The Temptation of Jesus

1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2After he fasted forty days and forty nights he was famished. 3The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.” 4But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5Then the devil took him to the holy city, had him stand on the highest point of the temple, 6and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ and ‘with their hands they will lift you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 7Jesus said to him, “Once again it is written: ‘You are not to 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 grandeur. 9And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you throw yourself to the ground and worship me.” 10Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” 11Then the devil left him, and angels came and began ministering to his needs.

Preaching in Galilee

12Now when Jesus heard that John had been imprisoned, he went into Galilee. 13While in Galilee, he moved from Nazareth to make his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14so that what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled:

15“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,

the way by the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles –

16the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,

and on those who sit in the region and shadow of death a light has dawned.”

17From that time Jesus began to preach this message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

The Call of the Disciples

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

Jesus’ Healing Ministry

23Jesus went throughout all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of disease and sickness among the people. 24So a report about him spread throughout Syria. People brought to him all who suffered with various illnesses and afflictions, those who had seizures, paralytics, and those possessed by demons, and he healed them. 25And large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan River.