< Matthew 4 >
1 Then Jesus was led up into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil.
2 And, after he had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he became hungry.
3 The Tempter came to him, and said: ‘If you are God’s Son, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.’
4 But Jesus answered, ‘Scripture says – “It is not on bread alone that a person is to live, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’
5 Then the devil took him to the Holy City, and, placing him on the parapet of the temple, said to him,
6 ‘If you are God’s Son, throw yourself down, for scripture says – “He will give his angels commands about you, and on their hands they will lift you up, so you do not even strike your foot against a stone.”’
7 ‘Scripture also says,’ answered Jesus, ‘“You must not tempt the Lord your God.”’
8 The third time, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain, and, showing him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour, said to him:
9 ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall at my feet and worship me.’
10 Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go away, Satan! For scripture says – “You must worship the Lord your God, and worship him only.”’
11 Then the devil left him alone, and angels came and helped him.
12 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he returned to Galilee.
13 Afterwards, leaving Nazareth, he went and settled at Capernaum, which is by the side of the sea, within the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali;
14 in fulfilment of these words in the prophet Isaiah –
15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the land of the Road by the sea, and beyond the Jordan, with Galilee of the Gentiles –
16 The people who were living in darkness have seen a great light, and, for those who were living in the shadow-land of death, a light has dawned!”
17 At that time Jesus began to proclaim – ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
18 As Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers – Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew – casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
19 ‘Come and follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will teach you to fish for people.’
20 The two men left their nets at once and followed him.
21 Going further on, he saw two other men who were also brothers, James, Zebedee’s son, and his brother John, in their boat with their father, mending their nets. Jesus called them,
22 and they at once left their boat and their father, and followed him.
23 Jesus went all through Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people;
24 and his fame spread all through Syria. They brought to him all who were ill with any form of disease, or who were suffering pain – any who were either possessed by demons, or were lunatic, or paralysed; and he cured them.
25 He was followed by large crowds from Galilee, the district of the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
