1After this, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, he finally became hungry.
3The tempter came and said to him, “Since[a] you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
4But he answered, “It is written,
‘One
must not live on bread alone,
but on every word coming
out of the mouth of God.’”[b]
5Then the devil took him to the Holy City[c] and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6He said to Jesus,[d] “Since[e] you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, because it is written,
‘God[f] will put his angels in charge of you,’
and
‘With their hands they will hold you up,
so that you will never hit your foot against a rock.’”[g]
7Jesus said to him, “It is also written, ‘You must not tempt the Lord your God.’”[h]
8Once more the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, along with their splendor. 9He said to Jesus,[i] “I will give you all these things if you will bow down and worship me!”
10Then Jesus said to him, “Go away,[j] Satan! Because it is written,
‘You must worship the Lord your God
and serve only him.’”[k]
11Then the devil left him, and angels came and began ministering to him.
12Now when Jesus[l] heard that John had been arrested, he went back to Galilee. 13He left Nazareth and went and settled in Capernaum by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14in order to fulfill what was declared by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
15 “O Land of Zebulun and Land of Naphtali,
on the road to the sea, across the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles!
16 The people living[m] in darkness have seen a great light,
and for those living[n] in the land and shadow of death,
a light has risen.”[o]
17From then on, Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven is near!”
18While Jesus[p] was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon (also[q] called Peter) and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea because they were fishermen. 19He said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people!” 20So at once they left their nets and followed him. 21Going on from there he saw two other brothers—James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee repairing their nets. When he called them, 22they immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.
23Then he went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every illness among the people. 24His fame spread throughout Syria, and people[r] brought to him everyone who was sick—those afflicted with various diseases and pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralyzed—and he healed them. 25Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,[s] Jerusalem, Judea, and from across the Jordan followed him.4
[a] 4:3 Or “If, as is the case,
[b] 4:4 Deut 8:3
[c] 4:5 I.e. Jerusalem
[d] 4:6 Lit. him
[e] 4:6 Or “If, as is the case,
[f] 4:6 Lit. He
[g] 4:6 Ps 91:11-12
[h] 4:7 Deut 6:16
[i] 4:9 Lit. him
[j] 4:10 Other mss. read Get behind me
[k] 4:10 Deut 6:13
[l] 4:12 Lit. he
[m] 4:16 Lit. sitting
[n] 4:16 Lit. sitting
[o] 4:16 Isa 9:1-2
[p] 4:18 Lit. he
[q] 4:18 The Gk. lacks also
[r] 4:24 Lit. they
[s] 4:25 Lit. the Ten Cities, a loose federation of ten cities strongly influenced by Greek culture