The Temptation of Jesus
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Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.
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After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
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The tempter came to him and said,
"If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
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Jesus answered, "It is written: "Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "
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Then the devil took him to the holy city
and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.
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"If you are the Son of God," he said,
"throw yourself down. For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in the their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' "
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Jesus answered him, "It is also written:
'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' "
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Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain
and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
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"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bowdown and worship me."
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Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written:
Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.' "
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Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Jesus Begins to Preach
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When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee.
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Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum,
which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali -
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to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
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"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea,
along the Jordan. Galilee of the Gentiles -
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the people living in darkness have seen a great light ;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned"
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From that time on Jesus began to preach,
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
The Calling of the First Disciples
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As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee,
he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.
They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
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"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
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At once they left their nets and followed him.
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Going on from there, he saw two other brothers,
James son of Zebedee and his brother John.
They were in a boat with their father Zebedee,
preparing their nets. Jesus called them,
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and immediately they left the boat
and their father and followed him.
Jesus Heals the Sick
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Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues,
preaching the good news of the kingdom,
and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
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News about him spread all over Syria,
and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases,
those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed,
those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.
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Large crowds from Galilee, the Dacapolis, Jerusalem, Judea
and the region across the Jordan followed him.
