Luke 4:1–21

Jesus Is Tempted by the Devil

4Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. The Spirit led Jesus into the desert ²where the devil tempted Jesus for forty days. Jesus ate nothing during that time, and when those days were ended, he was very hungry.

³The devil said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, tell this rock to become bread.”

⁴Jesus answered, “It is written in the Scriptures: ‘A person does not live on bread alone.’ ” ⁿ

⁵Then the devil took Jesus and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in an instant. ⁶The devil said to Jesus, “I will give you all these kingdoms and all their power and glory. It has all been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I wish. ⁷If you worship me, then it will all be yours.”

⁸Jesus answered, “It is written in the Scriptures: ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’ ” ⁿ

⁹Then the devil led Jesus to Jerusalem and put him on a high place of the Temple. He said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, jump down. ¹⁰It is written in the Scriptures:

‘He has put his angels in charge of you

to watch over you.’

¹¹It is also written:

‘They will catch you in their hands

so that you will not hit your foot on a rock.’ ”

¹²Jesus answered, “But it also says in the Scriptures: ‘Do not test the Lord your God.’ ” ⁿ

¹³After the devil had tempted Jesus in every way, he left him to wait until a better time.

Jesus Teaches the People

¹⁴Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit, and stories about him spread all through the area. ¹⁵He began to teach in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

¹⁶Jesus traveled to Nazareth, where he had grown up. On the Sabbath day he went to the synagogue, as he always did, and stood up to read. ¹⁷The book of Isaiah the prophet was given to him. He opened the book and found the place where this is written:

¹⁸“The Lord has put his Spirit in me,

because he appointed me to tell the Good News to the poor.

He has sent me to tell the captives they are free

and to tell the blind that they can see again.

God sent me to free those who have been treated unfairly

¹⁹and to announce the time when the Lord will show his kindness.”

²⁰Jesus closed the book, gave it back to the assistant, and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue was watching Jesus closely. ²¹He began to say to them, “While you heard these words just now, they were coming true!”