Luke 4

1 Then Jesus [full of God’s nature], full of the Holy [set apart, dedicated to God] Spirit [the vital principle, breath of God], returned [to turn back, come again] from the Jordan [a river in Palestine, a significant location] and was led [guided, directed] by the Spirit [the divine influence, power] into the wilderness [a deserted, uninhabited place, a testing ground], word study 2 where for forty [a period of testing or trial] days He was tempted [tested, tried] by the devil [the adversary, Satan]. He ate nothing [no food, fasting] during those days, and when they had ended [were completed, fulfilled], He was hungry [felt a strong need for food, was famished]. word study 3 The devil [the adversary, Satan] said to Him, “If [on the condition that] You are the Son [a child, an heir] of God [the supreme deity, Creator], tell [command, speak to] this stone [a rock, a literal stone] to become [to be transformed into] bread [food, sustenance].” word study 4 But Jesus [the Greek name for Joshua, meaning God is salvation] answered, “It is written [in the Scriptures, recorded by God]: ‘Man [a human being, created in God’s image] shall not live [have life, either physically or spiritually] on bread [food, physical sustenance] alone [by itself, without anything else].’ ” word study 5 Then the devil [Satan, the adversary] led Him up to a high [lofty, elevated] place and showed Him in an instant [a brief moment, a twinkling of an eye] all the kingdoms [domains, realms] of the world [the inhabited earth, the global system]. word study 6 “I will give You [to bestow or grant] authority [power or freedom to act] over all these kingdoms [areas of dominion] and all their glory [honor, praise, or admiration],” he said [to speak or declare]. “For it has been relinquished [surrendered or yielded] to me [the devil, a false accuser], and I can give it [deliver or grant] to anyone I wish [desire or intentionally choose]. word study 7 So if You [therefore, as a consequence] worship [bow down, show reverence] me, it will [shall be, come to be] all [everything, every thing] be Yours [belonging to You, in Your possession].” word study 8 But Jesus [the Messiah, God’s Anointed] answered, “It is written: ‘Worship [bow down, show reverence to] the Lord [the supreme authority] your God [the one true deity] and serve [minister to, give homage to] Him [alone, exclusively] only [solitary, unique].’ ” word study 9 Then the devil [the adversary, Satan] led Him to Jerusalem [the holy city, the capital of Israel] and set Him on the pinnacle [the highest point, the peak] of the temple [the sacred place, the house of God]. “If You are [truly, genuinely] the Son [the divine offspring, the Messiah] of God [the supreme Being, the Father],” he said, “throw [cast, hurl] Yourself down from here [this place, this location]. word study 10 For [since, because] it is written [in Scripture, recorded]: ‘He will command [order, give charge to] His angels [messengers, heavenly beings] concerning [about, regarding] You to guard [protect, watch over] You carefully [with diligence, to keep safe]; word study 11 and they will lift [bear, take up] You up in their hands [with their power, as instruments], so that You will not [lest, if ever] strike [dash, stumble against] Your foot [the lowest part of the body, a symbol of humility] against a stone [a rock, a stumbling block].’ ” word study 12 But Jesus [the Greek name for Joshua, meaning God is salvation] answered, “It also says, ‘Do not [absolutely refuse to] put the Lord [a title of respect and authority] your God [the one true deity, Creator of all] to the test [tempt or try, to prove or challenge].’ ” word study 13 When the devil [the Evil One, Satan] had finished [completed, ended] every temptation [testing, trial], he left [departed from, stood away from] Him until [till, at a later time] an opportune time [a season, the right moment]. word study 14 Jesus [the Son of God, the Savior] returned to Galilee [a region in Palestine] in the power [miraculous ability, divine strength] of the Spirit [the Holy Spirit, the vital principle of God], and the news [report, rumor, fame] about Him [Christ, the Messiah] spread throughout the surrounding [all the area around, neighboring] region [district, territory]. word study 15 He taught [instructed, guided] in their synagogues [meeting places, gatherings] and was glorified [honored, praised] by [under the authority of, recognized by] everyone [all people, every person]. word study 16 Then Jesus came to Nazareth [the city of his upbringing], where He had been brought up [nourished and cared for]. As was His custom [usual practice, according to his habit], He entered [went into, as was his way] the synagogue [Jewish meeting place, gathering of people] on the Sabbath [day of rest, seventh day of the week]. And when He stood up [arose, got up to read] to read [to know and understand written words, to proclaim scriptures], word study 17 the scroll [book, written document] of the prophet [one who speaks for God, interpreter of God’s will] Isaiah [a prophet who wrote about God’s plan for humanity] was handed [delivered, given] to Him [Jesus, the Messiah]. Unrolling [opening, unfolding] it, He found [discovered, came upon] the place [location, specific spot] where it was written [recorded, inscribed]: word study 18 “The Spirit [the vital principle] of the Lord [God, the supreme authority] is on Me, because He has anointed [smeared or rubbed with oil] Me to preach [proclaim or herald] good news [the gospel] to the poor [those who are humble or in need]. He has sent [dispatched] Me to proclaim [declare] liberty [freedom or pardon] to the captives [prisoners of war] and recovery of sight [restoration of vision] to the blind [those who are physically or spiritually blind], to release [set free] the oppressed [those who are crushed or broken], word study 19 to proclaim [preach, herald] the year [cycle of time, season] of the Lord’s [God’s, Master’s] favor [acceptable time, good pleasure].” word study 20 Then He rolled up [closed, folded] the scroll [book, written document], returned it to the attendant [servant, minister], and sat down [took His seat, sat to teach]. The eyes [sight, vision] of everyone [all, every person] in the synagogue [gathering, assembly] were fixed [fastened, gazing intently] on Him [looking at, focused on], word study 21 and He began [to rule, commence] by saying, “Today [this day, at this moment] this Scripture [the written word of God, a prophecy] is fulfilled [completed, made full] in your hearing [in your ears, as you listen].” word study 22 All [everyone, the entire crowd] spoke well of Him and marveled [were amazed, wondered] at the gracious [full of divine favor, charming] words that came from His lips [mouth, speech]. “Isn’t [is it not, can it be] this the son [offspring, child] of Joseph [the carpenter, Jesus’ earthly father]?” they asked [said, inquired]. word study 23 Jesus said to them, “Surely [without a doubt, certainly] you will quote this proverb [a saying, a parable] to Me: ‘Physician [a healer], heal [to serve or cure] yourself [your own person]! Do [to make or perform] here [in this place] in Your hometown [fatherland or native country] what we have heard [to hear or learn] that You did [to be or come into being] in Capernaum [a town in Palestine].’” word study 24 Then He added, “Truly [verily, with certainty] I tell you, no [none, nobody] prophet [one who speaks forth God’s message] is accepted [acceptable, pleasing to God] in his hometown [native country, fatherland]. word study 25 But I tell you truthfully [of a truth, with absolute certainty] that there were many [a large number of] widows [women who have lost their husbands, in a state of bereavement] in Israel [the chosen people of God, the nation of Israel] in the time [days, period] of Elijah [the prophet, a man of God], when the sky [heaven, the atmosphere] was shut [closed, blocked] for three [a specific number] and a half years [a period of time] and great [intense, severe] famine [a lack of food, hunger] swept over [came upon, affected] all [every part of] the land [the earth, the ground]. word study 26 Yet Elijah [the prophet, a man of God] was not sent [appointed, directed] to any of them [none, nobody], but to the widow [a woman who has lost her husband] of Zarephath [Sarepta, a city] in Sidon [a region, a city of Sidon]. word study 27 And there were many [a large number of] lepers [people afflicted with a serious skin disease] in Israel [the adopted name of Jacob, including his descendants] in the time of Elisha [a prophet of God] the prophet [one who speaks forth God’s will]. Yet not one of them was cleansed [purified, made clean]—only [except, but] Naaman [a Syrian man healed by God] the Syrian [a person from the region of Syria].” word study 28 On hearing [when they heard these things, as they listened] this, all [every single one, the entire crowd] the people in the synagogue [gathering, assembly, place of worship] were [filled with, became] enraged [filled with wrath, intensely angry, full of hostility]. word study 29 They got up [rose to their feet, stood up], drove Him out [thrust him out, expelled him] of the town [city, community], and led Him [brought him, guided him] to the brow [edge, forehead] of the hill [mountain, elevated land] on which the town [city, community] was built [constructed, established], in order to throw Him [cast him down, push him over] over the cliff [down headlong, to his death]. word study 30 But Jesus [he, the Messiah] passed [walked right, went] through [in the midst of, because of] the crowd [mob, multitude] and went [traveled, journeyed] on His way [His journey, His path]. word study 31 Then He went down [came down from a higher place] to Capernaum [a city of Galilee], a town [a community with its own government] in Galilee [a region in Palestine], and on the Sabbath [a day of rest, the seventh day of the week] He began [started, commenced] to teach [instruct, guide] the people [the crowd, the multitude]. word study 32 They were astonished [amazed, surprised] at His teaching [instruction, doctrine], because His message [word, logos] had [was characterized by] authority [power, the right to command]. word study 33 In the synagogue [a gathering place for Jewish worship] there was a man [a human being] possessed by the spirit [the vital principle] of an unclean [impure] demon [an evil spirit]. He cried out [to yell] in a loud [great] voice [a sound or noise], word study 34 “Ha [Aha! What a surprise!]! What do You want with us [to do with thee], Jesus [Joshua, God’s salvation] of Nazareth [from the city of Nazareth]? Have You come [arrived, appeared] to destroy [to lose completely, annihilate] us? I know [perceive, see spiritually] who You are [who thou art]—the Holy One [set apart, sacred] of God [the one true deity]!” word study 35 But Jesus [the Son of God, the Savior] rebuked [to warn or reprove sternly] the demon [an evil spirit, unclean being]. “Be silent [hold thy peace, muzzle]!” He said. “Come out [to go out, depart] of him [from within the man]!” At this, the demon [evil spirit] threw [to throw or lay down] the man down [to the ground] before them all [in their midst, openly] and came out [to depart, go out] without [in no way, not at all] harming [to hurt or injure] him [the man, without causing damage]. word study 36 All the people [every single person, the entire crowd] were overcome with amazement [a state of great wonder, astonishment] and asked one another, “What is this message [word, teaching, logos]? With [by virtue of, in] authority [power to act, divine permission] and power [ability to perform, miraculous strength] He commands [gives orders to, instructs] the unclean [impure, evil] spirits, and they come out [are cast out, depart]!” word study 37 And the news [report, rumor, fame] about Jesus [the Messiah, Christ] spread [went out, was published] throughout [into every place of] the surrounding [nearby] region [area, country round about]. word study 38 After Jesus had left [risen up from, departed] the synagogue [a gathering place for Jewish worship], He went to the home [house, dwelling] of Simon [a disciple, Peter], whose mother-in-law [Simon’s wife’s mother] was suffering [afflicted, oppressed] from a high [great, severe] fever [a medical condition of inflammation]. So they appealed [besought, asked] to Jesus on her behalf [for her, about her], word study 39 and He stood [bent over, drew near] over her and rebuked [gave a sharp warning to] the fever [a high temperature, inflammation], and it left [was released, departed from] her. And she got up [arose, stood up] at once [immediately, instantly] and began to serve [minister, attend to the needs of] them. word study 40 At [when the day was ending] sunset, all who were ill [suffering from various diseases, weak and feeble] with [diverse, manifold] various diseases were brought [led, guided] to Jesus, and laying [placing, putting] His hands [as a symbol of power and healing] on each one [every individual, one by one], He healed [restored to health, made whole] them. word study 41 Demons [evil spirits, unclean beings] also came out of many people, shouting, “You are [having the nature of, being the Son of] the Son [Child, descendant] of God [the supreme Deity, Creator]!” But He rebuked [warned, corrected] the demons and would not allow [permit, give permission to] them to speak, because they knew [recognized, understood] He was [is, exists as] the Christ [the Anointed One, Messiah]. word study 42 At daybreak [when it was day, early morning], Jesus went out [departed, came out] to a solitary [deserted, uninhabited] place, and the crowds [multitudes, large groups of people] were looking for Him [seeking, searching]. They came to Him and tried to keep [hold back, restrain] Him from leaving [going away, departing from them]. word study 43 But Jesus told them, “I must [it is necessary for me to] preach [announce, proclaim] the good news [gospel, message of salvation] of the kingdom [reign, dominion] of God [the one true deity] to the other [different, additional] towns [cities, communities] as well, because that is why [for this reason, on account of this] I was sent [appointed, commissioned].” word study 44 And He continued [persisted, went on] to preach [proclaim, herald the gospel] in the synagogues [gatherings, assemblies] of [in the region of] Judea [or Galilee, a province in Palestine]. word study