Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting for forty days and forty nights, Jesus grew extremely hungry.

The tempter appeared before him and said, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." But Jesus replied, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of God's mouth."

Then the devil took Jesus up to the holy city and set him on a pinnacle of the temple. He said to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down: for it is written, He will give his angels charge concerning you, and on their hands they will bear you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone." But Jesus responded, "You shall not test the Lord your God."

The devil took Jesus to an extremely high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world along with their glory. He said, "I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me." But Jesus said, "Leave me now, Satan: for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve."

When the devil left, angels came and ministered to Jesus. Upon hearing that John had been put in prison, Jesus departed for Galilee. He left Nazareth and settled in Capernaum, a town situated on the coast of the sea at the boundary between Zabulon and Nephthalim.

As it was written by Isaiah the prophet: "The land of Zabulon and the land of Nephthalim, bordering the Mediterranean Sea beyond the Jordan River, is Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who sat in darkness saw great light; and to those living in the shadow of death, light has burst forth."

From that time on, Jesus began to preach, saying: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." As he walked by the sea of Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea because they were fishermen.

He said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed him. Then Jesus went on from there and saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and John his brother, in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.

He called them to follow him, and they immediately left the ship and their father to join him. From that time on, Jesus traveled throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of God's kingdom while healing every kind of disease and illness among the people.

As his fame spread throughout all Syria, people brought to him all who were suffering from various diseases and afflictions, those possessed by demons, the mentally ill, and those paralyzed. Jesus healed them all. Great crowds of people followed him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan, drawn by his power to heal and proclaim the kingdom of God.