Luke 8
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Many Women Support Christ’s Work
8 Soon afterward He was traveling from one town and village to another,(A) preaching and telling the good news of the kingdom of God.(B) The Twelve were with Him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses:(C) Mary, called Magdalene (seven demons had come out(D) of her); 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward; Susanna; and many others who were supporting them from their possessions.
The Parable of the Sower
4 As a large crowd was gathering, and people were flocking to Him from every town, He said in a parable:(E) 5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the sky ate it up. 6 Other seed fell on the rock; when it sprang up, it withered, since it lacked moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns; the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground; when it sprang up, it produced a crop: 100 times what was sown.”(F) As He said this, He called out, “Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!”(G)
Why Jesus Used Parables
9 Then His disciples asked Him, “What does this parable mean?”(H) 10 So He said, “The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given for you(I) to know, but to the rest it is in parables, so that
The Parable of the Sower Explained
11 “This is the meaning of the parable:[b](K) The seed is the word of God.(L) 12 The seed along the path are those who have heard and then the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And the seed on the rock are those who, when they hear, welcome the word with joy. Having no root, these believe for a while and depart in a time of testing.(M) 14 As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life,(N) and produce no mature fruit. 15 But the seed in the good ground—these are the ones who,[c] having heard the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it and by enduring,(O) bear fruit.
Using Your Light
16 “No one, after lighting a lamp,(P) covers it with a basket or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in may see its light.(Q) 17 For nothing is concealed that won’t be revealed, and nothing hidden that won’t be made known and come to light.(R) 18 Therefore take care how you listen. For whoever has, more will be given to him;(S) and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”
True Relationships
19 Then His mother and brothers(T) came to Him,(U) but they could not meet with Him because of the crowd. 20 He was told, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see You.”
21 But He replied to them, “My mother and My brothers are those who hear and do the word of God.”(V)
Wind and Wave Obey the Master
22 One day He and His disciples got into a boat,(W) and He told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.”(X) So they set out, 23 and as they were sailing He fell asleep. Then a fierce windstorm came down on the lake; they were being swamped and were in danger. 24 They came and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to die!” Then He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. So they ceased, and there was a calm.(Y) 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?”
They were fearful and amazed, asking one another, “Who can this be?[d](Z) He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey Him!”
Demons Driven Out by the Master
26 Then they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes,[e](AA) which is opposite Galilee. 27 When He got out on land, a demon-possessed man from the town met Him. For a long time he had worn no clothes and did not stay in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out,(AB) fell down before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What do You have to do with me,[f](AC) Jesus, You Son of the Most High God?(AD) I beg You, don’t torment me!” 29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was guarded, bound by chains and shackles, he would snap the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted places.
30 “What is your name?” Jesus asked him.
“Legion,”(AE) he said—because many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged Him not to banish them to the abyss.(AF)
32 A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside. The demons begged Him to permit them to enter the pigs, and He gave them permission. 33 The demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned. 34 When the men who tended them saw what had happened, they ran off and reported it in the town and in the countryside. 35 Then people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man the demons had departed from, sitting at Jesus’ feet,(AG) dressed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36 Meanwhile, the eyewitnesses reported to them how the demon-possessed man was delivered.(AH) 37 Then all the people of the Gerasene region[g] asked Him to leave them,(AI) because they were gripped by great fear. So getting into the boat, He returned.
38 The man from whom the demons had departed kept begging Him to be with Him. But He sent him away and said, 39 “Go back to your home, and tell all that God has done for you.” And off he went, proclaiming throughout the town all that Jesus had done for him.
A Girl Restored and a Woman Healed
40 When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed Him,(AJ) for they were all expecting Him.(AK) 41 Just then, a man named Jairus came. He was a leader of the synagogue.(AL) He fell down at Jesus’ feet and pleaded with Him to come to his house, 42 because he had an only daughter(AM) about 12 years old, and she was at death’s door.[h]
While He was going, the crowds were nearly crushing Him.(AN) 43 A woman suffering from bleeding(AO) for 12 years,(AP) who had spent all she had on doctors[i] yet could not be healed by any, 44 approached from behind and touched the tassel of His robe.(AQ) Instantly her bleeding stopped.
45 “Who touched Me?” Jesus asked.
When they all denied it, Peter[j] said, “Master,(AR) the crowds are hemming You in and pressing against You.”[k]
46 “Someone did touch Me,” said Jesus. “I know that power has gone out from Me.”(AS) 47 When the woman saw that she was discovered,[l] she came trembling and fell down before Him. In the presence of all the people, she declared the reason she had touched Him and how she was instantly cured. 48 “Daughter,” He said to her, “your faith has made you well.[m] Go in peace.”(AT)
49 While He was still speaking,(AU) someone came from the synagogue leader’s house, saying, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother(AV) the Teacher(AW) anymore.”
50 When Jesus heard it, He answered him, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe, and she will be made well.” 51 After He came to the house, He let no one enter with Him except Peter, John, James,(AX) and the child’s father and mother. 52 Everyone was crying(AY) and mourning for her.(AZ) But He said, “Stop crying, for she is not dead but asleep.”(BA)
53 They started laughing at Him, because they knew she was dead. 54 So He[n] took her by the hand(BB) and called out, “Child, get up!”(BC) 55 Her spirit returned,(BD) and she got up at once. Then He gave orders that she be given something to eat. 56 Her parents were astounded, but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened.(BE)
Footnotes
- Luke 8:10 Is 6:9
- Luke 8:11 Lit But this is the parable:
- Luke 8:15 Or these are the kind who
- Luke 8:25 Lit Who then is this?
- Luke 8:26 Other mss read the Gadarenes
- Luke 8:28 Lit What to me and to You
- Luke 8:37 Other mss read the Gadarenes
- Luke 8:42 Lit she was dying
- Luke 8:43 Other mss omit who had spent all she had on doctors
- Luke 8:45 Other mss add and those with him
- Luke 8:45 Other mss add and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’
- Luke 8:47 Lit she had not escaped notice
- Luke 8:48 Or has saved you
- Luke 8:54 Other mss add having put them all outside
Luke 8
Contemporary English Version
Women Who Helped Jesus
8 Soon after this, Jesus was going through towns and villages, telling the good news about God's kingdom. His twelve apostles were with him, 2 (A) and so were some women who had been healed of evil spirits and all sorts of diseases. One of the women was Mary Magdalene,[a] who once had seven demons in her. 3 Joanna, Susanna, and many others had also used what they owned to help Jesus[b] and his disciples. Joanna's husband Chuza was one of Herod's officials.[c]
A Story about a Farmer
(Matthew 13.1-9; Mark 4.1-9)
4 When a large crowd from several towns had gathered around Jesus, he told them this story:
5 A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. While the farmer was doing this, some of the seeds fell along the road and were stepped on or eaten by birds. 6 Other seeds fell on rocky ground and started growing. But the plants did not have enough water and soon dried up. 7 Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and choked the plants. 8 The rest of the seeds fell on good ground where they grew and produced a hundred times as many seeds.
When Jesus had finished speaking, he said, “If you have ears, pay attention!”
Why Jesus Used Stories
(Matthew 13.10-17; Mark 4.10-12)
9 Jesus' disciples asked him what the story meant. 10 (B) So he answered:
I have explained the secrets about God's kingdom to you. But for others I use stories, so they will look, but not see, and they will hear, but not understand.
Jesus Explains the Story about a Farmer
(Matthew 13.18-23; Mark 4.13-20)
11 This is what the story means: The seed is God's message, 12 and the seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message. But the devil comes and snatches the message out of their hearts, so they will not believe and be saved. 13 The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it. But they don't have deep roots, and they believe only for a little while. As soon as life gets hard, they give up.
14 The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. But they are so eager for riches and pleasures that they never produce anything. 15 Those seeds that fell on good ground are the people who listen to the message and keep it in good and honest hearts. They last and produce a harvest.
Light
(Mark 4.21-25)
16 (C) No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl or under a bed. A lamp is always put on a lampstand, so people who come into a house will see the light. 17 (D) There is nothing hidden that will not be found. There is no secret that will not be well known. 18 (E) Pay attention to how you listen! Everyone who has something will be given more, but people who have nothing will lose what little they think they have.
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
(Matthew 12.46-50; Mark 3.31-35)
19 Jesus' mother and brothers went to see him, but because of the crowd they could not get near him. 20 Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to see you.”
21 Jesus answered, “My mother and my brothers are those people who hear and obey God's message.”
A Storm
(Matthew 8.23-27; Mark 4.35-41)
22 One day, Jesus and his disciples got into a boat, and he said, “Let's cross the lake.”[d] They started out, 23 and while they were sailing across, he went to sleep.
Suddenly a storm struck the lake, and the boat started sinking. They were in danger. 24 So they went to Jesus and woke him up, “Master, Master! We are about to drown!”
Jesus got up and ordered the wind and waves to stop. They obeyed, and everything was calm. 25 Then Jesus asked the disciples, “Don't you have any faith?”
But they were frightened and amazed. They said to each other, “Who is this? He can give orders to the wind and the waves, and they obey him!”
A Man with Demons in Him
(Matthew 8.28-34; Mark 5.1-20)
26 Jesus and his disciples sailed across Lake Galilee and came to shore near the town of Gerasa.[e] 27 As Jesus was getting out of the boat, he was met by a man from this town. The man had demons in him. He had gone naked for a long time and no longer lived in a house, but in the graveyard.[f]
28 The man saw Jesus and screamed. He knelt down in front of him and shouted, “Jesus, Son of God Most High, what do you want with me? I beg you not to torture me!” 29 He said this because Jesus had already told the evil spirit to go out of him.
The man had often been attacked by the demon. And even though he had been bound with chains and leg irons and kept under guard, he smashed whatever bound him. Then the demon would force him out into lonely places.
30 Jesus asked the man, “What is your name?”
He answered, “My name is Lots.” He said this because there were “lots” of demons in him. 31 They begged Jesus not to send them to the deep pit,[g] where they would be punished.
32 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. So the demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and Jesus let them go. 33 Then the demons left the man and went into the pigs. The whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
34 When the men taking care of the pigs saw this, they ran to spread the news in the town and on the farms. 35 The people went out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they also found the man. The demons had gone out of him, and he was sitting there at the feet of Jesus. He had clothes on and was in his right mind. But the people were terrified.
36 Then all who had seen the man healed told about it. 37 Everyone from around Gerasa[h] begged Jesus to leave, because they were so frightened.
When Jesus got into the boat to start back, 38 the man who had been healed begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him off and said, 39 “Go back home and tell everyone how much God has done for you.” The man then went all over town, telling everything that Jesus had done for him.
A Dying Girl and a Sick Woman
(Matthew 9.18-26; Mark 5.21-43)
40 Everyone had been waiting for Jesus, and when he came back, a crowd was there to welcome him. 41 Just then the man in charge of the synagogue came and knelt down in front of Jesus. His name was Jairus, and he begged Jesus to come to his home 42 because his twelve-year-old child was dying. She was his only daughter.
While Jesus was on his way, people were crowding all around him. 43 In the crowd was a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. She had spent everything she had on doctors,[i] but none of them could make her well.
44 As soon as she came up behind Jesus and barely touched his clothes, her bleeding stopped.
45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.
While everyone was denying it, Peter said, “Master, people are crowding all around and pushing you from every side.”[j]
46 But Jesus answered, “Someone touched me, because I felt power going out from me.” 47 The woman knew that she could not hide, so she came trembling and knelt down in front of Jesus. She told everyone why she had touched him and that she had been healed at once.
48 Jesus said to the woman, “You are now well because of your faith. May God give you peace!”
49 While Jesus was speaking, someone came from Jairus' home and said, “Your daughter has died! Why bother the teacher anymore?”
50 When Jesus heard this, he told Jairus, “Don't worry! Have faith, and your daughter will get well.”
51 Jesus went into the house, but he did not let anyone else go with him, except Peter, John, James, and the girl's father and mother. 52 Everyone was crying and weeping for the girl. But Jesus said, “The child isn't dead. She is just asleep.” 53 The people laughed at him because they knew she was dead.
54 Jesus took hold of the girl's hand and said, “Child, get up!” 55 She came back to life and got right up. Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were surprised, but Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.
Footnotes
- 8.2 Magdalene: Meaning “from Magdala,” a small town on the western shore of Lake Galilee. There is no hint that she is the sinful woman in 7.36-50.
- 8.3 used what they owned to help Jesus: Women often helped Jewish teachers by giving them money.
- 8.3 Herod's officials: Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great.
- 8.22 cross the lake: To the eastern shore of Lake Galilee, where most of the people were not Jewish.
- 8.26 Gerasa: Some manuscripts have “Gergesa.”
- 8.27 graveyard: It was thought that demons and evil spirits lived in graveyards.
- 8.31 deep pit: The place where evil spirits are kept and punished.
- 8.37 Gerasa: See the note at 8.26.
- 8.43 She had spent everything she had on doctors: Some manuscripts do not have these words.
- 8.45 from every side: Some manuscripts add “and you ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
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