Matthew 4 - EasyEnglish Bible 2024（EASY）

Chapter 4The devil tries to make Jesus do wrong things

1Then the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness. While he was there, the devil came to him. He tried to cause Jesus to do wrong things.

2Jesus did not eat anything for 40 days and 40 nights. At the end of this time, he was very hungry.

3Then the devil came to Jesus and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, speak to these stones. Tell them to become bread.’

4But Jesus replied, ‘No! The Bible says that food alone cannot cause people to live. They need to hear every word that God speaks. That is what gives them true life.’

5Then the devil led Jesus to Jerusalem. He made him stand on the highest part of the temple.

6He said to Jesus, ‘If you are the Son of God, jump down from here to the ground. You know that the Bible says:

“God will tell his angels to keep you safe.

They will hold you safely in their hands.

They will not let you hurt your foot on a stone”.’

7Jesus replied, ‘No! The Bible also says, “Do not test the Lord your God, to see if he will save you”.’

8Then the devil led Jesus up a very high mountain. He showed Jesus all the kingdoms in the whole world. They were very great and beautiful.

9The devil said, ‘I will give you power over all these things. Just go down on your knees in front of me. Worship me and I will give it all to you.’

10Jesus then said to him, ‘Satan, go away from me! The Bible says, “Only worship your Lord God. He is the only one that you should obey”.’

11Then the devil left Jesus alone. Immediately angels came to Jesus and they took care of him.

Jesus starts to speak God's message in Galilee

12Then Jesus heard that Herod had put John the Baptist in prison. So Jesus returned to Galilee.

13But he did not stay in Nazareth. He went to live in Capernaum, which is a town on the shore of Lake Galilee. It was in the part of Israel called Zebulun and Naphtali.

14This caused God's message to become true. Long ago God had said through his prophet Isaiah:

15‘I am speaking to you people who live in Zebulun and Naphtali.

Your land is on the way to Lake Galilee.

It is across the Jordan River in Galilee,

where people of other nations live.

16They are like people who are living in a dark place.

They live in the shadow which death brings.

Now God will send a light to shine on them.’

17Then Jesus began to speak God's message to people. He said, ‘You must turn away from your sins and change how you live. Do this now, because the kingdom of heaven has come very near.’

Jesus asks four men to be his disciples

18One day, Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee. He saw two men who were brothers. One man was called Simon, and he was also called Peter. His brother's name was Andrew. Their job was to catch fish. They were throwing their nets into the lake to catch fish.

19Jesus said to them, ‘Come with me and be my disciples. Then I will teach you how to catch people, instead of fish.’

20Simon and Andrew immediately put their nets down and they went with Jesus.

21They continued to walk along the shore. Soon Jesus saw two other men who were brothers. They were called James and John. They were in their boat with their father, Zebedee. They were mending their nets. Jesus said to James and John, ‘Come with me.’

22The brothers immediately left the boat and their father. They went with Jesus to be his disciples.

Jesus teaches God's good news and he makes sick people well

23Jesus travelled everywhere in Galilee. He taught the people in the Jewish meeting places. He told them the good news about God's kingdom. He also caused sick people to become well again from all their different pains and illnesses.

24More and more people in all parts of Syria heard about Jesus. So they brought all the sick people to see him. These people had many different illnesses, and some of them had strong pains. Bad spirits were living inside some of them. Some people could not control their bodies, and some people could not walk properly. Jesus caused all these people to become well again.

25Because of this, large crowds of people followed him. They came from Galilee and from the region called ‘The ten cities’. Some of them came from Jerusalem, and other parts of Judea. And some came from the other side of the Jordan River.