The Temptation Story
in the Synoptic Gospels

 

Mark 1:12-13
(New Revised Standard Version)
 

Matthew 4:1-11
(New Revised Standard Version)
 

Luke 4:1-13
(New Revised Standard Version)
 

12And the Spirit immediately drove him
 
 
                  out into the wilderness.
 
13He was in the wilderness forty days,
             tempted by Satan;
     		1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit
 
 
                  into the wilderness
                        to be tempted by the devil.
 2He fasted forty days
            and forty nights,
                     and afterwards he was famished.		 1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit,
       returned from the Jordan
            and was led by the Spirit
                    in the wilderness,
2where for forty days
                   he was tempted by the devil.
        He ate nothing at all during those days,
               and when they were over, he was famished.
  3The tempter came and said to him,
      “If you are the Son of God,
              command these stones
                     to become loaves of bread.”
4But he answered,
      “It is written,
            ‘One does not live by bread alone,
                     but by every word that comes
                             from the mouth of God.’”

3The devil said to him,
      “If you are the Son of God,
               command this stone
                     to become a loaf of bread.”
4Jesus answered him,
      “It is written,
            ‘One does not live by bread alone.’”
 
                                  (Note: Luke's order is different from Matthew's)
  5Then the devil took him to the holy city
       and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple,
                            6saying 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 will not
                     dash your foot against a stone.’”
 7Jesus said to him,
       “Again it is written,
              ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”		 9Then the devil took him to Jerusalem,
       and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple,
                              saying to him,
       “If you are the Son of God,
              throw yourself down from here,
                    10for it is written,
       ‘He will command his angels concerning you,
                                   to protect you,’
                     11and
       ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
              so that you will not
                     dash your foot against a stone.’”
 12Jesus answered him,
        “It is said,
              ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
  8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain
       and showed him
              all the kingdoms of the world
                     and their splendor;
       9and he said to him,
              “All these I will give you,
 
 
 
                     if you will fall down and worship me.”
 
10Jesus said to him,
       “Away with you, Satan!
              for it is written,
                     ‘Worship the Lord your God,
                            and serve only him.’” 		5Then the devil led him up
       and showed him in an instant
              all the kingdoms of the world.
 
       6And the devil said to him,
              “To you I will give their glory
                     and all this authority;
                            for it has been given over to me,
                                  and I give it to anyone I please.
                     7If you, then, will worship me,
                            it will all be yours.”
8Jesus answered him,
 
              “It is written,
                     ‘Worship the Lord your God,
                            and serve only him.’”

 
          13b and he was with the wild beasts;
                    and the angels waited on him.		   11Then the devil left him,
 
 
          and suddenly angels came and waited on him. 		13When the devil had finished every test,
         he departed from him until an opportune time.
 
 

The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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