Some Women Accompany Jesus

8 Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, ² and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Mag′dalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, ³ and Jo-an′na, the wife of Chu′za, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them^[a] out of their means.

The Parable of the Sower

⁴ And when a great crowd came together and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: ⁵ “A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the path, and was trodden under foot, and the birds of the air devoured it. ⁶ And some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. ⁷ And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew with it and choked it. ⁸ And some fell into good soil and grew, and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said this, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Purpose of the Parables

⁹ And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, ¹⁰ he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. ¹¹ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. ¹² The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe and be saved. ¹³ And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy; but these have no root, they believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. ¹⁴ And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. ¹⁵ And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.

A Lamp under a Jar

¹⁶ “No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a vessel, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, that those who enter may see the light. ¹⁷ For nothing is hid that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light. ¹⁸ Take heed then how you hear; for to him who has will more be given, and from him who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”

The True Kindred of Jesus

¹⁹ Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him for the crowd. ²⁰ And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” ²¹ But he said to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

Jesus Calms a Storm

²² One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, ²³ and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a storm of wind came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in danger. ²⁴ And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; and they ceased, and there was a calm. ²⁵ He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even wind and water, and they obey him?”

Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac

²⁶ Then they arrived at the country of the Ger′asenes,^[b] which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ And as he stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons; for a long time he had worn no clothes, and he lived not in a house but among the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech you, do not torment me.” ²⁹ For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him; he was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters, but he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the desert.) ³⁰ Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. ³¹ And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. ³² Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them leave. ³³ Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

³⁴ When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country. ³⁵ Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ³⁶ And those who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed with demons was healed. ³⁷ Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Ger′asenes^[c] asked him to depart from them; for they were seized with great fear; so he got into the boat and returned. ³⁸ The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but he sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

⁴⁰ Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. ⁴¹ And there came a man named Ja′irus, who was a ruler of the synagogue; and falling at Jesus’ feet he besought him to come to his house, ⁴² for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

As he went, the people pressed round him. ⁴³ And a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years^[d] and could not be healed by any one, ⁴⁴ came up behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment; and immediately her flow of blood ceased. ⁴⁵ And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter^[e] said, “Master, the multitudes surround you and press upon you!” ⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Some one touched me; for I perceive that power has gone forth from me.” ⁴⁷ And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. ⁴⁸ And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

⁴⁹ While he was still speaking, a man from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” ⁵⁰ But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she shall be well.” ⁵¹ And when he came to the house, he permitted no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. ⁵² And all were weeping and bewailing her; but he said, “Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping.” ⁵³ And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. ⁵⁴ But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” ⁵⁵ And her spirit returned, and she got up at once; and he directed that something should be given her to eat. ⁵⁶ And her parents were amazed; but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.