Matthew 4

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

1The Spirit led Jesus out into the wilderness, a wild and empty place. There the devil would try to get him to do wrong.

2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

2Jesus went forty days and forty nights without eating any food. After that he was very hungry.

3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

3The devil came to tempt him. He said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to turn into bread."

4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

4Jesus answered, "The scriptures say this. People do not live on bread alone. They live on every word that comes from God's mouth."

5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

5Then the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem, the holy city. He put him on the highest point of the temple.

NoteThe temple was the huge worship building in Jerusalem. The "pinnacle" was a high point at the top of it.

6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

6The devil said, "If you are the Son of God, jump down. The scriptures say God will tell his angels to guard you. They will catch you in their hands. Your foot will not even hit a stone."

7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

7Jesus said, "The scriptures also say this. Do not test the Lord your God."

8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

8Then the devil took Jesus up a very high mountain. He showed him all the kingdoms of the world and all their riches.

9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

9The devil said, "I will give you all of this. Just bow down and worship me."

10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

10Jesus said, "Go away, Satan! The scriptures say to worship the Lord your God. Serve him only."

11Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

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

12Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;

12Jesus heard that John had been put in prison. So he went away to the region called Galilee.

13And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

13He left the town of Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum. That town sits by the lake, in the land of Zebulun and Naphtali.

14That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

14This happened so that the words of Isaiah would come true. Isaiah was a prophet, someone who told people what God said.

15The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;

15Isaiah said, "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, along the road by the sea, on the far side of the Jordan River, Galilee where many people are not Jewish.

Note"Gentiles" in the old wording means people who are not Jewish.

16The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

16The people who lived in the dark have seen a great light. A light has come up for those who lived where death's shadow lay."

17From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

17From that time on, Jesus began to preach. He said, "Turn away from wrong and come back to God. God's kingdom is near."

18And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

18Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, which is a big lake. He saw two brothers, Simon (also called Peter) and Andrew. They were throwing a net into the water. Catching fish was their job.

19And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

19Jesus said to them, "Come and follow me. I will make you catch people instead of fish."

20And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

20Right away they left their nets and went with him.

21And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

21Jesus walked on and saw two more brothers, James and John. Their father was Zebedee. They were in a boat with him, fixing their nets. Jesus called them to come.

22And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

22Right away they left the boat and their father, and they went with him.

23And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

23Jesus traveled all over Galilee. He taught in the synagogues, the places where Jewish people met to worship. He told the good news about God's kingdom. He also healed every kind of sickness the people had.

24And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

24News about Jesus spread all through Syria. People brought him everyone who was sick. Some were in great pain. Some had demons in them. Some had shaking fits, and some could not move their bodies. Jesus healed them all.

NoteThe old wording says "lunatick" and "palsy." These mean people who had seizures, and people whose bodies were paralyzed and could not move.

25And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.

25Huge crowds followed him. They came from Galilee, from the ten towns called Decapolis, from Jerusalem, from Judea, and from across the Jordan River.