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The Temptation of Jesus

^1 (C1)Then Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness ^(C2)to be tempted by the devil. ^(VR1)2 After He had ^(C1)gone without food for forty days and forty nights, He became hungry. ^(VR1)3 And ^(C1)the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the ^(C2)Son of God, command that these stones become bread."⁴ But Jesus replied, "It is written and forever remains written, '^(C1)MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'" ^(VR1)

⁵ Then the devil took Him into ^(C1)the holy city Jerusalem and placed Him on the pinnacle (highest point) of the temple. ^(VR1)6 And he said mockingly to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,

'^(C1)HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU to serve, care for, protect and watch over You';
and
'THEY WILL LIFT YOU UP ON their HANDS,
SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'" ^(VR1)

^8 (C1)Again, the devil took Him up on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory splendor, magnificence, and excellence of them;⁹ and he said to Him, "All ^(C1)these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me."¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him, "Go away, Satan! For it is written and forever remains written, '^(C1)YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'" ^(VR1)11 Then the devil left Him; and ^(C1)angels came and ministered to Him bringing Him food and serving Him.

Jesus Begins His Ministry

¹² Now when Jesus heard that ^(C1)John the Baptist had been arrested and put in prison, ^(C2)He left for Galilee.¹³ And leaving Nazareth, He went and ^(C1)settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the country of Zebulun and Naphtali. ^(VR1)14 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁵ "^(C1)THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI,
BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE in the district OF THE GENTILES—

^16 (C1)THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING (living) IN spiritual DARKNESS HAVE SEEN A GREAT LIGHT,
AND FOR THOSE WHO WERE SITTING (living) IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF spiritual and moral DEATH,
UPON THEM A LIGHT HAS DAWNED." ^(VR1)

^17 (C1)From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "^(F1)(C2)Repent change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God's purpose for your life, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

The First Disciples

^18 (C1)As Jesus was walking by ^(C2)the Sea of Galilee, He noticed two brothers, ^(C3)Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.¹⁹ And He said to them, "^(F1)Follow Me as My disciples, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk, and I will make you fishers of men."²⁰ Immediately they left their nets and followed Him becoming His disciples, believing and trusting in Him and following His example.²¹ And going on further from there He noticed two other brothers, ^(C1)James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in the boat with their father ^(F1)Zebedee, mending their nets; and He called them to follow Him as His disciples.²² Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him becoming His disciples, believing and trusting in Him and following His example.

Ministry in Galilee

²³ And He went ^(C1)throughout all Galilee, ^(C2)teaching in their synagogues and ^(C3)preaching the good news (gospel) of the kingdom, and ^(C4)healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people demonstrating and revealing that He was indeed the promised Messiah.

²⁴ So the news about Him spread ^(C1)throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were sick, those suffering with various diseases and pains, ^(C2)those under the power of demons, and ^(C3)epileptics, ^(C4)paralytics; and He healed them.²⁵ Large crowds ^(C1)followed Him from Galilee and the ^(F1)(C2)Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and the ^(C3)other side of the Jordan.