17. The book of Isaiah the prophet was given to him. He opened the book and found the place where this is written:
18. “The Spirit of the Lord is in me.This is because God chose me to tell the Good News to the poor.God sent me to tell the prisoners of sin that they are free,and to tell the blind that they can see again. Isaiah 61:1God sent me to free those who have been treated unfairly, Isaiah 58:6
19. and to announce the time when the Lord will show kindness to his people.” Isaiah 61:2
20. Jesus closed the book, gave it back, and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue was watching Jesus closely.
21. He began to speak to them. He said, “While you heard these words just now, they were coming true!”
22. All the people praised Jesus. They were amazed at the beautiful words he spoke. They asked, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”
23. Jesus said to them, “I know that you will tell me the old saying: ‘Doctor, heal yourself.’ You want to say, ‘We heard about the things you did in Capernaum. Do those things here in your own town!’”
24. Then Jesus said, “I tell you the truth. A prophet is not accepted in his own town.
25. What I say is true. During the time of Elijah it did not rain in Israel for three and a half years. There was no food anywhere in the whole country. And there were many widows in Israel during that time.
26. But Elijah was sent to none of those widows. He was sent only to a widow in Zarephath, a town in Sidon.
27. And there were many with a harmful skin disease living in Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha. But none of them were healed except Naaman, who was from the country of Syria.”
28. When all the people in the synagogue heard these things, they became very angry.
29. They got up and forced Jesus out of town. The town was built on a hill. They took Jesus to the edge of the hill and wanted to throw him off.
30. But Jesus walked through the crowd and went on his way.
31. Jesus went to Capernaum, a city in Galilee. On the Sabbath day, Jesus taught the people.
32. They were amazed at his teaching, because he spoke with authority.
33. In the synagogue there was a man who had an evil spirit from the devil inside him. The man shouted in a loud voice,
34. “Jesus of Nazareth! What do you want with us? Did you come here to destroy us? I know who you are—God’s Holy One!”
35. But Jesus warned the evil spirit to stop. He said, “Be quiet! Come out of the man!” The evil spirit threw the man down to the ground before all the people. Then the evil spirit left the man and did not hurt him.