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Luke 4
International Children’s Bible
Luke 4
International Children’s Bible
Jesus Is Tempted by the Devil
4 Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. The Spirit led Jesus into the desert 2 where the devil tempted Jesus for 40 days. Jesus ate nothing during that time. When those days were ended, he was very hungry.
3 The devil said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, tell this rock to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written in the Scriptures: ‘A person does not live only by eating bread.’”[a]
5 Then the devil took Jesus and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 The devil said to Jesus, “I will give you all these kingdoms and all their power and glory. It has all been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I wish. 7 If you worship me, all will be yours.”
8 Jesus answered, “It is written in the Scriptures: ‘You must worship the Lord your God. Serve only him!’”[b]
9 Then the devil led Jesus to Jerusalem and put him on a high place of the Temple. He said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! 10 It is written in the Scriptures:
‘He has put his angels in charge of you.
They will watch over you.’ Psalm 91:11
11 ‘They will catch you with their hands.
And you will not hit your foot on a rock.’” Psalm 91:12
12 Jesus answered, “But it also says in the Scriptures: ‘Do not test the Lord your God.’”[c]
13 After the devil had tempted Jesus in every way, he went away to wait until a better time.
Jesus Teaches the People
14 Jesus went back to Galilee with the power of the Holy Spirit. Stories about Jesus spread all through the area. 15 He began to teach in the synagogues, and all the people praised him.
16 Jesus traveled to Nazareth, where he had grown up. On the Sabbath day he went to the synagogue as he always did. Jesus stood up to read. 17 The book of Isaiah the prophet was given to him. He opened the book and found the place where this is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is in me.
This is because God chose me to tell the Good News to the poor.
God sent me to tell the prisoners of sin that they are free,
and to tell the blind that they can see again. Isaiah 61:1
God sent me to free those who have been treated unfairly, Isaiah 58:6
19 and to announce the time when the Lord will show kindness to his people.” Isaiah 61:2
20 Jesus closed the book, gave it back, and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue was watching Jesus closely. 21 He began to speak to them. He said, “While you heard these words just now, they were coming true!”
22 All the people praised Jesus. They were amazed at the beautiful words he spoke. They asked, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”
23 Jesus said to them, “I know that you will tell me the old saying: ‘Doctor, heal yourself.’ You want to say, ‘We heard about the things you did in Capernaum. Do those things here in your own town!’” 24 Then Jesus said, “I tell you the truth. A prophet is not accepted in his own town. 25 What I say is true. During the time of Elijah it did not rain in Israel for three and a half years. There was no food anywhere in the whole country. And there were many widows in Israel during that time. 26 But Elijah was sent to none of those widows. He was sent only to a widow in Zarephath, a town in Sidon. 27 And there were many with a harmful skin disease living in Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha. But none of them were healed except Naaman, who was from the country of Syria.”
28 When all the people in the synagogue heard these things, they became very angry. 29 They got up and forced Jesus out of town. The town was built on a hill. They took Jesus to the edge of the hill and wanted to throw him off. 30 But Jesus walked through the crowd and went on his way.
Jesus Removes an Evil Spirit
31 Jesus went to Capernaum, a city in Galilee. On the Sabbath day, Jesus taught the people. 32 They were amazed at his teaching, because he spoke with authority. 33 In the synagogue there was a man who had an evil spirit from the devil inside him. The man shouted in a loud voice, 34 “Jesus of Nazareth! What do you want with us? Did you come here to destroy us? I know who you are—God’s Holy One!”
35 But Jesus warned the evil spirit to stop. He said, “Be quiet! Come out of the man!” The evil spirit threw the man down to the ground before all the people. Then the evil spirit left the man and did not hurt him.
36 The people were amazed. They said to each other, “What does this mean? With authority and power he commands evil spirits, and they come out.” 37 And so the news about Jesus spread to every place in the whole area.
Jesus Heals Many People
38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to Simon’s[d] house. Simon’s mother-in-law was very sick with a high fever. They asked Jesus to do something to help her. 39 He stood very close to her and commanded the fever to leave. It left her immediately, and she got up and began serving them.
40 When the sun went down, the people brought their sick to Jesus. They had many different diseases. Jesus put his hands on each sick person and healed every one of them. 41 Demons came out of many people. The demons would shout, “You are the Son of God.” But Jesus gave a strong command for the demons not to speak. They knew Jesus was the Christ.
42 At daybreak, Jesus went to a place to be alone, but the people looked for him. When they found him, they tried to keep him from leaving. 43 But Jesus said to them, “I must tell the Good News about God’s kingdom to other towns, too. This is why I was sent.”
44 Then Jesus kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.[e]
Footnotes
- 4:4 ‘A person . . . bread.’ Quotation from Deuteronomy 8:3.
- 4:8 ‘You . . . him!’ Quotation from Deuteronomy 6:13.
- 4:12 ‘Do . . . God.’ Quotation from Deuteronomy 6:16.
- 4:38 Simon Simon’s other name was Peter.
- 4:44 Judea Some Greek copies read “Galilee.”
Luke 4
New Testament for Everyone
Luke 4
New Testament for Everyone
Temptation in the wilderness
4 Jesus returned from the Jordan, filled with the spirit. The spirit took him off into the wilderness 2 for forty days, to be tested by the devil. He ate nothing during that time, and at the end of it he was hungry.
3 “If you are God’s son,” said the devil, “tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.”
4 “It is written,” replied Jesus, “ ‘It isn’t only bread that keeps you alive.’ ”
5 The devil then took him up and showed him, in an instant, all the kingdoms of the world.
6 “I will give you authority over all of this,” said the devil, “and all the prestige that goes with it. It’s been given to me, you see, and I give it to anyone I like. 7 So it can all be yours . . . if you will just worship me.”
8 “It is written,” replied Jesus, “ ‘The Lord your God is the one you must worship; he is the only one you must serve.’ ”
9 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and stood him on a pinnacle of the Temple.
“If you are God’s son,” he said, “throw yourself down from here; 10 it’s written, after all, that ‘He will give his angels a command about you, to look after you’; 11 and ‘They will carry you in their hands, so that you won’t hit your foot against a stone.’ ”
12 “It has been said,” replied Jesus, “ ‘You mustn’t put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
13 When the devil had finished each temptation, he left him until another opportunity.
Opposition to Jesus in Nazareth
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the spirit. His reputation spread throughout the whole district. 15 He taught in their synagogues to universal acclaim.
16 He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. On the sabbath, as was his regular practice, he went into the synagogue and stood up to read. 17 They gave him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18 The spirit of the Lord is upon me
because he has anointed me
to tell the poor the good news.
He has sent me to announce release to the prisoners
and sight to the blind,
to set the wounded victims free,
19 to announce the year of God’s special favor.
20 He rolled up the scroll, gave it to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him.
21 “Today,” he began, “this scripture is fulfilled in your own hearing.”
22 Everyone remarked at him; they were astonished at the words coming out of his mouth—words of sheer grace.
“Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they said.
23 “I know what you’re going to say,” Jesus said. “You’re going to tell me the old riddle: ‘Heal yourself, doctor!’ ‘We heard of great happenings in Capernaum; do things like that here, in your own country!’
24 “Let me tell you the truth,” he went on. “Prophets never get accepted in their own country. 25 This is the solemn truth: there were plenty of widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a great famine over all the land. 26 Elijah was sent to none of them, only to a widow in the Sidonian town of Zarephath.
27 “And there were plenty of people with virulent skin diseases in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was healed—only Naaman, the Syrian.”
28 When they heard this, everyone in the synagogue flew into a rage. 29 They got up and threw him out of town. They took him to the top of the hill on which their town was built, meaning to fling him off. 30 But he slipped through the middle of them and went away.
Jesus’ authoritative healings
31 Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He used to teach them every sabbath. 32 They were astonished at his teaching, because his message was powerful and authoritative.
33 There was a man in the synagogue who had the spirit of an unclean demon.
34 “Hey, you!” he yelled out at the top of his voice. “What’s going on with you and me, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—you’re God’s Holy One!”
35 “Shut up!” Jesus rebuked him. “Come out of him!”
The demon threw the man down right there in front of them, and came out without harming him. 36 Fear came over them all. “What’s all this?” they started to say to one another. “He’s got power! He’s got authority! He tells the unclean spirits what to do, and they come out!” 37 Word about him went out to the whole surrounding region.
38 He left the synagogue and went into Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was sick with a high fever, and they asked him about her. 39 He stood in front of her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. And straight away she got up and waited on them.
40 When the sun went down, everyone who had sick people—all kinds of sicknesses—brought them to him. He laid his hands on each one in turn, and healed them. 41 Demons came out of many people, shouting out, “You are the son of God!” He sternly forbade them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.
42 When day dawned he left the town and went off to a deserted place. The crowds hunted for him, and when they caught up with him they begged him not to leave them.
43 “I must tell the good news of God’s kingdom to the other towns,” he said. “That’s what I was sent for.” 44 And he was announcing the message to the synagogues of Judaea.
Luke 4
New International Version
Luke 4
New International Version
Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness(A)
4 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit,(B) left the Jordan(C) and was led by the Spirit(D) into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days(E) he was tempted[a] by the devil.(F) He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God,(G) tell this stone to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’[b]”(H)
5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.(I) 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me,(J) and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’[c]”(K)
9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
11 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[d]”(L)
12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[e]”(M)
13 When the devil had finished all this tempting,(N) he left him(O) until an opportune time.
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
14 Jesus returned to Galilee(P) in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.(Q) 15 He was teaching in their synagogues,(R) and everyone praised him.
16 He went to Nazareth,(S) where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue,(T) as was his custom. He stood up to read,(U) 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,(V)
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news(W) to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”[f](X)
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down.(Y) The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled(Z) in your hearing.”
22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.(AA)
23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown(AB) what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”(AC)
24 “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.(AD) 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land.(AE) 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon.(AF) 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy[g] in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”(AG)
28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town,(AH) and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.(AI)
Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit(AJ)
31 Then he went down to Capernaum,(AK) a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. 32 They were amazed at his teaching,(AL) because his words had authority.(AM)
33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 “Go away! What do you want with us,(AN) Jesus of Nazareth?(AO) Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are(AP)—the Holy One of God!”(AQ)
35 “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly.(AR) “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.
36 All the people were amazed(AS) and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority(AT) and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” 37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.(AU)
Jesus Heals Many(AV)(AW)
38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. 39 So he bent over her and rebuked(AX) the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.
40 At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one,(AY) he healed them.(AZ) 41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!”(BA) But he rebuked(BB) them and would not allow them to speak,(BC) because they knew he was the Messiah.
42 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God(BD) to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.(BE)
Footnotes
International Children’s Bible (ICB) 
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
New Testament for Everyone (NTFE) 
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.