1 Joshua, full of the holy spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the spirit into the backcountry 2 for forty days, being tempted by the slanderer. He ate nothing in those days. Afterward, when they were completed, he was hungry. 3 The slanderer said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
4 Joshua answered him, saying,
5 The slanderer, leading him up on a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 The slanderer 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. 7 If you therefore will worship before me, it will all be yours.”
8 Joshua answered him,
9 He led him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down from here, 10 for it is written,
‘He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you;’
11 and,
‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest perhaps you dash your foot against a stone.’”Psalm 91:11-12
12 Joshua answering, said to him,
13 When the slanderer had completed every temptation, he departed from him until another time.
14 Joshua returned in the power of the spirit into Galilee, and news about him spread through all the surrounding area. 15 He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
16 He 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. 17 The book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written,
18“The spirit of the Master is on me,
because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the broken hearted,
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 Master.” Isaiah 61:1-2
20 He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began to tell them,
22 All testified about him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”
23 He said to them,
28 They were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things. 29 They 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. 30 But he, passing through the middle of them, went his way.
31 He came down to Kfar Naḥum, a city of Galilee. He was teaching them on the Sabbaths. 32 And they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority. 33 In the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 saying, “Ah! what have we to do with you, Joshua, Natzerene? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!”
35 Joshua rebuked him, saying,
36 Amazement 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!” 37 News about him went out into every place of the surrounding region.
38 He rose up from the synagogue, and entered into Shimon’s house. Shimon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a great fever, and they begged him for her. 39 He stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her. Immediately she rose up and served them. 40 When 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. 41 Demons also came out of many, crying out, and saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of God!” Rebuking them, he didn’t allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.
42 When 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. 43 But he said to them,