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Mark 5
New Catholic Bible
Mark 5
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 5
Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac.[a] 1 They reached the region of the Gerasenes[b] on the other side of the lake. 2 No sooner had he stepped out of the boat than a man with an unclean spirit came up to him from the tombs.[c] 3 The man had been living in the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, not even with chains. 4 For he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but he had snapped the chains and smashed the shackles to pieces, and no one had sufficient strength to subdue him. 5 Day and night among the tombs and on the mountains, he would howl and gash himself with stones.
6 When the man caught sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, 7 as he shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore you in God’s name: do not torment me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!” 9 Then he asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for there are many of us.”[d] 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country.
11 Now on the mountainside a great herd of pigs was feeding. 12 And they pleaded with him, “Send us into the pigs. Let us enter them.” 13 He allowed this. With that, the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs, and the herd, numbering about two thousand, charged down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned in the waters.
14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. As a result, people came out to see what had happened. 15 When they came near Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by Legion sitting there fully clothed and in his right mind, and they were frightened. 16 Those who had been eyewitnesses to the incident confirmed what had happened to the demoniac and what had happened to the pigs. 17 Then they began to implore Jesus to leave their region.
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons pleaded to be allowed to go with him. 19 However, Jesus would not permit him to do so, and instead told him, “Go home to your own people and tell them what the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 The man then departed and began to make known throughout the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.[e]
21 Jesus Heals a Woman and Raises a Child.[f] When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed by the lake. 22 Then one of the leaders of the synagogue,[g] named Jairus, came forward, and when he saw Jesus he threw himself down at his feet 23 and pleaded with him, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. I beg you to come and lay your hands on her so that she may recover and live.” 24 Jesus went with him, and a large number accompanied him and crowded around him.
25 There was a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. 26 In spite of long and painful treatment at the hands of many doctors, her condition not only had failed to improve but had actually become worse, and she had spent everything she had. 27 Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 for she thought, “If I simply touch his clothing, I shall be made well.” 29 And immediately her bleeding dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
30 Instantly aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothing?” 31 His disciples said in reply, “You see this vast throng pressing upon you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32 However, he continued to look around to determine who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She knelt before him and revealed to him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your affliction.”
35 While he was still speaking, some people from the house of the synagogue leader arrived and said, “Your daughter has died. Why bother the Teacher any further?” 36 Jesus heard the message they had delivered, but he said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid. Just have faith.” 37 He allowed no one to accompany him except Peter, James, and John,[h] the brother of James.
38 When they arrived at the house of the synagogue leader, he observed a great deal of commotion, with people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 When he entered, he said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead; she is asleep.” 40 In response, they laughed at him.
After sending them all outside, he took with him the child’s father and mother and his own companions and entered the room where the child was. 41 He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” which means: “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” 42 And immediately the girl, a child of twelve, got up and began to walk around.
On witnessing this, they were all overcome with amazement, 43 but he gave them strict instructions that no one should be told anything about this. Then he told them to give her something to eat.
Footnotes
- Mark 5:1 The scene shifts to the Decapolis, a group of ten more or less autonomous cities east of the Jordan; it is as if in a pagan land the forces of evil could enslave and destroy human beings. The demons are condemned to take refuge in the pigs, impure animals par excellence in Jewish eyes. See also note on Mt 8:28-34.
- Mark 5:1 The region of the Gerasenes: the area was southeast of Lake Tiberias.
- Mark 5:2 Caves were used for tombs.
- Mark 5:9 My name is Legion . . . there are many of us: a Roman legion was made up of 6000 men. The word “legion” gives the idea that the man was possessed by many demons and also provides an inkling of the numerous powers opposed to Jesus, who incorporates the divine power.
- Mark 5:20 See note on Mt 4:25.
- Mark 5:21 A woman, who according to the ideas of the time was unclean and would contaminate by her touch, touches Jesus in a hidden gesture of hope; he frees her from her disease with kind words.
When Jesus restores the girl to life, he does it privately, because he does not want the Messiah to be thought of as a magician; only three witnesses are there, those present at the transfiguration (Mk 9:2) and the agony (Mk 14:33). These men would bear witness to the mystery of Jesus who dies and rises in order to save humanity from evil and death, and thus to Jesus as the authentic Messiah. See note on Mt 9:18-26. - Mark 5:22 Leaders of the synagogue: laymen who held administrative responsibilities such as taking care of the building and supervising the worship. Most synagogues had only one ruler, but there were exceptions (see Acts 13:15). There were also cases of honorary leaders.
- Mark 5:37 Peter, James, and John: while Matthew focuses his attention mainly on Peter, Mark stresses this privileged group of three disciples. They will be witnesses of the raising of Jairus’s daughter (Mk 5:37-43), the transfiguration of Jesus (Mk 9:2-13), and the agony in the garden (Mk 14:32-42). Obviously Mark depends on the preaching of Peter, yet Peter rarely emphasized his privilege.
Mark 5
New International Version
Mark 5
New International Version
Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man(A)(B)
5 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.[a] 2 When Jesus got out of the boat,(C) a man with an impure spirit(D) came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me,(E) Jesus, Son of the Most High God?(F) In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Legion,”(G) he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion(H) of demons,(I) sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them(J) how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis[b](K) how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman(L)
21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake,(M) a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake.(N) 22 Then one of the synagogue leaders,(O) named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on(P) her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding(Q) for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes,(R) I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.(S)
30 At once Jesus realized that power(T) had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.(U) Go in peace(V) and be freed from your suffering.”
35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader.(W) “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”
36 Overhearing[c] what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James.(X) 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader,(Y) Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.”(Z) 40 But they laughed at him.
After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand(AA) and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).(AB) 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this,(AC) and told them to give her something to eat.
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