Matthew 4:12-17

Contemporary English Version

Jesus Begins His Work

(Mark 1.14,15; Luke 4.14,15)

¹²^(A) When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he went to Galilee. ¹³^(B) But instead of staying in Nazareth, Jesus moved to Capernaum. This town was beside Lake Galilee in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.^[a] ¹⁴So God's promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said,

¹⁵^(C) “Listen, lands of Zebulun
    and Naphtali,
lands along the road
to the sea
    and across the Jordan.
Listen Galilee,
    land of the Gentiles!
¹⁶Although your people
    live in darkness,
they will see
    a bright light.
Although they live
    in the shadow of death,
a light will shine
    on them.”

¹⁷^(D) Then Jesus started preaching, “Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven will soon be here.”^[b]

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Footnotes

4.13 Zebulun and Naphtali: In Old Testament times these tribes were in northern Palestine, and in New Testament times many Gentiles lived where these tribes had once been.
4.17 The kingdom of heaven will soon be here: See the two notes at 3.2.