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Matthew 4

1Then Jesus was led up into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came and said to him, “If you are God's Son, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4But he answered, “It is written: ‘A person shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes through the mouth of God.’”

5Then the devil took him into the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6and said to him, “If you are God's Son, throw yourself down, for it is written:

‘He will command his angels concerning you,’

and,

‘They will lift you up on their hands, so that you do not strike your foot against a stone.’”

7Jesus said to him, “Again it is written: ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

8Again the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9He said to him, “I will give you all these things if you fall down and worship me.” 10Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone.’” 11Then the devil left him, and look, angels came and served him.

12When Jesus heard that John had been handed over, he withdrew to Galilee. 13He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the territories of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled:

15“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16the people sitting in darkness have seen a great light, and for those sitting in the region and shadow of death, light has dawned on them.”

17From then on Jesus began to proclaim and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.”

18As he walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. 19He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of people.” 20They immediately left their nets and followed him. 21Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. 22They immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.

23Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every illness among the people. 24News of him spread throughout Syria, and they brought him all who were ill, afflicted with various diseases and severe pains, people possessed by demons, people with seizures, and people who were paralyzed, and he healed them. 25Large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

Translation notes 9

4:1–3 — Tempted. The verb can mean tested or tempted. Here the devil urges Jesus toward actions he rejects. The text retains both the Spirit's leading and the devil's tempting. “If you are God's Son” presents a challenge; it need not mean the speaker is simply unsure of Jesus' identity.

4:4, 6–7, 10 — Scripture. The quotations recall Deuteronomy 8:3; Psalm 91:11–12; Deuteronomy 6:16; and Deuteronomy 6:13. Their wording follows Matthew, including the devil's quotation. “A person” in verse 4 renders generic human language.

4:5 — Pinnacle. A high point of the temple complex is meant; the exact architectural location is uncertain. The holy city is Jerusalem.

4:10–11 — Serve. Serving God in verse 10 and the angels' service in verse 11 use different Greek verbs. The latter does not name an office. Some Greek editions expand “Go away” with “behind me”; the base text has the shorter wording.

4:12 — Handed over. John's arrest is meant; the expression retains the language of handing someone over, which recurs later in Matthew. The verse does not identify the person who handed him over.

4:15–16 — Isaiah's wording. Matthew's quotation recalls Isaiah 9:1–2. Sitting, darkness, light, and the shadow of death are retained. “Galilee of the Gentiles” can also be expressed as “Galilee of the nations.”

4:17 — Repent; kingdom of heaven. Jesus repeats John's announcement in 3:2 exactly. Repentance involves changed outlook and conduct. “Kingdom of heaven” concerns God's rule; “has drawn near” does not settle every question about the kingdom's arrival.

4:19 — Fishers of people. The fishing image remains. The word for those to be caught is generic human language, not a restriction to males.

4:23–25 — Healing and places. “Good news” renders the word traditionally translated “gospel.” “People with seizures” renders a term often translated “epileptics”; its association with the moon does not make “lunatics” an accurate modern equivalent. This is a translation of an ancient description, not a diagnosis of particular people. Demon possession remains a separate description. The Decapolis was a region associated with a group of cities; its name means “Ten Cities.”