19Now when Herod was dead, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20saying, Arise, and take the little boy and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they who sought the life of the infant are dead. 21So he arose, and took the child and his mother, and came unto the land of Israel. 22But hearing that Archelaus reigned in Judea in the stead of Herod his father, he was afraid to go thither. And being divinely warned in a dream, he retired into the country of Galilee, 23and came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that what was said by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he shall be called a Nazarean.
[CHAP. III.]
THEN in those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the desert country of Judea, 2and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is nigh. 3For this is the person spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying[5], “The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths strait.” 4Now this John had his garment made of camel’s hair, and a girdle of leather about his loins, and his food was locusts and wild honey.
5Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the regions about Jordan, 6and were baptized by him in Jordan, on making confession of their sins. 7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, O ye broods of vipers! who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Produce then worthy fruits of repentance: 9and think not to say in yourselves, We have Abraham for our father: for I say unto you, that God is able out of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10And now also the ax is laid to the root of the trees: every tree therefore which produceth not good fruit, is hewing down, and casting into the fire. 11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire: 12whose winnowing fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and will collect the wheat into his granary; but the chaff will he burn up with fire unquenchable.
13Then came Jesus from Galilee unto Jordan to John, that he might be baptized by him. 14But John earnestly withheld him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15But Jesus answering said unto him, Permit it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he permitted him. 16And Jesus, after his baptism, came straight from the water: and lo! the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as it were a dove, and coming upon him: 17and lo! a voice from the heavens, saying, This is my Son, the beloved, in whom is my delight.
[CHAP. IV.]
THEN was Jesus led away by the spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted by the devil. 2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he became hungry. 3And the tempter coming to him said, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones be made loaves. 4But he answering said, It is written[6], “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and placed him on a wing of the temple, 6and saith to him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written[7], “that he shall give his angels a charge concerning thee: and in their hands shall they hold thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” 7Jesus said unto him, It is written again[8], “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
8Again the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory; 9and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall prostrate and worship me. 10Then saith Jesus unto him, Avaunt Satan! for it is written[9], “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and to him only thou pay divine adoration.” 11Then the devil leaveth him, and lo! angels came and ministered unto him.
12But when Jesus heard that John was cast into prison, he retired into Galilee; 13and leaving Nazareth, he came and resided at Capernaum, a maritime city, on the confines of Zebulun and Nephthali: 14that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled, saying[10], 15“The land of Zabulun, and the land of Naphthali, the road to the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 16the people who sat in darkness saw a great light; and on those who sat in the region and shadow of death, even on them hath the light arisen.”