Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness(A)

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a](B) by the devil.(C) After fasting forty days and forty nights,(D) he was hungry. The tempter(E) came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God,(F) tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b](G)

Then the devil took him to the holy city(H) and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,”(I) he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c](J)

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d](K)

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan!(L) For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e](M)

11 Then the devil left him,(N) and angels came and attended him.(O)

Jesus Begins to Preach

12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison,(P) he withdrew to Galilee.(Q) 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum,(R) which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill(S) what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
    the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
    Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people living in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
    a light has dawned.”[f](T)

17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven(U) has come near.”

Jesus Calls His First Disciples(V)

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee,(W) he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter(X) and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,”(Y) Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.(Z)

21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John.(AA) They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.(AB)

Jesus Heals the Sick

23 Jesus went throughout Galilee,(AC) teaching in their synagogues,(AD) proclaiming the good news(AE) of the kingdom,(AF) and healing every disease and sickness among the people.(AG) 24 News about him spread all over Syria,(AH) and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed,(AI) those having seizures,(AJ) and the paralyzed;(AK) and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,[g] Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.(AL)

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 4:1 The Greek for tempted can also mean tested.
  2. Matthew 4:4 Deut. 8:3
  3. Matthew 4:6 Psalm 91:11,12
  4. Matthew 4:7 Deut. 6:16
  5. Matthew 4:10 Deut. 6:13
  6. Matthew 4:16 Isaiah 9:1,2
  7. Matthew 4:25 That is, the Ten Cities

The Temptation of Jesus(A)

Then the Spirit led Yeshua into the desert to be tempted by the devil. Yeshua did not eat anything for 40 days and 40 nights. At the end of that time, he was hungry.

The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”

Yeshua answered, “Scripture says, ‘A person cannot live on bread alone but on every word that God speaks.’”

Then the devil took him into the holy city and had him stand on the highest part of the temple. He said to Yeshua, “If you are the Son of God, jump! Scripture says, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you. They will carry you in their hands so that you never hit your foot against a rock.’”

Yeshua said to him, “Again, Scripture says, ‘Never tempt the Lord your God.’”[a]

Once more the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms in the world and their glory. The devil said to him, “I will give you all this if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Yeshua said to him, “Go away, Satan! Scripture says, ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came to take care of him.

A Light Has Risen

12 When Yeshua heard that John had been put in prison, he went back to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. This was in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. 14 So what the prophet Isaiah had said came true:

15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
    on the way to the sea,
        across the Jordan River,
            Galilee, where foreigners live!
16 The people who lived in darkness
    have seen a bright light.
        A light has risen
    for those who live in a land overshadowed by death.”

17 From then on, Yeshua began to tell people, “Turn to God and change the way you think and act, because the kingdom of heaven is near!”

Calling of the First Disciples(B)

18 As he was walking along the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and Andrew. They were throwing a net into the sea because they were fishermen. 19 Yeshua said to them, “Come, follow me! I will teach you how to catch people instead of fish.” 20 They immediately left their nets and followed him.

21 As Yeshua went on, he saw two other brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee preparing their nets to go fishing. He called them, 22 and they immediately left the boat and their father and followed Yeshua.

Spreading the Good News in Galilee(C)

23 Yeshua went all over Galilee. He taught in the synagogues and spread the Good News of the kingdom. He also cured every disease and sickness among the people.

24 The news about Yeshua spread throughout Syria. People brought him everyone who was sick, those who suffered from any kind of disease or pain. They also brought epileptics, those who were paralyzed, and people possessed by demons, and he cured them all. 25 Large crowds followed him. They came from Galilee, the Ten Cities,[b] Jerusalem, Judea, and from across the Jordan River.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 4:7 Or “Never put the Lord your God to any test.”
  2. Matthew 4:25 A federation of ten Greek city states east and west of the Jordan River.