Mark 5
Contemporary English Version
A Man with Evil Spirits
(Matthew 8.28-34; Luke 8.26-39)
5 Jesus and his disciples crossed Lake Galilee and came to shore near the town of Gerasa.[a] 2 When he was getting out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit quickly ran to him 3 from the graveyard[b] where he had been living. No one was able to tie the man up anymore, not even with a chain. 4 He had often been put in chains and leg irons, but he broke the chains and smashed the leg irons. No one could control him. 5 Night and day he was in the graveyard or on the hills, yelling and cutting himself with stones.
6 When the man saw Jesus in the distance, he ran up to him and knelt down. 7 He shouted, “Jesus, Son of God in heaven, what do you want with me? Promise me in God's name that you won't torture me!” 8 The man said this because Jesus had already told the evil spirit to come out of him.
9 Jesus asked, “What is your name?”
The man answered, “My name is Lots, because I have ‘lots’ of evil spirits.” 10 He then begged Jesus not to send them away.
11 Over on the hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding. 12 So the evil spirits begged Jesus, “Send us into those pigs! Let us go into them.” 13 Jesus let them go, and they went out of the man and into the pigs. The whole herd of about 2,000 pigs rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
14 The men taking care of the pigs ran to the town and the farms to spread the news. Then the people came out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had once been full of demons. He was sitting there with his clothes on and in his right mind, and they were terrified.
16 Everyone who had seen what had happened told about the man and the pigs. 17 Then the people started begging Jesus to leave their part of the country.
18 When Jesus was getting into the boat, the man begged to go with him. 19 But Jesus would not let him. Instead, he said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how good he has been to you.”
20 The man went away into the region near the ten cities known as Decapolis[c] and began telling everyone how much Jesus had done for him. Everyone who heard what had happened was amazed.
A Dying Girl and a Sick Woman
(Matthew 9.18-26; Luke 8.40-56)
21 Once again Jesus got into the boat and crossed Lake Galilee.[d] Then as he stood on the shore, a large crowd gathered around him. 22 The person in charge of the synagogue was also there. His name was Jairus, and when he saw Jesus, he went over to him. He knelt at Jesus' feet 23 and started begging him for help. He said, “My little daughter is about to die! Please come and touch her, so she will get well and live.” 24 Jesus went with Jairus. Many people followed along and kept crowding around.
25 In the crowd was a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. 26 (A) She had gone to many doctors, and they had not done anything except cause her a lot of pain. She had paid them all the money she had. But instead of getting better, she only got worse.
27 The woman had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him in the crowd and barely touched his clothes. 28 She had said to herself, “If I can just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 As soon as she touched them, her bleeding stopped, and she knew she was healed.
30 At that moment Jesus felt power go out from him. He turned to the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 His disciples said to him, “Look at all these people crowding around you! How can you ask who touched you?” 32 But Jesus turned to see who had touched him.
33 The woman knew what had happened to her. So she came trembling with fear and knelt down in front of Jesus. Then she told him the whole story.
34 Jesus said to the woman, “You are now well because of your faith. May God give you peace! You are healed, and you will no longer be in pain.”
35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from Jairus' home and said, “Your daughter has died! Why bother the teacher anymore?”
36 Jesus heard[e] what they said, and he said to Jairus, “Don't worry. Just have faith!”
37 Jesus did not let anyone go with him except Peter and the two brothers, James and John. 38 They went home with Jairus and saw the people crying and making a lot of noise.[f] 39 Then Jesus went inside and said to them, “Why are you crying and carrying on like this? The child isn't dead. She is just asleep.” 40 But the people laughed at him.
After Jesus had sent them all out of the house, he took the girl's father and mother and his three disciples and went to where she was. 41-42 He took the twelve-year-old girl by the hand and said, “Talitha, koum!”[g] which means, “Little girl, get up!” The girl got right up and started walking around.
Everyone was greatly surprised. 43 But Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened. Then he said, “Give her something to eat.”
Footnotes
- 5.1 Gerasa: Some manuscripts have “Gadara,” and others have “Gergesa.”
- 5.3 graveyard: It was thought that demons and evil spirits lived in graveyards.
- 5.20 the ten cities known as Decapolis: A group of ten cities east of Samaria and Galilee, where the people followed the Greek way of life.
- 5.21 crossed Lake Galilee: To the west side.
- 5.36 heard: Or “ignored.”
- 5.38 crying and making a lot of noise: The Jewish people often hired mourners for funerals.
- 5.41,42 Talitha, koum: These words are in Aramaic, a language spoken in Palestine during the time of Jesus.
Mark 5
English Standard Version
Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon
5 (A)They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.[a] 2 And when Jesus[b] had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 (B)He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and (C)fell down before him. 7 And (D)crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, (E)Son of (F)the Most High God? (G)I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is (H)Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.
14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed[c] man, the one who had had (I)the legion, sitting there, (J)clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17 And (K)they began to beg Jesus[d] to depart from their region. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and (L)tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in (M)the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
Jesus Heals a Woman and Jairus's Daughter
21 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22 (N)Then came one of (O)the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23 and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and (P)lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24 And he went with him.
And a great crowd followed him and (Q)thronged about him. 25 And there was a woman (R)who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 (S)And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her (T)disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that (U)power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, (V)your faith has made you well; (W)go in peace, and be healed of your (X)disease.”
35 While he was still speaking, there came from (Y)the ruler's house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why (Z)trouble (AA)the Teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing[e] what they said, Jesus said to (AB)the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 And he allowed no one to follow him except (AC)Peter and James and (AD)John the brother of James. 38 They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus[f] saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 And when he had entered, he said to them, (AE)“Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but (AF)sleeping.” 40 And they laughed at him. But he (AG)put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41 (AH)Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, (AI)arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And (AJ)he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
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