Matthew 4

1The Holy Spirit took Jesus into the desert so that the devil could test Him.

2Jesus did not eat any food for 40 days and 40 nights. He was very hungry.

3The devil came to Jesus and he tried to make Him do something wrong. The devil said to Jesus: If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to change into bread.

4But Jesus answered and said, “It is written in the Old Testament, It is not just bread that keeps people alive. Their lives depend on what God says.’”

5Then the devil took Jesus into Jerusalem, the Holy City, and put Jesus on a high place at the edge of the Temple area.

6The devil said to Jesus: If You are the Son of God, then off, because it is written in the Old Testament: God will command his angels to help you, and their hands will catch you, so that you will not hit your foot on a rock.

7Jesus said to the devil: It is also written in the Old Testament: You must not test the Lord your God.”

8Then the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain. He showed Jesus all the lands of the world and all the wonderful things in them.

9The devil said to Jesus: I will give all of this to You if You kneel before me and worship me.

10Then Jesus said to the devil: Go away, Satan. In the Old Testament it is written: You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.

11The devil went away from Jesus and angels came to help Jesus.

12When they told Jesus that John the Baptist was in jail, Jesus went to Galilee.

13Jesus did not stay in the town of Nazareth. He went to the town of Capernaum, near Lake Galilee. This town was next to Lake Galilee where the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali had lived long before.

14This happened because the prophet Isaiah had said:

15Land of Zebulun and Naphtali, near the road to Lake Galilee, near the Jordan River, Galilee, land of people who are not Jews,

16The people who live in spiritual darkness have seen a great light. The light has shined for those who live in the land that is as dark as a grave.

17Then Jesus started to preach. Jesus said: You must turn to God and live as He wants, because God’s kingdom is now very near

18Jesus walked on the beach of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus saw 2 brothers, Simon and Andrew. Simon also had another name. Simons other name was Peter. They were fishermen and they were busy putting their fishing nets into the lake.

19Jesus said to Peter and Andrew, Come, follow me, and I will make you a different kind of fishermen. You will bring in people, not fish.

20Simon and Andrew immediately stopped working with their fishing nets and they went with Jesus.

21Jesus walked further and Jesus saw 2 other brothers, James and John. They were the sons of Zebedee. They were in the boat with their father and they were working with their fishing nets and mending them. Jesus called them to come with Him.

22They immediately got out of their boat and went away from their father and went with Jesus.

23Jesus went all over the land of Galilee, teaching people in the synagogues and preaching. Jesus told them the Good News that God in heaven rules over everyone. Jesus also shealed people who were sick.

24The news about Jesus spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all those who were sick. They were suffering from different kinds of diseases and pain. Some had demons inside them, some suffered from seizures, and some who could not walk. Jesus healed them all.

25There were many people who went with Jesus. They came from the Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.