⁴John’s clothes were made out of camel’s hair. He had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵People went out to him from Jerusalem and all of Judea. They also came from the whole area around the Jordan River. ⁶When they admitted they had sinned, John baptized them in the Jordan.

⁷John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing. He said to them, “You are like a nest of poisonous snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming of God’s anger? ⁸Produce fruit that shows you have turned away from your sins. ⁹Don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘Abraham is our father.’ I tell you, God can raise up children for Abraham even from these stones. ¹⁰The ax is already lying at the roots of the trees. All the trees that don’t produce good fruit will be cut down. They will be thrown into the fire.

¹¹“I baptize you with water, calling you to turn away from your sins. But after me, one will come who is more powerful than I am. And I’m not fit to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹²His pitchfork is in his hand to clear the straw from his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the storeroom. But he will burn up the husks with fire that can’t be put out.”

Jesus Is Baptized

¹³Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River. He wanted to be baptized by John. ¹⁴But John tried to stop him. He told Jesus, “I need to be baptized by you. So why do you come to me?”

¹⁵Jesus replied, “Let it be this way for now. It is right for us to do this. It carries out God’s holy plan.” Then John agreed.

¹⁶As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened. Jesus saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove.

¹⁷A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, and I love him. I am very pleased with him.”

Jesus Is Tempted

4The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert. There the devil tempted him. ²After 40 days and 40 nights of going without eating, Jesus was hungry.

³The tempter came to him. He said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

⁴Jesus answered, “It is written, ‘Man doesn’t live only on bread. He also lives on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

⁵Then the devil took Jesus to the holy city. He had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. It is written,

“ ‘The Lord will command his angels to take good care of you.

They will lift you up in their hands.

Then you won’t trip over a stone.’ ”

⁷Jesus answered him, “It is also written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”

⁸Finally, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain. He showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹“If you bow down and worship me,” he said, “I will give you all of this.”

¹⁰Jesus said to him, “Get away from me, Satan! It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God. He is the only one you should serve.’ ”

¹¹Then the devil left Jesus. Angels came and took care of him.

Jesus Begins to Preach

¹²John had been put in prison. When Jesus heard about this, he returned to Galilee.

¹³Jesus left Nazareth. He went to live in the city of Capernaum. It was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali. ¹⁴In that way, what the prophet Isaiah had said came true. He had said,

¹⁵“Land of Zebulun! Land of Naphtali!

Galilee, where non-Jewish people live!

Land along the Mediterranean Sea! Territory east of the Jordan River!

¹⁶The people who are now living in darkness

will see a great light.

They are now living in a very dark land.

But a light will shine on them.”

¹⁷From that time on Jesus began to preach. “Turn away from your sins!” he said. “The kingdom of heaven is near.”

Jesus Chooses the First Disciples

¹⁸One day Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee. There he saw two brothers. They were Simon Peter and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the lake. They were fishermen. ¹⁹“Come. Follow me,” Jesus said. “I will make you fishers of people.”

²⁰At once they left their nets and followed him.

²¹Going on from there, he saw two other brothers. They were James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee. As they were preparing their nets, Jesus called out to them.

²²Right away they left the boat and their father and followed Jesus.

Jesus Heals Sick People

²³Jesus went all over Galilee. There he taught in the synagogues. He preached the good news of God’s kingdom. He healed every illness and sickness the people had.

²⁴News about him spread all over Syria. People brought to him all who were ill with different kinds of sicknesses. Some were suffering great pain. Others were controlled by demons. Some were shaking wildly. Others couldn’t move at all. And Jesus healed all of them.

²⁵Large crowds followed him. Some people came from Galilee, from the area known as the Ten Cities, and from Jerusalem and Judea. Others came from the area across the Jordan River.

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