Bible / Matthew

Matthew 4

World English Bible, Catholic edition, in plain modern English. About the translations

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. CCC

2 When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward.

3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” Fathers

4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of God’s mouth.’” CCC

5 Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple,

6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not test the Lord, your God.’” Fathers

8 Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

9 He said to him, “I will give you all of these things, if you will fall down and worship me.” Fathers

10 Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’” Fathers

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and served him. CCC

12 Now when Jesus heard that John was delivered up, he withdrew into Galilee.

13 Leaving Nazareth, he came and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,

14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles,

16 the people who sat in darkness saw a great light; to those who sat in the region and shadow of death, to them light has dawned.”

17 From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” CCC

18 Walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.

19 He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men.” CCC

20 They immediately left their nets and followed him.

21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them.

22 They immediately left the boat and their father, and followed him.

23 Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.

24 The report about him went out into all Syria. They brought to him all who were sick, afflicted with various diseases and torments, possessed with demons, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them. CCC

25 Great multitudes from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

This chapter in the Catechism and the early Church

Where the Catechism of the Catholic Church cites these verses (from its footnotes on vatican.va), and where the earliest Church Fathers quote them (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1, public domain). Short quotes only; follow the links for the full text.

  1. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 394 “Scripture witnesses to the disastrous influence of the one Jesus calls "a murderer from the beginning", who would even try to divert…”
    • CCC 2849 “Such a battle and such a victory become possible only through prayer. It is by his prayer that Jesus vanquishes the tempter,…”
  2. Read the Fathers
    • “Yea, even the demons exclaimed, on beholding the Son: "We know Thee who Thou art, the Holy One of God." And the devil looking at Him, and tempting Him, said: "If Thou art the Son of God;”

      Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter VI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1

    • “For, when tempting Him, he said, "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.”

      Quoted in Against Heresies, Book V, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1

  3. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 2835 “This petition, with the responsibility it involves, also applies to another hunger from which men are perishing: "Man does not live by…”
  4. Read the Fathers
    • “… Gospel, casting down the apostasy by means of these expressions, He did both overcome the strong man by His Father's voice, and He acknowledges the commandment of the law to express His own sentiments, when He says, "Thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God.”

      Quoted in Against Heresies, Book V, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1

  5. Read the Fathers
    • “… the memoirs of the apostles to have come to Him and tempted Him, even so far as to say to Him, Worship me;' and Christ answered him, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.”

      Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter CIII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1

    • “As therefore the devil lied at the beginning, so did he also in the end, when he said, "All these are delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will I give them.”

      Quoted in Against Heresies, Book V, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXIV. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1

  6. Read the Fathers
    • “… the memoirs of the apostles to have come to Him and tempted Him, even so far as to say to Him, Worship me;' and Christ answered him, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.”

      Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter CIII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1

    • “For He answers him, It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shall thou serve.”

      Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter CXXV. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1

    • “… me; and to whom I will, I give them, – if thou wilt fall down and worship me." The Lord then, exposing him in his true character, says, "Depart, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.”

      Quoted in Against Heresies, Book V, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1

  7. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 333 “From the Incarnation to the Ascension, the life of the Word incarnate is surrounded by the adoration and service of angels. When…”
  8. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 1720 “The New Testament uses several expressions to characterize the beatitude to which God calls man: - the coming of the Kingdom of…”
    • CCC 1989 “The first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion, effecting justification in accordance with Jesus' proclamation at the beginning…”
  9. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 878 “Finally, it belongs to the sacramental nature of ecclesial ministry that it have a personal character. Although Chnst's ministers act in communion…”
  10. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 1503 “Christ's compassion toward the sick and his many healings of every kind of infirmity are a resplendent sign that "God has visited…”