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They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. When he had come out of the boat, immediately a man with an unclean spirit met him out of the tombs. He lived in the tombs. Nobody could bind him any more, not even with chains, because he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the fetters broken in pieces. Nobody had the strength to tame him. Always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and bowed down to him, and crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have I to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, don’t torment me.” For he said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”

He asked him, “What is your name?”

He said to him, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 He begged him much that he would not send them away out of the country. 11 Now on the mountainside there was a great herd of pigs feeding. 12 All the demons begged him, saying, “Send us into the pigs, that we may enter into them.”

13 At once Jesus gave them permission. The unclean spirits came out and entered into the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and they were drowned in the sea. 14 Those who fed the pigs fled, and told it in the city and in the country.

The people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 They came to Jesus, and saw him who had been possessed by demons sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, even him who had the legion; and they were afraid. 16 Those who saw it declared to them what happened to him who was possessed by demons, and about the pigs. 17 They began to beg him to depart from their region.

18 As he was entering into the boat, he who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 He didn’t allow him, but said to him, “Go to your house, to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how he had mercy on you.”

20 He went his way, and began to proclaim in Decapolis how Jesus had done great things for him, and everyone marveled.

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Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man(A)

They arrived at the other side of the sea in the territory of the Gerasenes.[a] Just as Jesus[b] stepped out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met him. He lived among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, not even with a chain. He had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but had snapped the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces. No one could tame him. He kept screaming night and day among the tombs and on the mountainsides, and kept cutting himself with stones.

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell down in front of him, screaming in a loud voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you in the name of[c] God never to torment me!”

Jesus[d] had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” Then Jesus[e] asked him, “What’s your name?”

He told him, “My name is Legion,[f] because there are many of us.” 10 He kept pleading with Jesus[g] not to send them out of that region.

11 Now a large herd of pigs was grazing on a hillside nearby. 12 So the demons[h] begged him, “Send us among the pigs, so that we can go into them!” 13 So he let them do this. The unclean spirits came out of the man[i] and went into the pigs, and the herd of about 2,000 rushed down a steep slope into the sea and drowned there.[j]

14 Now when those who had been taking care of the pigs ran away, they reported what had happened[k] in the city and countryside. So the people[l] went to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus and saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there dressed and in his right mind, they were frightened. 16 The people who had seen it told them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and the pigs. 17 So they began to beg Jesus[m] to leave their territory.

18 As Jesus[n] was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed kept begging him to let him go with him. 19 But Jesus[o] wouldn’t let him. Instead, he told him, “Go home to your family, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been to you.” 20 So the man[p] left and began proclaiming in the Decapolis[q] how much Jesus had done for him. And everyone was utterly amazed.

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 5:1 Other mss. read Gergesenes; still other mss. read Gadarenes
  2. Mark 5:2 Lit. he
  3. Mark 5:7 The Gk. lacks the name of
  4. Mark 5:8 Lit. Because he
  5. Mark 5:9 Lit. he
  6. Mark 5:9 A Roman legion consisted of about 6,000 men.
  7. Mark 5:10 Lit. him
  8. Mark 5:12 Lit. they
  9. Mark 5:13 The Gk. lacks of the man
  10. Mark 5:13 Lit. drowned in the sea
  11. Mark 5:14 Lit. they reported it
  12. Mark 5:14 Lit. they
  13. Mark 5:17 Lit. him
  14. Mark 5:18 Lit. he
  15. Mark 5:19 Lit. he
  16. Mark 5:20 Lit. he
  17. Mark 5:20 Lit. the Ten Cities, a loose federation of ten cities strongly influenced by Greek culture.