- And Jesus returned in the power of the spirit into Galilee. And there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all who believed on his name.
- And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah, and when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written: The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and the recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them who are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
- And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and he sat down. And the eyes of all those who were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bore him witness and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son? And he said unto them, You will surely say unto me this proverb: Physician, heal yourself. Whatever we have heard was done in Capernaum, do also here in your country. And he said, Truly I say unto you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you the truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah when the heaven was shut up three years and six months and great famine was throughout all the land, but unto none of them was Elijah sent, save unto Zarephath of Sidon, unto a woman who was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them were cleansed save Naaman the Syrian.
- And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he, passing through the midst of them, went his way and came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the Sabbath days. And they were astonished at his teaching, for his words were with power.
- And in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean devil, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying, Let us alone! What have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know you, who you are: the Holy One of God. Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold your peace and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him into the midst, he came out of him and hurt him not. And they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, What a word is this! For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out. And the fame of him went out in every place round about.
- And he arose and went out of the synagogue and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever, and they implored him to heal her. And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and ministered unto them. Now when the sun was setting, all they who had any sick with diverse diseases brought them unto him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. And devils also came out of many, crying out and saying, You are Christ, the Son of God! And he, rebuking them, suffered them not to speak, for they knew that he was Christ.
- And when it was day, he departed and went into a solitary place. And the people sought him, and came unto him, and desired of him that he should not depart from them. But he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also, for that is why am I sent. And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.
- And it came to pass, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing on the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were wetting their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and asked him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people out of the ship.
- Now when he was done speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing. Nevertheless, at your word I will let down the net. And when they had done this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net broke, and they beckoned unto partners who were in the other ship that they should come and help them. And they came and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw the multitude of fishes, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all who were with him, at the catch of the fishes which they had taken. And so also were Jacob and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not from henceforth, for you shall catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all and followed him.
- And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold, a man full of leprosy, who, seeing Jesus, fell on his face and implored him, saying, Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean. And he put forth his hand and touched him, saying, I am willing. Be clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. And he charged him to tell no man, but said unto him, Go and show yourself to the priests, and offer for your cleansing according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. But so much more went there a fame abroad of him, and great multitudes came together to hear and to be healed by him of their infirmities. And he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed.
- And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And behold, men brought in a bed a man who was taken with a palsy, and they sought to bring him in and to lay him before Jesus. And when they found that they could not bring him in for the multitude, they went upon the housetop and let him down through the tiling, with his couch, into the midst before Jesus. Now he saw their faith and said unto the man, Your sins are forgiven you. And the scribes and Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone? But Jesus perceived their thoughts, and he said unto them, What do you reason in your hearts? Does it require more power to forgive sins than to make the sick rise up and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power upon earth to forgive sins, I said it. And he said unto the man sick of the palsy, I say unto you, Arise, and take up your couch, and go into your house. And immediately he arose up before them, and took up that on which he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things today.
- And after these things, he went forth and saw a publican named Levi sitting in the tax booth. And he said unto him, Follow me. And he left all, rose up, and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his own house, and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them. But the scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners? Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician, but they who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
- And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink? And he said unto them, Can you make the children of the bridechamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
- And he spoke also a parable unto them, saying, No man puts a piece of new cloth upon an old garment. If so, then the new makes a rent, and agrees not with the old. And no man puts new wine into old bottles, else the new wine will burst the bottles and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles, and both are preserved. No man also, having drunk old wine, desires new, for he says, The old is better.
- And it came to pass, on the second Sabbath after this, that he went through the grainfields; and his disciples plucked the heads of the grain and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do you do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath days? Jesus answering them said, Have you not read so much as this — what David did when he himself was hungry, and they who were with him? How he went into the House of God and did take and eat the showbread, and gave also to them who were with him, which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone? And he said unto them that the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath.
- And it came to pass also on another Sabbath that he entered into the synagogue and taught. And there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the Sabbath day, that they might find an accusation against him. But he knew their thoughts and said to the man who had the withered hand, Rise up and stand forth in the midst. And he rose and stood forth. Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath days to do good or to do evil? To save life or to destroy? And, looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth your hand. And he did so, and his hand was restored whole as the other. And they were filled with madness, and discussed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
Chapter 4