Gospel of Saint Matthew - The New Testament

¹ Then Jesus was led by the Spirit out into the desert to be put to the test by the devil.

² He fasted for forty days and forty nights, after which he was hungry,

³ and the tester came and said to him, 'If you are Son of God, tell these stones to turn into loaves.'

⁴ But he replied, 'Scripture says: Human beings live not on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'

⁵ The devil then took him to the holy city and set him on the parapet of the Temple.

⁶ 'If you are Son of God,' he said, 'throw yourself down; for scripture says: He has given his angels orders about you, and they will carry you in their arms in case you trip over a stone.'

⁷ Jesus said to him, 'Scripture also says: Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'

⁸ Next, taking him to a very high mountain, the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour.

⁹ And he said to him, 'I will give you all these, if you fall at my feet and do me homage.'

¹⁰ Then Jesus replied, 'Away with you, Satan! For scripture says: The Lord your God is the one to whom you must do homage, him alone you must serve.'

¹¹ Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels appeared and looked after him.


¹² Hearing that John had been arrested he withdrew to Galilee,

¹³ and leaving Nazara he went and settled in Capernaum, beside the lake, on the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali.

¹⁴ This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁵ Land of Zebulun! Land of Naphtali! Way of the sea beyond Jordan. Galilee of the nations!

¹⁶ The people that lived in darkness have seen a great light; on those who lived in a country of shadow dark as death a light has dawned.


¹⁷ From then onwards Jesus began his proclamation with the message, 'Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is close at hand.'

¹⁸ As he was walking by the Lake of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast into the lake with their net, for they were fishermen.

¹⁹ And he said to them, 'Come after me and I will make you fishers of people.'

²⁰ And at once they left their nets and followed him.

²¹ Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them.

²² And at once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.


²³ He went round the whole of Galilee teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and illness among the people.

²⁴ His fame spread throughout Syria, and those who were suffering from diseases and painful complaints of one kind or another, the possessed, epileptics, the paralysed, were all brought to him, and he cured them.

²⁵ Large crowds followed him, coming from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judaea and Transjordan.