Lukas 4 | New International Reader’s Version

Jesus is tempted in the desert

1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the River Jordan. The Spirit led him into the desert. 2 There the devil tempted him for 40 days. Jesus ate nothing during that time. At the end of the 40 days, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.’ 4 Jesus answered, ‘It is written, “Man must not live only on bread.” ’ 5 Then the devil led Jesus up to a high place. In an instant, he showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. 6 He said to Jesus, ‘I will give you all their authority and glory. It has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.’ 8 Jesus answered, ‘It is written, “Worship the Lord your God. He is the only one you should serve.” ’ 9 Then the devil led Jesus to Jerusalem. He had Jesus stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down from here. 10 It is written, ‘ “The Lord will command his angels to take good care of you. 11 They will lift you up in their hands. Then you won’t trip over a stone.” ’ 12 Jesus answered, ‘Scripture says, “Do not test the Lord your God.” ’ 13 When the devil finished all this tempting, he left Jesus until a better time.

Jesus is not accepted in Nazareth

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit. News about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. 16 Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. On the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue as he usually did. He stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. Jesus unrolled it and found the right place. There it is written, 18 ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me. He has anointed me to announce the good news to poor people. He has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners. He has sent me so that the blind will see again. He wants me to set free those who are treated badly. 19 And he has sent me to announce the year when he will set his people free.’ 20 Then Jesus rolled up the scroll. He gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were staring at him. 21 He began by saying to them, ‘Today this passage of Scripture is coming true as you listen.’ 22 Everyone said good things about him. They were amazed at the gracious words they heard from his lips. ‘Isn’t this Joseph’s son?’ they asked. 23 Jesus said, ‘Here is a saying you will certainly apply to me. “Doctor, heal yourself!” And you will tell me this. “Do the things here in your home town that we heard you did in Capernaum.” ’ 24 ‘What I’m about to tell you is true,’ he continued. ‘A prophet is not accepted in his home town. 25 I tell you for sure that there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah. And there had been no rain for three and a half years. There wasn’t enough food to eat anywhere in the land. 26 But Elijah was not sent to any of those widows. Instead, he was sent to a widow in Zarephath near Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel who had skin diseases in the days of Elisha the prophet. But not one of them was healed except Naaman the Syrian.’ 28 All the people in the synagogue were very angry when they heard that. 29 They got up and ran Jesus out of town. They took him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They planned to throw him off the cliff. 30 But Jesus walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

Jesus drives out an evil spirit

31 Then Jesus went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee. On the Sabbath day he taught the people. 32 They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority. 33 In the synagogue there was a man controlled by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice. 34 ‘Go away!’ he said. ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are. You are the Holy One of God!’ 35 ‘Be quiet!’ Jesus said firmly. ‘Come out of him!’ Then the demon threw the man down in front of everybody. And it came out without hurting him. 36 All the people were amazed. They said to each other, ‘What he says is amazing! With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits. And they come out!’ 37 The news about Jesus spread throughout the whole area.

Jesus heals many people

38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. At that time, Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever. So they asked Jesus to help her. 39 He bent over her and commanded the fever to leave, and it left her. She got up right away and began to serve them. 40 At sunset, people brought to Jesus all who were ill. He placed his hands on each one and healed them. 41 Also, demons came out of many people. The demons shouted, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he commanded them to be quiet. He would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah. 42 At dawn, Jesus went out to a place where he could be by himself. The people went to look for him. When they found him, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, ‘I must announce the good news of God’s kingdom to the other towns also. That is why I was sent.’ 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

English Standard Version

The Temptation of Jesus

1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” 5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’” 9 And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ 11 and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” 12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Jesus Begins His Ministry

14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘“Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers* in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away.

Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Demon

31 And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, 32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. 33 And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Ha!* What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. 36 And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” 37 And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

Jesus Heals Many

38 And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. 39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. 40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

Jesus Preaches in Synagogues

42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, 43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” 44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.*

Lukas 4 | New International Reader’s Version English Standard Version