1-2Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wild. For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by the Devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when the time was up he was hungry. 

 3The Devil, playing on his hunger, gave the first test: "Since you're God's Son, command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread." 

 4Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: "It takes more than bread to really live." 

 5-7For the second test he led him up and spread out all the kingdoms of the earth on display at once. Then the Devil said, "They're yours in all their splendor to serve your pleasure. I'm in charge of them all and can turn them over to whomever I wish. Worship me and they're yours, the whole works." 

 8Jesus refused, again backing his refusal with Deuteronomy: "Worship the Lord your God and only the Lord your God. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness." 

 9-11For the third test the Devil took him to Jerusalem and put him on top of the Temple. He said, "If you are God's Son, jump. It's written, isn't it, that 'he has placed you in the care of angels to protect you; they will catch you; you won't so much as stub your toe on a stone'?" 

 12"Yes," said Jesus, "and it's also written, 'Don't you dare tempt the Lord your God.'" 

 13That completed the testing. The Devil retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity.

 

 Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you; 

   never forget what you learned at your mother's knee.

Wear their counsel like flowers in your hair, 

   like rings on your fingers.

Dear friend, if bad companions tempt you, 

   don't go along with them.

 

Oh, friend, don't give them a second look; 

   don't listen to them for a minute.

They're racing to a very bad end, 

   hurrying to ruin everything they lay hands on.

Nobody robs a bank 

   with everyone watching,

Yet that's what these people are doing— 

   they're doing themselves in.

When you grab all you can get, that's what happens: 

   the more you get, the less you are. 

 

13No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.

 

14-15Since the children are made of flesh and blood, it's logical that the Savior took on flesh and blood in order to rescue them by his death. By embracing death, taking it into himself, he destroyed the Devil's hold on death and freed all who cower through life, scared to death of death. 

 16-18It's obvious, of course, that he didn't go to all this trouble for angels. It was for people like us, children of Abraham. That's why he had to enter into every detail of human life. Then, when he came before God as high priest to get rid of the people's sins, he would have already experienced it all himself—all the pain, all the testing—and would be able to help where help was needed.