‘Isa, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness 2for forty days, being tempted by Iblis. He ate nothing in those days. Afterward, when they were completed, he was hungry. 3Iblis said to him, “If you are Ibn Allah , command this stone to become bread.“
4‘Isa answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of Allah.‘[1]“
5Iblis, leading him up on a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6Iblis said to him, “I will give you all this authority, and their glory, for it has been delivered to me; and I give it to whomever I want. 7If you therefore will worship before me, it will all be yours.“
8‘Isa answered him, “Get behind me Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship Allah your God, and you shall worship him alone.‘”[2]
9He led him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are Ibn Allah , cast yourself down from here, 10for it is written,
‘He will give his angels charge concerning you, to guard you;’
11and,
‘In their hands they will bear you up,
So that you do not dash your foot against a stone.‘”[3]
12‘Isa answering, said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not test Allah your God.‘[4]“
13When Iblis had completed every temptation, he departed from him until another time.
14‘Isa returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and news about him spread through all the surrounding area. 15He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
16He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He entered, as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17The book of the prophet Shaya was handed to him. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written,
18“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
Because he has anointed me to preach the Injil to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim release to the captives,
Recovering of sight to the blind,
To deliver those who are crushed,
19And to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.“[5]
20He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21He began to tell them, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.“
22All testified about him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, “Isn’t this Yusuf’s son?“
23He said to them, “Doubtless you will tell me this parable, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here in your hometown.‘” 24He said, “Most assuredly I tell you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25But truly I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Ilyas, when the sky was shut up three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land. 26Ilyas was sent to none of them, except to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27There were many lepers in Israel in the time of Al-Yasathe prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed, except Naaman, the Syrian.“
28They were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things. 29They rose up, threw him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill that their city was built on, that they might throw him off the cliff. 30But he, passing through the midst of them, went his way.
31He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. He was teaching them on the Sabbath day, 32and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority. 33In the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34saying, “Ah! what have we to do with you, ‘Isa, you Nasrani?[6] Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of Allah!“
35‘Isa rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!“ When the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.
36Amazement came on all, and they spoke together, one with another, saying, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!“ 37News about him went out into every place of the surrounding region.
38He rose up from the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a great fever, and they begged him for her. 39He stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her. Immediately she rose up and served them. 40When the sun was setting, all those who had any sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. 41Demons also came out from many, crying out, and saying, “You are al-Masih, Ibn Allah !“ Rebuking them, he didn’t allow them to speak, because they knew that he was al-Masih.
42When it was day, he departed and went into an uninhabited place, and the multitudes looked for him, and came to him, and held on to him, so that he wouldn’t go away from them. 43But he said to them, “I must preach the Injil of the Kingdom of Allah to the other cities also. For this reason I have been sent.“ 44He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.
[1] 4:4 Quoting the Taurat, Deuteronomy 8:3.
[2] Quoting the Taurat, Deuteronomy 6:13.
[3] 4:10-11 Quoting the Zabur 91:11-12.
[4] 4:12 Quoting the Taurat, Deuteronomy 6:16.
[5] 4:18-19 Quoting the Taurat, Shaya 61:1-2.
[6] 4:34 The Greek Injil says “Nazareni,“ which means “inhabitant of Nazareth.“ Nazareth is an ancient city in the northern regions of Palestine.