Luke 4:1–21

The Temptation

4Jesus returned from the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit into the desert, ²where he was tempted by the Devil for 40 days. In all that time he ate nothing, so that he was hungry when it was over.

³The Devil said to him, “If you are God’s Son, order this stone to turn into bread.”

^4*But Jesus answered, “The scripture says, ‘Human beings cannot live on bread alone.’ ”

⁵Then the Devil took him up and showed him in a second all the kingdoms of the world. ⁶“I will give you all this power and all this wealth,” the Devil told him. “It has all been handed over to me, and I can give it to anyone I choose. ⁷All this will be yours, then, if you worship me.”

^8*Jesus answered, “The scripture says, ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve only him!’ ”

⁹Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem and set him on the highest point of the Temple, and said to him, “If you are God’s Son, throw yourself down from here. ^10*For the scripture says, ‘God will order his angels to take good care of you.’ ^11*It also says, ‘They will hold you up with their hands so that not even your feet will be hurt on the stones.’ ”

^12*But Jesus answered, “The scripture says, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”

¹³When the Devil finished tempting Jesus in every way, he left him for a while.

Jesus Begins His Work in Galilee

¹⁴Then Jesus returned to Galilee, and the power of the Holy Spirit was with him. The news about him spread throughout all that territory. ¹⁵He taught in the synagogues and was praised by everyone.

Jesus Is Rejected at Nazareth

¹⁶Then Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath he went as usual to the synagogue. He stood up to read the Scriptures ¹⁷and was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written:

^18*“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind;

to set free the oppressed

^19*and announce that the time has come

when the Lord will save his people.”

²⁰Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. All the people in the synagogue had their eyes fixed on him, ²¹as he said to them, “This passage of scripture has come true today, as you heard it being read.”