptures, ‘Do not test the Lord your God [Deut. 6:16].’”

⁸ ·Then [Again] the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and all their ·splendor [glory]. ⁹ The devil said, “If you will ·bow [fall] down and worship me, I will give you all these things.”

¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “·Go away from me [Get out of here; Be gone], Satan! [^LFor] It is written in the Scriptures, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him [Deut. 6:13].’”

¹¹ So the devil left Jesus, and angels came and ·took care of [served; ministered to] him.

Jesus Is Tempted by the Devil^(A)

4 Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. The Spirit led Jesus into the ·desert [wilderness] ² where the devil ·tempted [or tested] Jesus for forty days [^Clike Israel’s forty years of testing in the wilderness]. Jesus ate nothing during that time, and when those days were ended, he was very hungry [Ex. 34:28].

³ The devil said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, ·tell [command] this rock to become bread.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written in the Scriptures: ‘A person does not live on bread alone [Deut. 8:3].’”

⁵ Then the devil took Jesus [^Lup] and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in an instant. ⁶ The devil said to Jesus, “I will give you all these kingdoms and all their ·power [authority] and ·glory [splendor]. [^L…because] It has all been ·given [handed over] to me, and I can give it to anyone I wish. ⁷ If you worship me, then it will all be yours.”

⁸ Jesus answered, “It is written in the Scriptures: ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him [Deut. 6:13; 10:20].’”

⁹ Then the devil led Jesus to Jerusalem and put him on ·a high place [the pinnacle] of the Temple. He said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, ·jump [throw yourself] down [^Lfrom here]. ¹⁰ [^LFor] It is written in the Scriptures:

¹¹ It is also written:

¹² Jesus answered, “But it also says in the Scriptures: ‘Do not test the Lord your God [Deut. 6:16].’”

¹³ After the devil had ·tempted [tested] Jesus ·in every way [or with all these temptations], he left him to wait until a ·better [opportune] time.

³² [^LTherefore; So; Then] Jesus said to them, “·I tell you the truth [^LTruly, truly I say to you], it was not Moses who gave you bread from heaven; it is my Father who is giving you the true bread from heaven. ³³ [^LFor] God’s bread is the One who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

³⁴ [^LTherefore] ·the people [^Lthey] said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

³⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “I am the ·bread that gives life [^Tbread of life]. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

God’s Love in Christ Jesus

³¹ So what should we say ·about this [in response to these things]? If God is for us, ·no one can defeat us [^Lwho is against us?]. ³² He did not spare his own Son but ·gave him [or delivered him over; ^Cto death] for us all. So with Jesus, ·God will surely [how could he not…?] give us all things. ³³ Who can ·accuse [bring an accusation/charge against] the people God has chosen? No one, because God is the One who ·makes them right [declares them righteous; justifies them]. ³⁴ Who can ·say God’s people are guilty [condemn; pronounce punishment]? No one, because Christ Jesus died, but he was also raised from the dead, and now he is on God’s right ·side [hand; Ps. 110:1], ·appealing to God [interceding; pleading] for us. ³⁵ ·Can anything [or Who can] separate us from the love Christ has for us? Can ·troubles [trials; tribulations] or ·problems [distress; hardship] or ·sufferings [persecution] or ·hunger [famine] or ·nakedness [destitution] or danger or ·violent death [^Lsword]? ³⁶ As it is written in the Scriptures:

³⁷ But in all these things we are completely victorious through ·God [or Christ; ^Lthe One] who showed his love for us. ³⁸ Yes, I am ·sure [convinced] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ·ruling spirits [or heavenly rulers; or demons; ^Lrulers; ^Tprincipalities], nothing ·now [in the present], nothing in the future, no ·powers [or spiritual powers/authorities], ³⁹ ·nothing above us [or no powers in the sky], ·nothing below us [or nor powers in the depths], nor ·anything else in the whole world [any created thing] will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Be Patient

⁷ [^LTherefore] Brothers and sisters [^Cfellow believers], be patient until the Lord comes again. [^LSee; ^TBehold,] A farmer patiently waits for his ·valuable [precious] ·crop [fruit] to grow from the earth and for it to receive the ·autumn and spring [^Learly and late] rains [Deut. 11:14]. ⁸ You, too, must be patient. ·Do not give up hope [^LStrengthen your hearts], because ·the Lord is coming soon [^Lthe Lord’s coming draws near/is at hand]. ⁹ Brothers and sisters [^Cfellow believers], do not ·complain [grumble] against each other or you will be judged guilty [Matt. 7:1]. ·And [^LLook; ^TBehold] the Judge is ·ready to come [^Lstanding at the door]! ¹⁰ Brothers and sisters [^Cfellow believers], follow the example of the prophets who spoke ·for [^Lin the name of] the Lord. They suffered many hard things, but they ·were patient [endured]. ¹¹ [^LLook; or Indeed] ·We say they are happy [or We consider them blessed] because they ·did not give up [endured; persevered]. You have heard about Job’s ·patience [or endurance; perseverance], and you know the Lord’s purpose for him in the end. You know the Lord is full of mercy and is ·kind [compassionate].

⁸ It was by faith Abraham obeyed God’s call to go to another place ·God promised to give him [^Lhe would later receive as an inheritance; Gen. 12:1–4, 7]. He left his own country, not knowing where he was ·to go [going]. ⁹ It was by faith that he lived like a ·foreigner [stranger; resident alien] in the ·country God promised to give him [Promised Land]. He lived in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who ·had received [were co-heirs of] that same promise from God. ¹⁰ [^LFor] Abraham was waiting for the city [^Cthe heavenly Jerusalem, symbolic of the presence of God; Heb. 12:22; Rev. 21:2] that has real foundations—the city ·planned and built by [^Lwhose architect/designer and builder is] God.

¹¹ ·He was too old to have children, and Sarah [or Sarah was too old and] ·could not have children [was barren/sterile]. It was by faith that ·Abraham was made able to become a father, because he [or Sarah was made able to bear children, because she] ·trusted God [^Lconsidered God faithful/trustworthy] to do what he had promised^[a] [Gen. 21:2]. ¹² This man was so old he was ·almost [as good as] dead, but from ·him [^Lone man] ·came [^Lwere fathered/^Tbegotten] as many descendants as there are stars in the sky. Like the sand on the seashore, they could not be counted [Gen. 15:5; 22:17; 32:12].

¹³ All these great people died in faith. They did not ·get [receive] the things that God promised his people, but they saw them ·coming far in the future [^Lfrom afar] and ·were glad [welcomed/greeted them]. They ·said [acknowledged/recognized that] they were like ·strangers [foreigners] and ·visitors [sojourners; refugees; resident aliens] on earth.