Luke 8
New American Standard Bible
Women Support Jesus
8 Soon afterward, [a]Jesus began going around from one city and village to another, (A)proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, 2 and also (B)some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: (C)Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza, (D)Herod’s (E)steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means.
Parable of the Sower
4 (F)Now when a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable: 5 “The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the sky ate it up. 6 Other seed fell on rocky soil, and when it came up, it withered away because it had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. 8 And yet other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as much.” As He said these things, He would call out, “(G)The one who has ears to hear, [b]let him hear.”
9 (H)Now His disciples began asking Him what this parable [c]meant. 10 And He said, “(I)To you it has been granted to know the [d]mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest they are told in parables, so that [e](J)while seeing they may not see, and [f]while hearing they may not understand.
11 “Now this is the parable: (K)the seed is the word of God. 12 And those beside the road are the ones who have heard, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky soil are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and yet these do not have a firm root; [g]they believe for a while, and in a time of temptation they [h]fall away. 14 And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked by worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity. 15 But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word [i]with a good and virtuous heart, and hold it firmly, and produce fruit with [j]perseverance.
Parable of the Lamp
16 “Now (L)no one lights a lamp and covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in may see the light. 17 (M)For nothing is concealed that will not become evident, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. 18 So take care how you listen; (N)for whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he [k]thinks he has will be taken away from him.”
19 (O)Now His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd. 20 And it was reported to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You.” 21 But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these (P)who hear the word of God and do it.”
Jesus Stills the Sea
22 (Q)Now on one of those days [l]Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of (R)the lake.” So they launched out. 23 But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on (S)the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. 24 They came up to Jesus and woke Him, saying, “(T)Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and (U)rebuked the wind and the surging [m]waves, and they stopped, and [n]it became calm. 25 And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” But they were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”
The Demon-possessed Man Cured
26 (V)Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 And when He stepped out onto the land, a man from the city met Him who was possessed with demons; and he had not put on clothing for a long time and was not living in a house, but among the tombs. 28 And seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, and said with a loud voice, “[o](W)What business do You have with me, Jesus, Son of (X)the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” 29 For He had already commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break the restraints and be driven by the demon into the desert. 30 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “(Y)Legion”; because many demons had entered him. 31 And they were begging Him not to command them to go away into (Z)the abyss.
32 Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding there on the mountain; and the demons begged Him to permit them to enter [p]the pigs. And He gave them permission. 33 And the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into (AA)the lake and was drowned.
34 Now when the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported everything in the city, and in the country. 35 And the people came out to see what had happened; and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down (AB)at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. 36 Those who had seen everything reported to them how the man who had been (AC)demon-possessed had been [q]made well. 37 And all the [r]people of the territory of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Him to leave them, because they were overwhelmed by great fear; and He got into a boat and returned. 38 (AD)But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might [s]accompany Him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home and describe what great things God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city what great things Jesus had done for him.
Miracles of Healing
40 (AE)And as Jesus was returning, the [t]people welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him. 41 (AF)And a man named Jairus came, and he was an [u](AG)official of the synagogue; and he fell at Jesus’ feet, and began urging Him to come to his house; 42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. But as He went, the crowds were pressing against Him.
43 And a woman who had suffered a chronic flow of blood for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, 44 came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His [v]cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. 45 And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched Me?” And while they were all denying it, Peter said, “(AH)Master, the [w]people are crowding and pressing in on You.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that (AI)power had left Me.” 47 Now when the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and admitted in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And He said to her, “Daughter, (AJ)your faith has [x]made you well; (AK)go in peace.”
49 While He was still speaking, someone *came from the house of (AL)the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore.” 50 But when Jesus heard this, He responded to him, “(AM)Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be [y]made well.” 51 When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him except Peter, John, and James, and the girl’s father and mother. 52 Now they were all weeping and (AN)mourning for her; but He said, “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but (AO)is asleep.” 53 And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died. 54 He, however, took her by the hand and spoke [z]forcefully, saying, “Child, arise!” 55 And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He ordered that something be given her to eat. 56 Her parents were amazed; but He (AP)instructed them to tell no one what had happened.
Footnotes
- Luke 8:1 Lit He Himself
- Luke 8:8 Or hear! Or listen!
- Luke 8:9 Lit was
- Luke 8:10 I.e., secrets
- Luke 8:10 Or though seeing, they will not
- Luke 8:10 Or though hearing, they will not
- Luke 8:13 Lit who believe
- Luke 8:13 I.e., from the faith
- Luke 8:15 Or in
- Luke 8:15 Or endurance
- Luke 8:18 Or seems to have
- Luke 8:22 Lit He
- Luke 8:24 Lit waves of water
- Luke 8:24 Lit a calm occurred
- Luke 8:28 Lit What to me and to you (an ancient idiom)
- Luke 8:32 Lit those
- Luke 8:36 Lit saved
- Luke 8:37 Lit multitude
- Luke 8:38 Lit be with
- Luke 8:40 Lit crowd
- Luke 8:41 Lit ruler
- Luke 8:44 Or outer garment
- Luke 8:45 Lit crowds
- Luke 8:48 Lit saved you
- Luke 8:50 Lit saved
- Luke 8:54 Lit loudly
Luke 8
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Some Women Accompany Jesus
8 Soon afterward he went on through one town and village after another, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him,(A) 2 as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,(B) 3 and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who ministered to them[a] out of their own resources.
The Parable of the Sower
4 When a large crowd was gathering, as people were coming to him from town after town, he said in a parable: 5 “A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed some fell on a path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. 6 Some fell on rock, and as it grew up it withered for lack of moisture. 7 Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. 8 Some fell into good soil, and when it grew it produced a hundredfold.” As he said this, he called out, “If you have ears to hear, then hear!”(C)
The Purpose of the Parables
9 Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant.(D) 10 He said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets[b] of the kingdom of God, but to others I speak[c] in parables, so that
‘looking they may not perceive
and hearing they may not understand.’
The Parable of the Sower Explained
11 “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.(E) 12 The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. 14 As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones 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 But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bear fruit with endurance.
A Lamp under a Jar
16 “No one after lighting a lamp hides it under a jar or puts it under a bed; rather, one puts it on a lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light.(F) 17 For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, nor is anything secret that will not become known and come to light.(G) 18 So pay attention to how you listen, for to those who have, more will be given, and from those who do not have, even what they seem to have will be taken away.”(H)
The True Kindred of Jesus
19 Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. 20 And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting 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.”(I)
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 put out,(J) 23 and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A windstorm swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. 24 They went to him and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And waking up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm.(K) 25 Then he said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were terrified and amazed and said to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water and they obey him?”
Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac
26 Then they arrived at the region of the Gerasenes,[d] which is opposite Galilee. 27 As he stepped out on shore, a man from the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had not worn[e] any clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, shouting, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me,”(L) 29 for Jesus[f] had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) 30 Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. 31 They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.(M)
32 Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding, and the demons[g] begged Jesus[h] to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd stampeded down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.(N)
34 When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they became frightened.(O) 36 Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed.(P) 37 Then the whole throng of people of the surrounding region of the Gerasenes[i] asked Jesus[j] to leave them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.(Q) 38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged that he might be with him, but Jesus[k] sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the 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 Just then there came a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus’s feet and began pleading with him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying.
As he went, the crowds pressed in on him. 43 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all she had on physicians,[l] no one could cure her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, and immediately her flow of blood stopped. 45 Then Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” When they all denied it, Peter[m] said, “Master, the crowds are hemming you in and pressing against you.”(R) 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I noticed that power had gone out from me.”(S) 47 When the woman realized that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed. 48 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”(T)
49 While he was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer.”(U) 50 When Jesus heard this, he replied, “Do not be afraid. Only believe, and she will be saved.” 51 When he came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with him, except Peter, John, and James and the child’s father and mother. 52 Everyone was weeping and grieving for her, but he said, “Do not cry, for she is not dead but sleeping.”(V) 53 And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But taking her by the hand, he called out, “Child, get up!”(W) 55 Her spirit returned, and she stood up at once, and he directed them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astounded, but he ordered them to tell no one what had happened.(X)
Footnotes
- 8.3 Other ancient authorities read him
- 8.10 Or mysteries
- 8.10 Gk lacks I speak
- 8.26 Other ancient authorities read Gadarenes or Gergesenes
- 8.27 Other ancient authorities read a man from the town who had had demons for a long time met him. He was not wearing
- 8.29 Gk he
- 8.32 Gk they
- 8.32 Gk him
- 8.37 Other ancient authorities read Gadarenes or Gergesenes
- 8.37 Gk him
- 8.38 Gk he
- 8.43 Other ancient authorities lack and though she had spent all she had on physicians
- 8.45 Other ancient authorities add and those who were with him
Luke 8
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
8 And it came to pass afterwards, that he travelled through the cities and towns, preaching and evangelizing the kingdom of God; and the twelve with him:
2 And certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities; Mary who is called Magdalen, out of whom seven devils were gone forth,
3 And Joanna the wife of Chusa, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who ministered unto him of their substance.
4 And when a very great multitude was gathered together, and hastened out of the cities unto him, he spoke by a similitude.
5 The sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
6 And other some fell upon a rock: and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.
7 And other some fell among thorns, and the thorns growing up with it, choked it.
8 And other some fell upon good ground; and being sprung up, yielded fruit a hundredfold. Saying these things, he cried out: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
9 And his disciples asked him what this parable might be.
10 To whom he said: To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to the rest in parables, that seeing they may not see, and hearing may not understand.
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
12 And they by the way side are they that hear; then the devil cometh, and taketh the word out of their heart, lest believing they should be saved.
13 Now they upon the rock, are they who when they hear, receive the word with joy: and these have no roots; for they believe for a while, and in time of temptation, they fall away.
14 And that which fell among thorns, are they who have heard, and going their way, are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and yield no fruit.
15 But that on the good ground, are they who in a good and perfect heart, hearing the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit in patience.
16 Now no man lighting a candle covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it upon a candlestick, that they who come in may see the light.
17 For there is not any thing secret that shall not be made manifest, nor hidden, that shall not be known and come abroad.
18 Take heed therefore how you hear. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given: and whosoever hath not, that also which he thinketh he hath, shall be taken away from him.
19 And his mother and brethren came unto him; and they could not come at him for the crowd.
20 And it was told him: Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee.
21 Who answering, said to them: My mother and my brethren are they who hear the word of God, and do it.
22 And it came to pass on a certain day that he went into a little ship with his disciples, and he said to them: Let us go over to the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.
23 And when they were sailing, he slept; and there came down a storm of wind upon the lake, and they were filled, and were in danger.
24 And they came and awaked him, saying: Master, we perish. But he arising, rebuked the wind and the rage of the water; and it ceased, and there was a calm.
25 And he said to them: Where is your faith? Who being afraid, wondered, saying one to another: Who is this, (think you), that he commandeth both the winds and the sea, and they obey him?
26 And they sailed to the country of the Gerasens, which is over against Galilee.
27 And when he was come forth to the land, there met him a certain man who had a devil now a very long time, and he wore no clothes, neither did he abide in a house, but in the sepulchres.
28 And when he saw Jesus, he fell down before him; and crying out with a loud voice, he said: What have I to do with thee, Jesus, Son of the most high God? I beseech thee, do not torment me.
29 For he commanded the unclean spirit to go out of the man. For many times it seized him, and he was bound with chains, and kept in fetters; and breaking the bonds, he was driven by the devil into the deserts.
30 And Jesus asked him, saying: What is thy name? But he said: Legion; because many devils were entered into him.
31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go into the abyss.
32 And there was there a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain; and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.
33 The devils therefore went out of the man, and entered into the swine; and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were stifled.
34 Which when they that fed them saw done, they fled away, and told it in the city and in the villages.
35 And they went out to see what was done; and they came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at his feet, clothed, and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
36 And they also that had seen, told them how he had been healed from the legion.
37 And all the multitude of the country of the Gerasens besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear. And he, going up into the ship, returned back again.
38 Now the man, out of whom the devils were departed, besought him that he might be with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying:
39 Return to thy house, and tell how great things God hath done to thee. And he went through the whole city, publishing how great things Jesus had done to him.
40 And it came to pass, that when Jesus was returned, the multitude received him: for they were all waiting for him.
41 And behold there came a man whose name was Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at the feet of Jesus, beseeching him that he would come into his house:
42 For he had an only daughter, almost twelve years old, and she was dying. And it happened as he went, that he was thronged by the multitudes.
43 And there was a certain woman having an issue of blood twelve years, who had bestowed all her substance on physicians, and could not be healed by any.
44 She came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment; and immediately the issue of her blood stopped.
45 And Jesus said: Who is it that touched me? And all denying, Peter and they that were with him said: Master, the multitudes throng and press thee, and dost thou say, Who touched me?
46 And Jesus said: Somebody hath touched me; for I know that virtue is gone out from me.
47 And the woman seeing that she was not hid, came trembling, and fell down before his feet, and declared before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was immediately healed.
48 But he said to her: Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go thy way in peace.
49 As he was yet speaking, there cometh one to the ruler of the synagogue, saying to him: Thy daughter is dead, trouble him not.
50 And Jesus hearing this word, answered the father of the maid: Fear not; believe only, and she shall be safe.
51 And when he was come to the house, he suffered not any man to go in with him, but Peter and James and John, and the father and mother of the maiden.
52 And all wept and mourned for her. But he said: Weep not; the maid is not dead, but sleepeth.
53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
54 But he taking her by the hand, cried out, saying: Maid, arise.
55 And her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And he bid them give her to eat.
56 And her parents were astonished, whom he charged to tell no man what was done.
Luke 8
The Message
8 1-3 He continued according to plan, traveled to town after town, village after village, preaching God’s kingdom, spreading the Message. The Twelve were with him. There were also some women in their company who had been healed of various evil afflictions and illnesses: Mary, the one called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod’s manager; and Susanna—along with many others who used their considerable means to provide for the company.
The Story of the Seeds
4-8 As they went from town to town, a lot of people joined in and traveled along. He addressed them, using this story: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. Some of it fell on the road; it was tramped down and the birds ate it. Other seed fell in the gravel; it sprouted, but withered because it didn’t have good roots. Other seed fell in the weeds; the weeds grew with it and strangled it. Other seed fell in rich earth and produced a bumper crop.
“Are you listening to this? Really listening?”
9 His disciples asked, “Why did you tell this story?”
10 He said, “You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom—you know how it works. There are others who need stories. But even with stories some of them aren’t going to get it:
Their eyes are open but don’t see a thing,
Their ears are open but don’t hear a thing.
11-12 “This story is about some of those people. The seed is the Word of God. The seeds on the road are those who hear the Word, but no sooner do they hear it than the Devil snatches it from them so they won’t believe and be saved.
13 “The seeds in the gravel are those who hear with enthusiasm, but the enthusiasm doesn’t go very deep. It’s only another fad, and the moment there’s trouble it’s gone.
14 “And the seed that fell in the weeds—well, these are the ones who hear, but then the seed is crowded out and nothing comes of it as they go about their lives worrying about tomorrow, making money, and having fun.
15 “But the seed in the good earth—these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there’s a harvest.
Misers of What You Hear
16-18 “No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a washtub or shoves it under the bed. No, you set it up on a lamp stand so those who enter the room can see their way. We’re not keeping secrets; we’re telling them. We’re not hiding things; we’re bringing everything out into the open. So be careful that you don’t become misers of what you hear. Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes.”
19-20 His mother and brothers showed up but couldn’t get through to him because of the crowd. He was given the message, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside wanting to see you.”
21 He replied, “My mother and brothers are the ones who hear and do God’s Word. Obedience is thicker than blood.”
22-24 One day he and his disciples got in a boat. “Let’s cross the lake,” he said. And off they went. It was smooth sailing, and he fell asleep. A terrific storm came up suddenly on the lake. Water poured in, and they were about to capsize. They woke Jesus: “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”
Getting to his feet, he told the wind, “Silence!” and the waves, “Quiet down!” They did it. The lake became smooth as glass.
25 Then he said to his disciples, “Why can’t you trust me?”
They were in absolute awe, staggered and stammering, “Who is this, anyway? He calls out to the winds and sea, and they do what he tells them!”
The Madman and the Pigs
26-29 They sailed on to the country of the Gerasenes, directly opposite Galilee. As he stepped out onto land, a madman from town met him; he was a victim of demons. He hadn’t worn clothes for a long time, nor lived at home; he lived in the cemetery. When he saw Jesus he screamed, fell before him, and howled, “What business do you have messing with me? You’re Jesus, Son of the High God, but don’t give me a hard time!” (The man said this because Jesus had started to order the unclean spirit out of him.) Time after time the demon threw the man into convulsions. He had been placed under constant guard and tied with chains and shackles, but crazed and driven wild by the demon, he would shatter the bonds.
30-31 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“Mob. My name is Mob,” he said, because many demons afflicted him. And they begged Jesus desperately not to order them to the bottomless pit.
32-33 A large herd of pigs was grazing and rooting on a nearby hill. The demons begged Jesus to order them into the pigs. He gave the order. It was even worse for the pigs than for the man. Crazed, they stampeded over a cliff into the lake and drowned.
34-36 Those tending the pigs, scared to death, bolted and told their story in town and country. People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had been sent, sitting there at Jesus’ feet, wearing decent clothes and making sense. It was a holy moment, and for a short time they were more reverent than curious. Then those who had seen it happen told how the demoniac had been saved.
37-39 Later, a great many people from the Gerasene countryside got together and asked Jesus to leave—too much change, too fast, and they were scared. So Jesus got back in the boat and set off. The man whom he had delivered from the demons asked to go with him, but he sent him back, saying, “Go home and tell everything God did in you.” So he went back and preached all over town everything Jesus had done in him.
His Touch
40-42 On his return, Jesus was welcomed by a crowd. They were all there expecting him. A man came up, Jairus by name. He was president of the meeting place. He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his home because his twelve-year-old daughter, his only child, was dying. Jesus went with him, making his way through the pushing, jostling crowd.
43-45 In the crowd that day there was a woman who for twelve years had been afflicted with hemorrhages. She had spent every penny she had on doctors but not one had been able to help her. She slipped in from behind and touched the edge of Jesus’ robe. At that very moment her hemorrhaging stopped. Jesus said, “Who touched me?”
When no one stepped forward, Peter said, “But Master, we’ve got crowds of people on our hands. Dozens have touched you.”
46 Jesus insisted, “Someone touched me. I felt power discharging from me.”
47 When the woman realized that she couldn’t remain hidden, she knelt trembling before him. In front of all the people, she blurted out her story—why she touched him and how at that same moment she was healed.
48 Jesus said, “Daughter, you took a risk trusting me, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed!”
49 While he was still talking, someone from the leader’s house came up and told him, “Your daughter died. No need now to bother the Teacher.”
50-51 Jesus overheard and said, “Don’t be upset. Just trust me and everything will be all right.” Going into the house, he wouldn’t let anyone enter with him except Peter, John, James, and the child’s parents.
52-53 Everyone was crying and carrying on over her. Jesus said, “Don’t cry. She didn’t die; she’s sleeping.” They laughed at him. They knew she was dead.
54-56 Then Jesus, gripping her hand, called, “My dear child, get up.” She was up in an instant, up and breathing again! He told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were ecstatic, but Jesus warned them to keep quiet. “Don’t tell a soul what happened in this room.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson